New Bill Would Protect Medical Professionals’ Rights of Conscience

Rep. Brandt Smith (R – Jonesboro)

Yesterday Rep. Brandt Smith (R – Jonesboro) filed the Medical Conscience Protection Act, H.B. 1289, protecting healthcare professionals’ rights of conscience.

This is a good bill that Family Council supports.

The bill protects healthcare workers and companies from being forced to take part in activities that violate their beliefs — like abortion.

H.B. 1289 clearly states that conscience is a fundamental right, and it protects healthcare professionals and companies from being penalized for following their beliefs.

The bill also contains reasonable safeguards to ensure conscience protections cannot be used to deny a person emergency medical care.

Arkansas law already offers good protections to doctors and nurses — especially when it comes to abortion — but does not give those same protections to social workers, CNAs, and others who work in the healthcare industry.

H.B. 1289 helps ensure no one can be forced to perform, pay for, or participate in a medical procedure that violates their beliefs.

You can thank Rep. Brandt Smith for sponsoring this bill by calling 870-351-7459 or emailing brandt.smith@arkansashouse.org.

You can leave a message asking your state representative to support H.B. 1289 by calling the Arkansas House of Representatives at (501) 682-6211.

You can read the Medical Conscience Protection Act here.