SB366 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Scott Beason

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Health Care Rights of Conscience Act, health care providers, institutions, and payers right to decline to perform services that violate their consciences, injunctive relief

Summary

SB366 would let health care providers, institutions, and payers refuse to provide or pay for certain services that conflict with their conscience, and would protect them from certain penalties when they do.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the bill would give health care providers, institutions, and payers the authority to decline to participate in health care services that violate their conscience. It would shield them from civil, criminal, or administrative liability and from discrimination or disciplinary action for refusing, and would allow for injunctive relief and back pay when those rights are violated. It also establishes definitions and specific rights for providers, institutions, and payers, and sets up related protections and enforcement mechanisms.

Who It Affects

• Health care providers and health care institutions (such as doctors, nurses, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and other care settings) would be allowed to decline to participate in certain services and would be protected from liability and certain penalties for doing so.
• Health care payers (such as insurance plans and HMOs) and health care consumers (patients) could be affected as payers may decline to pay for services, and patients could experience reduced access to some services if a provider or payer declines to participate or cover them.

Key Provisions

• Right to refuse to participate in health care services that violate conscience (Section 4(a)).
• Immunity from civil, criminal, or administrative liability for refusing to provide or participate in such services (Section 4(b)).
• Protection against discrimination or disciplinary action for declining to participate (Section 4(c)).
• Allowing injunctive relief and back pay for violations of these rights (Section 7).
• Definitions of key terms: conscience, employer, health care institution, health care payer, health care provider, health care service, participate, and pay (Section 3).
• Health care institutions may decline to participate, may require consent forms, and are protected against discrimination when forming new institutions or seeking licensure (Section 5).
• Health care payers may decline to pay for services and are protected from liability; discrimination protections related to establishing or operating payers (Section 6).
• Remedies include costs and attorney’s fees for enforceable actions, with potential reinstatement and back pay (Section 7).
• Provisions are severable, and the act becomes effective after governor approval (Sections 8-9).

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health Care Providers