Conscience Protection Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill prohibits the federal government and any entity receiving federal funds—including state and local governments—from punishing health care workers, hospitals, pharmacies, or insurers that refuse to provide, perform, refer for, pay for, or participate in abortions.
• The bill creates a new private right of action, allowing any individual or entity harmed by a conscience violation to sue in federal court for injunctive relief, compensatory damages, and attorneys' fees—without first going through an agency complaint process.
• The "health care entity" definition is extremely broad, covering individual doctors, nurses, pharmacists, researchers, medical students, hospitals, labs, insurers, health sharing ministries, accountable care organizations, and social services providers.
• HHS's Office for Civil Rights would be required to receive and promptly investigate conscience violation complaints, issue findings, and require corrective action. The Secretary could cut federal funding to non-compliant entities, including state governments.
• The bill explicitly states it does not override emergency care requirements for pregnant women under EMTALA, and it does not prevent entities that voluntarily choose to provide abortions from continuing to do so.