,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #idj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,march #d1 #bjac     
,mrs4 ,black 7for herself1 ,mr4         
,fleming1 ,mr4 ,fortenberry1 ,mr4       
,daines1 ,mr4 ,boustany1 ,mr4 ,jones1   
,mr4 ,cassidy1 ,mr4 ,rogers of ,alabama1
 ,mr4 ,nunnelee1 ,mr4 ,lipinski1 ,mr4   
,hultgren1 ,mr4 ,bonner1 ,mr4 ,cramer1  
,mr4 ,broun of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,johnson  
of ,ohio1 ,mr4 ,walberg1 ,mr4 ,tiberi1  
,mr4 ,kelly1 ,mr4 ,neugebauer1 ,mr4     
,flores1 ,mrs4 ,ellmers1 ,mr4 ,gingrey  
of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,pompeo1 ,mr4 ,roe of 
,tennessee1 ,mr4 ,king of ,iowa1 ,mr4   
,murphy of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4          
,bentivolio1 ,ms4 ,foxx1 ,mr4 ,rodney   
,davis of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,wilson of    
,south ,carolina1 ,mr4 ,poe of ,texas1  
,mr4 ,fincher1 ,mr4 ,westmoreland1 ,mr4 
,graves of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,bachus1 ,mr4 
,barletta1 ,mr4 ,jordan1 ,mrs4 ,wagner1 
,mr4 ,benishek1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mr4  
,wenstrup1 ,mr4 ,southerland1 ,mr4      
,schweikert1 ,mr4 ,huelskamp1 ,mr4      

,harris1 ,mrs4 ,hartzler1 ,mr4 ,miller  
of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,new        
,jersey1 ,mr4 ,roskam1 ,mr4 ,pearce1 and
 ,mrs4 ,walorski7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1
 and in addition to the ,committee on   
,ways and ,means1 for a period to be    
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,patient       
,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act  
to protect rights of conscience with    
regard to requirements for coverage of  
specific items and services1 to amend   
the ,public ,health ,service ,act to    
prohibit certain abortion-related       
discrimination in governmental          
activities1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,health ,care ,conscience ,rights  
,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the
 following3  7#a7 ,as ,thomas ,jefferson

 declared to ,new ,london ,methodists in
 #ahji1 no provision in our             
,constitution ought to be dearer to man 
than that which protects the rights of  
conscience against the enterprises of   
the civil authority4  7#b7 ,jefferson's 
conviction on respect for conscience is 
deeply embedded in the history and      
traditions of our ,nation1 and codified 
in numerous ,federal laws approved by   
congressional majorities and ,presidents
 of both parties1 including in the      
,public ,health ,service ,act2 the      
,united ,states ,leadership ,against    
,,hiv_/,,aids1 ,tuberculosis1 and       
,malaria ,act2 the ,religious ,freedom  
,restoration ,act2 longstanding         
provisions on respect for conscience    
rights in the ,federal ,employees       
,health ,benefits ,program and ,district
 of ,columbia appropriations2 and laws  
to protect individuals from being forced
 to participate in ,federal executions  
or prosecutions4  7#c7 ,following       
enactment of the ,patient ,protection   

and ,affordable ,care ,act 7,public ,law
 #aaa-adh1 in this section referred to  
as ,,ppaca71 the ,federal ,government   
has sought to impose specific           
requirements that infringe on the rights
 of conscience of those who offer or    
purchase health coverage4  7#d7 ,while  
,,ppaca provides an exemption for some  
religious groups that object to         
participation in health insurance       
generally1 and exempts millions of      
,americans from most of the ,act's      
provisions1 including the preventive    
services mandate1 it fails to provide   
statutory protection for those seeking  
to offer and purchase health coverage   
who have a religious or moral objection 
only to specific items or services4     
7#e7 ,nurses and other health care      
providers have increasingly been        
subjected to discrimination for abiding 
by their conscience rather than         
providing1 paying for1 or referring for 
abortion4  7#f7 ,conscience rights      
protections for health care providers   

are an important part of civil rights   
protections in ,federal law and are     
indispensable to the continued viability
 of the health care system in the       
,united ,states4 ,the increasingly      
significant discrimination suffered by  
faith-based nonprofit health care       
providers risks undermining access to   
high-quality compassionate care for some
 of the most vulnerable populations in  
our country4  #c4 ,applying longstanding
 policy on conscience rights to the     
,affordable ,care ,act  7a7 ,in general 
,title ,i of the ,patient ,protection   
and ,affordable ,care ,act 7,public ,law
 #aaa-adh7 is amended--  7#a7 by        
redesignating the second section #aefc  
7relating to conforming amendments and  
as redesignated by section              
#ajajg7;b77#a7 of the ,patient          
,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act7 
as section #aefd2  7#b7 by redesignating
 the third section #aefc 7relating to   
the ,sense of the ,senate promoting     
fiscal responsibility7 as section #aefe2

 and  7#c7 by adding at the end the     
following new section3  #aeff4          
,respecting conscience rights in health 
coverage  7a7 ,in general               
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
this title1 no provision of this title  
7and no amendment made by any such      
provision7 shall--  7#a7 require an     
individual to purchase individual health
 insurance coverage that includes       
coverage of an abortion or other item or
 service to which such individual has a 
moral or religious objection1 or prevent
 an issuer from offering or issuing1 to 
such individual1 individual health      
insurance coverage that excludes such   
item or service2  7#b7 require a sponsor
 7or1 in the case of health insurance   
coverage offered to students through an 
institution of higher education1 the    
institution of higher education offering
 such coverage7 to sponsor1 purchase1 or
 provide any health benefits coverage or
 group health plan that includes        
coverage of an abortion or other item or

 service to which such sponsor or       
institution1 respectively1 has a moral  
or religious objection1 or prevent an   
issuer from offering or issuing to such 
sponsor or institution1 respectively1   
health insurance coverage that excludes 
such item or service2  7#c7 require an  
issuer of health insurance coverage or  
the sponsor of a group health plan to   
include1 in any such coverage or plan1  
coverage of an abortion or other item or
 service to which such issuer or sponsor
 has a moral or religious objection2 or 
7#d7 authorize the imposition of a tax1 
penalty1 fee1 fine1 or other sanction1  
or the imposition of coverage of the    
item or service to which there is a     
moral or religious objection1 in        
relation to health insurance coverage or
 a group health plan that excludes an   
item or service pursuant to this        
section4  7b7 ,restriction on contrary  
governmental action ,no provision in    
this title 7or amendment made by such   
provision7 or law1 regulation1 guideline

 or other governmental action that      
implements such provision or amendment1 
or derives its authority therefrom1     
shall be given legal effect to the      
extent that it violates this section4   
7c7 ,no effect on other laws ,nothing in
 this section shall be construed to     
preempt1 modify1 or otherwise have any  
effect on--  7#a7 the ,civil ,rights    
,act of #aifd2  7#b7 the ,americans with
 ,disabilities ,act of #aiij2  7#c7 the 
,pregnancy ,discrimination ,act of      
#aigh2  7#d7 the ,mental ,health ,parity
 ,act of #aiif2 or  7#e7 any other      
,state or ,federal law1 other than a    
provision in this title 7or an amendment
 made by such provision7 or a law1      
regulation1 guideline or other          
governmental action that implements such
 provision or amendment or derives its  
authority therefrom4  7d7 ,aggregate    
actuarial value ,nothing in this section
 shall be construed to prohibit the     
,secretary from issuing regulations or  
other guidance to ensure that health    

insurance coverage or group health plans
 excluding abortion or other items or   
services under this section shall have  
an aggregate actuarial value at least   
equivalent to that of health insurance  
coverage or group health plans at the   
same level of coverage that do not      
exclude such items or services4  7e7    
,continued application of               
nondiscrimination rules ,nothing in this
 section shall be construed to permit a 
health insurance issuer1 group health   
plan1 or other health care provider to  
act in a manner inconsistent with       
subparagraph 7,b7 or 7,d7 of section    
#acjb7;b77#d74  4  7b7 ,clerical        
amendment ,the table of contents of the 
,patient ,protection and ,affordable    
,care ,act 7,public ,law #aaa-adh7 is   
amended--  7#a7 by striking the         
following items3  #aefc4 ,conforming    
amendments4 #aefc4 ,sense of the ,senate
 promoting fiscal responsibility4  2    
and  7#b7 by inserting after the item   
relating to the section #aefc relating  

to small business procurement the       
following items3  #aefd4 ,conforming    
amendments4 #aefe4 ,sense of the ,senate
 promoting fiscal responsibility4 #aeff4
 ,respecting conscience rights in health
 coverage4  4  #d4 ,abortion            
nondiscrimination for health care       
providers ,section #bde of the ,public  
,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#bchn7 is amended--  7#a7 in the section
 heading1 by striking and licensing of  
physicians and inserting 1 licensing1   
and practice of physicians and other    
health care entities2  7#b7 in          
subsection 7a71 by amending paragraph   
7#a7 to read as follows3  7#a7 the      
entity refuses--  7,a7 to undergo       
training in the performance of induced  
abortions2  7,b7 to require or provide  
such training2  7,c7 to perform1        
participate in1 provide coverage of1 or 
pay for induced abortions2 or  7,d7 to  
provide referrals for such training or  
such abortions2  2  7#c7 in subsection  
7b77#a71 by striking standards and      

inserting standard2  7#d7 in subsection 
7c71 by amending paragraphs 7#a7 and    
7#b7 to read as follows3  7#a7 ,the term
 financial assistance1 with respect to a
 government program1 means governmental 
payments to cover the cost of health    
care services or benefits1 or other     
,federal payments1 grants1 or loans to  
promote or otherwise facilitate         
health-related activities4  7#b7 ,the   
term health care entity includes an     
individual physician or other health    
professional1 a postgraduate physician  
training program1 a participant in a    
program of training in the health       
professions1 a hospital1 a              
provider-sponsored organization as      
defined in section #ahee7;d7 of the     
,social ,security ,act1 a health        
maintenance organization1 an accountable
 care organization1 an issuer of health 
insurance coverage1 any other kind of   
health care facility1 organization1 or  
plan1 and an entity that provides or    
authorizes referrals for health care    

services4  2  7#e7 by adding at the end 
of subsection 7c7 the following new     
paragraph3  7#d7 ,the term ,state or    
local government that receives ,federal 
financial assistance includes any agency
 or other governmental unit of a ,state 
or local government if such government  
receives ,federal financial assistance4 
2  7#f7 by redesignating subsection 7c7 
as subsection 7d72 and  7#g7 by         
inserting after subsection 7b7 the      
following new subsection3  7c7          
,administration ,the ,secretary shall   
designate the ,director of the ,office  
for ,civil ,rights of the ,department of
 ,health and ,human ,services--  7#a7 to
 receive complaints alleging a violation
 of this section1 section #aeff of the  
,patient ,protection and ,affordable    
,care ,act1 or any of subsections 7b7   
through 7e7 of section #dja of the      
,health ,programs ,extension ,act of    
#aigc2 and  7#b7 to pursue the          
investigation of such complaints1 in    
coordination with the ,attorney         

,general4  4  #e4 ,remedies for         
violations of ,federal conscience laws  
,title ,,ii of the ,public ,health      
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bjb et    
seq47 is amended by inserting after     
section #bde the following3  #bde;,a4   
,civil action for certain violations    
7a7 ,in general ,a qualified party may1 
in a civil action1 obtain appropriate   
relief with regard to a designated      
violation4  7b7 ,definitions ,in this   
section--  7#a7 the term qualified party
 means--  7,a7 the ,attorney ,general2  
or  7,b7 any person or entity adversely 
affected by the designated violation2   
and  7#b7 the term designated violation 
means an actual or threatened violation 
of section #bde of this ,act1 section   
#aeff of the ,patient ,protection and   
,affordable ,care ,act1 or any of       
subsections 7b7 through 7e7 of section  
#dja of the ,health ,programs ,extension
 ,act of #aigc4  7c7 ,administrative    
remedies not required ,an action under  
this section may be commenced1 and      

relief may be granted1 without regard to
 whether the party commencing the action
 has sought or exhausted available      
administrative remedies4  7d7           
,defendants in actions under this       
section may include governmental        
entities as well as others  7#a7 ,in    
general ,an action under this section   
may be maintained against1 among others1
 a party that is a ,federal or ,state   
governmental entity4 ,relief in an      
action under this section may include   
money damages even if the defendant is  
such a governmental entity4  7#b7       
,definition ,for the purposes of this   
subsection1 the term ,state governmental
 entity means a ,state1 a local         
government within a ,state1 or any      
agency or other governmental unit or    
authority of a ,state or of such a local
 government4  7e7 ,nature of relief ,the
 court shall grant--  7#a7 all necessary
 equitable and legal relief1 including1 
where appropriate1 declaratory relief   
and compensatory damages1 to prevent the

 occurrence1 continuance1 or repetition 
of the designated violation and to      
compensate for losses resulting from the
 designated violation2 and  7#b7 to a   
prevailing plaintiff1 reasonable        
attorneys' fees and litigation expenses 
as part of the costs4  4