[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 47 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 47 To provide for regulations on protecting statutory conscience rights in health care. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 9, 2025 Mr. Hawley introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To provide for regulations on protecting statutory conscience rights in health care. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Defense of Conscience in Health Care Act''. SEC. 2. REGULATIONS ON PROTECTING STATUTORY CONSCIENCE RIGHTS IN HEALTH CARE. (a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall-- (1) issue, under the Federal conscience and anti- discrimination laws, a final rule that is identical or materially equivalent to the former rule stated in part 88 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on July 22, 2019 (84 Fed. Reg. 23170; relating to protecting statutory conscience rights in health care; delegations of authority); and (2) specify in the final rule that the rule supersedes any contrary rule in existence on the date of issuance. (b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Federal conscience and anti-discrimination laws'' has the meaning given the term in the former rule specified in subsection (a)(1). <all>