,i  #aac? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4
 ,r4 #dcif  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(          
,,repres5tatives  ,april #c1 #bjad ,mr4 
,luetkemey] 7= himself1 ,mr4 ,johnson ( 
,ohio1 ,mr4 ,mc,caul1 ,mr4 ,br\n (      
,georgia1 ,mr4 ,b5tivolio1 & ,mr4 ,long7
 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$  
to ! ,committee on ,en]gy & ,comm]ce  ,a
 ,,bill  ,to prohibit ! ,secret>y (     
,heal? & ,human ,s]vices f implem5t+    
c]ta9 rules relat+ to ! heal? insurance 
cov]age ( /]ilization & contraceptives  
approv$ by ! ,food & ,drug              
,adm9i/ration4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is    
,act may be cit$ z ! ,religi\s ,lib]ty  
,protection ,act ( #bjad4  #b4 ,f9d+s   
,congress f9ds ! foll[+3  7#a7 ,deeply  
emb$d$ 9 ! hi/ory & traditions ( !      
,unit$ ,/ates is ! protection ( religi\s
 fre$om4 ,! ,fir/ ,am5dm5t ( ! ,unit$   
,/ates ,con/itution /ates ,congress %all
 make no law respect+ an e/abli%m5t (   
religion1 or prohibit+ ! free ex]cise   
!re(1 & ?us1 x gives g5]al protection = 
individuals' religi\s beliefs &         

practices4  7#b7 ,repeat$ly dur+ !      
exi/5ce ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 ,congress has
 reaffirm$ ! fre$om ( religion by       
enact+1 among o!r ?+s1 title ,,vii ( !  
,civil ,rights ,act ( #aifd1 ! ,*ur*    
am5dm5t1 ! ,weldon am5dm5t1 section #bde
 ( ! ,public ,heal? ,s]vice ,act1 & !   
,religi\s ,fre$om ,re/oration ,act (    
#aiic4 ,?r\gh _! passage1 ! ,unit$      
,/ates has augm5t$ religi\s fre$oms &   
set ! prec$5t ( protection ( consci5ce  
rights4  7#c7 ,! ,weldon am5dm5t has be5
 regul>ly includ$ 9 appropriations      
legislation = ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,heal? &    
,human ,s]vices4 ,! ,weldon am5dm5t     
prohibits ,f$]al ag5cies1 ,/ates1 &     
local gov]nm5ts t receive ! appropriat$ 
funds 9 ! respective ,act f discrim9at+ 
among in/itutional or individual heal?  
c>e pr(essionals1 organizations1        
facilities1 & plans on ! basis ( a heal?
 c>e entity's refusal to provide1 pay =1
 provide cov]age (1 or ref] = abortions4
  7#d7 ,! ,unit$ ,/ates has a hi/ory (  
protect+ individuals1 organizations1    

facilities1 & plans f be+ p5aliz$ or    
discrim9at$ aga9/ due to _! religi\s    
beliefs & moral values4 ,until !        
enactm5t ( ! ,pati5t ,protection &      
,af=dable ,c>e ,act 7,public ,law       
#aaa-adh71 ! ,f$]al ,gov]nm5t has nev]  
s\ght to impose specific heal? c>e      
cov]age or c>e requirem5ts t infr+e on !
 consci5ce rights ( insur]s1 pur*as]s ( 
insurance1 plan sponsors1 b5efici>ies1 &
 o!r /akehold]s1 su* z individual or    
in/itutional heal? c>e entities4  7#e7  
,! ,pati5t ,protection & ,af=dable ,c>e 
,act grants ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,heal? &      
,human ,s]vices ! au?ority to provide a 
li/ ( detail$ s]vices to be includ$ z   
ess5tial heal? b5efits 7z def9$ 9       
section #acjb7;a7 ( ! ,pati5t           
,protection & ,af=dable ,c>e ,act71 &   
prev5tive heal? s]vices describ$ 9      
section #bgac ( ! ,public ,heal? ,s]vice
 ,act4 ,^! s]vices repres5t a new       
nationwide cov]age requirem5t = heal?   
plans4  7#f7 ,! ,pati5t ,protection &   
,af=dable ,c>e ,act provides a n>r[     

exemption = religi\s gr\ps t object to  
p>ticipation 9 gov]nm5t heal? programs  
g5]ally1 b x does n all[ pur*as]s1 plan 
sponsors1 & o!r /akehold]s ) religi\s or
 moral objections to specific requir$   
items or s]vices to decl9e provid+ or   
obta9+ cov]age ( su* items or s]vices1  
or all[ heal? c>e entities ) su*        
objections to decl9e to provide !m4     
7#g7 ,by creat+ new b>ri]s to heal?     
insurance & caus+ ! loss ( exi/+        
insurance arrangem5ts1 ^! inflexible    
m&ates 9 ! ,pati5t ,protection &        
,af=dable ,c>e ,act jeop>dize ! ability 
( individuals to ex]cise _! rights (    
consci5ce & _! ability to freely        
p>ticipate 9 ! heal? insurance & heal?  
c>e m>ketplace4  7#h7 ,9 a significant  
move f ! curr5t free insurance cov]age  
m>ket1 ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,heal? & ,human    
,s]vices issu$ an int]im rule on ,augu/ 
#a1 #bjaa1 requir+ individual & gr\p    
heal? plans to cov] free /]ilization &  
all contraceptives approv$ by ! ,food & 
,drug ,adm9i/ration4  7#i7 ,)9 ! li/ (  

contraceptives approv$ by ! ,food &     
,drug ,adm9i/ration are drugs conta9+   
abortifaci5t sub/ances & effects1       
includ+ ,levonorge/ral commonly kn[n z  
,plan ,b & ulipri/al acetate m>ket$ z   
,ella4 ,?us1 ! ,pati5t ,protection &    
,af=dable ,c>e ,act effectively m&ates  
employ]s to provide heal? c>e insurance 
cov]+ abortion drugs & s]vices1 :i* is a
 violation ( num]\s ,f$]al provisions   
a=em5tion$4  7#aj7 ,on ,janu>y #bj1     
#bjab1 ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,heal? & ,human    
,s]vices ann\nc$ t x w\ld n broad5 !    
religi\s exemption x includ$ 9 its      
,augu/ #a1 #bjaa1 int]im rule4 ,in/ead1 
x gave in/itutions & employ]s ) religi\s
 & moral objections to includ+ free     
/]ilization & all contraceptives approv$
 by ! ,food & ,drug ,adm9i/ration 9 _!  
(f]$ heal? insurance plan an additional 
ye> to adapt _! consci5ces to ! m&ate4  
7#aa7 ,9 ,june #bjac1 ! ,dep>tm5t (     
,heal? & ,human ,s]vices propos$ a      
def9ition ( 8religi\s employ]0 =        
purposes ( ! exemption f ! contraceptive

 cov]age requirem5t4 ,! exemption       
ess5tially only applies to =mal h\ses ( 
wor%ip4 ,all o!r religi\sly affiliat$   
entities mu/ cont9ue to comply ) ! m&ate
 or o!rwise face a f9e4  #c4 ,protect+  
rights ( consci5ce  7a7 ,prohibition on 
implem5tation ( c]ta9 rules ,not)/&+ any
 o!r provision ( law1 ! ,secret>y (     
,heal? & ,human ,s]vices %all n implem5t
 or en=ce any provision ( ! f9al rule   
publi%$ on ,july #b1 #bjac 7#gh ,f$4    
,reg4 #cihgj71 or any am5dm5t to su*    
rule or rule publi%$ subsequ5t to su*   
rule1 ins(> z su* provision1 am5dm5t1 or
 subsequ5t rule relates to requir+ any  
individual or entity to provide cov]age 
( /]ilization or contraceptive s]vices  
to :i* ! individual or entity is oppos$ 
on ! basis ( religi\s belief4  7b7      
,cl>ification on application to ,,ppaca 
requirem5ts ,section #acjb7;b7 ( !      
,pati5t ,protection & ,af=dable ,c>e    
,act 7,public ,law #aaa-adh2 #db        
,u4,s4,c4 #ahjbb7;b77 is am5d$ by add+  
at ! end ! foll[+ new p>agraph3  7#f7   

,special rule ,a heal? plan %all n be   
consid]$ to h fail$ to provide !        
ess5tial heal? b5efits package describ$ 
9 subsection 7a7 7or prev5tive heal?    
s]vices describ$ 9 section #bgac ( !    
,public ,heal? ,s]vice ,act71 to fail to
 be a qualifi$ heal? plan1 or to fail to
 fulfill any o!r requirem5t "u ?is title
 on ! basis t ! plan does n provide 7or 
pay =7 cov]age ( /]ilization or         
contraceptive s]vices because--  7,a7   
provid+ 7or pay+ =7 su* cov]age is      
contr>y to ! religi\s or moral beliefs (
 ! sponsor1 issu]1 or o!r entity (f]+ ! 
plan2 or  7,b7 su* cov]age1 9 ! case (  
individual cov]age1 is contr>y to !     
religi\s or moral beliefs ( ! pur*as] or
 b5efici>y ( ! cov]age4  4