,,ii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #bgig ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #ac1 #bjbc,mr4 ,rubio 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,vance1 ,mr4 ,tillis1 and ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to ensure religious freedom and rights of conscience for health care workers and other government employees1 and to protect health care workers and other government employees from various forms of compelled speech4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,protecting ,conscience in ,our ,health ,care ,act4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,covered entity ,the term covered entity means a hospital1 health clinic1 medical organization1 or other health care entity1 using ,federal funds to implement a program or activity1 or a related policy4 7#b7 ,federal funds ,the term ,federal funds includes direct and indirect ,federal financial assistance4 7#c7 ,program or activity ,the term program or activity has the meaning given the term in section #fjf of the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bjjj;d-#d;a74 7#d7 ,sex ,except as provided in section #c7;a77#f71 the term sex-- 7,a7 means the biological indication of male and female in the context of natural reproductive potential or capacity1 such as genes or sex chromosomes1 gonads1 and nonambiguous internal and external genitalia present at or before birth2 and 7,b7 does not include an individual's psychological1 chosen1 or subjective experience4 7#e7 ,state government or agency ,the term ,state1 used with respect to a government or agency1 means a government or agency1 respectively1 using ,federal funds to implement a program or activity1 or a related policy4 #c4 ,federal funds limitation to protect against compelled speech and action 7a7 ,prohibition on compelled speech and action ,no ,federal or ,state government or agency1 or covered entity shall-- 7#a7 require an employee to participate in a seminar1 workshop1 training1 or other educational or professional activity1 or in using a curriculum1 that advocates for the idea that an individual can have an identity that is incongruent with their sex2 7#b7 require an employee to attend or participate in an event or activity affirming1 celebrating1 or supporting an identity that is incongruent with an individual's sex2 7#c7 require1 as a condition of employment or good standing with the government1 agency1 or entity involved1 that an employee pledge or otherwise commit to support or condone an identity that is incongruent with an individual's sex through verbal affirmation1 written recognition1 or any physical exercise2 7#d7 require1 as a condition of employment or good standing with the government1 agency1 or entity involved1 that an employee sign a statement of commitment to a particular belief or form of social action that supports1 condones1 or advances the idea that an individual can have an identity that is incongruent with their sex2 7#e7 require1 as a condition of employment or good standing with the government1 agency1 or entity involved1 that an employee wear apparel or an accessory that supports or condones an identity that is incongruent with an individual's sex2 7#f7 require an employee to affirm and use preferred pronouns of another1 including a medical patient1 without regard for whether those pronouns conflict with the employee's religious or moral beliefs1 or the employee's understanding of the relationship between sex and identity2 7#g7 require an employee to share the employee's preferred pronouns upon meeting or interacting with another individual or patient1 or to include preferred pronouns on or in a name tag1 email signature1 business card1 or other regular means of communication2 or 7#h7 terminate an employee's employment because1 based on their religious or moral beliefs1 the employee refuses to support1 condone1 or acknowledge someone's professed identity that is incongruent with sex1 including refusing to carry out any activity that a ,federal or ,state government or agency1 or covered entity may not require under any of paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#g74 7b7 ,prohibition on retaliation ,it shall be unlawful for a ,federal or ,state government or agency1 or covered entity to intimidate1 threaten1 coerce1 or discriminate against any individual because the individual has made a complaint1 testified1 assisted1 or participated in any manner in a civil action under section #d4 7c7 ,remedy ,the remedies1 procedures1 and rights set forth in title ,,vi of the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bjjj;d et seq47 shall be available to-- 7#a7 any person aggrieved by any violation of subsection 7a7 by a ,state government or agency1 or covered entity2 and 7#b7 any person aggrieved by any violation of subsection 7b7 by a ,federal or ,state government or agency1 or covered entity1 with respect to the amount of ,federal financial assistance expended for the period of the violation4 #d4 ,private right of action for affected individuals 7a7 ,in general ,any individual employed by a ,federal or ,state government or agency1 or covered entity may bring a civil action in an appropriate district court of the ,united ,states against the government1 agency1 or entity involved for a violation of section #c7;a74 7b7 ,remedy ,in the case that the individual described in subsection 7a7 demonstrates such a violation1 the individual shall be entitled to-- 7#a7 declaratory and injunctive relief2 and 7#b7 reasonable attorney's fees1 and costs of the action1 that the court determines are appropriate to award to a prevailing plaintiff4