By BTL Staff
LANSING – A bill called the "conscientious objector accommodation act" was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives on May 5. The bill, HB 4741, reads, in part, that its purpose is "to provide standards for personnel policies to protect and accommodate the right of conscience of health care providers who conscientiously object to providing or participating in certain health care services under certain circumstances; to provide for protection from certain liability; and to provide for penalties and remedies."
Unlike a similar bill introduced last year in the Senate that did not provide protections for LGBT individuals, HB 4741, in its current form, does include language to prevent health care providers from discriminating based on sexual orientation.
The bill reads, "The protections afforded to a health care provider under this act do not apply to a health care provider who has asserted to his or her supervisor a written objection to providing or participating in a certain health care service … if the objection is based on the status of the patient, including, but not limited to, the patient's religion, race, color, national origin, age, gender, height, weight, familial status, marital status, participation in high-risk activities, past or present medical disease or condition, sexual orientation, employment status, insurance coverage, ability to pay, or method of payment."
The bill has been referred to the Health Policy Committee. Rep. Brian Palmer (R-Macomb County), is the primary sponsor of the bill. Three of the bill's co-sponsors are on the Health Policy Committee. All of the sponsors are Republican.
To read the full text of the HB 4741, the conscientious objector bill, go to:
http://www.legislature.mi.gov.
Contact your representative about this bill.
Find your representative at: http://www.house.mi.gov/find_a_rep.asp.
