Arkansas legislature passes conscience protections for medical professionals

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Stephanie Nichols regarding the Arkansas legislature’s bipartisan passage Thursday of the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act, a bill sponsored by Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Brandt Smith that protects doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals and organizations from being forced to participate in procedures, such as abortion, that violate their conscience:

“No American should be forced to violate their ethical and religious beliefs. Doctors, nurses, and other medical providers should enjoy this same constitutional protection. The MED Act ensures that no medical professional is compelled to breach their oath to ‘do no harm’ by being required to participate in procedures or treatments that violate their conscience. Driving out doctors, nurses, and other medical providers because of their faith means fewer healthcare options for patients at a time when our nation’s healthcare system is overstretched and experiencing a dire shortage of providers. We commend Arkansas legislators for providing more choices for patients by protecting the right of medical professionals to operate according to their ethical and religious beliefs, and we urge Gov. Hutchinson to sign this important bipartisan bill into law.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.

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