HR 4828 · 114th Congress 2015–2017, ended

Conscience Protection Act of 2016

Introduced Mar 22, 2016 Originated House Sponsor John Fleming R-LA

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Mar 25, 2016 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedMar 22, 2016
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Conscience Protection Act of 2016

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to codify the prohibition against the federal government and state and local governments that receive federal financial assistance for health-related activities penalizing or discriminating against a health care provider based on the provider's refusal to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortion. Health care providers include health care professionals, health care facilities, social services providers, health care professional training programs, and health insurers.

The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), must investigate complaints alleging discrimination based on an individual's religious belief, moral conviction, or refusal to be involved in an abortion.

DOJ or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may obtain equitable or legal relief in a civil action. Administrative remedies do not need to be sought or exhausted prior to commencing an action or granting relief. Such an action may be brought against a governmental entity.

Cosponsors 104

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 22, 2016 to Jul 12, 2016; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-MOVicky HartzlerOriginalMar 22, 2016
R-LACharles W. Boustany, Jr.Apr 12, 2016
R-NJChristopher H. SmithApr 12, 2016
R-SCJeff DuncanApr 12, 2016
R-PAJoseph R. PittsApr 12, 2016
R-TXPete SessionsApr 12, 2016
R-KSTim HuelskampApr 12, 2016
R-NCWalter B. JonesApr 12, 2016
R-MOBlaine LuetkemeyerApr 13, 2016
R-TXBlake FarentholdApr 13, 2016
R-TNCharles J. "Chuck" FleischmannApr 13, 2016
R-NEJeff FortenberryApr 13, 2016
R-ILRandy HultgrenApr 13, 2016
R-OHRobert E. LattaApr 13, 2016
R-MDAndy HarrisApr 15, 2016
R-GABarry LoudermilkApr 15, 2016
D-ILDaniel LipinskiApr 15, 2016
R-CODoug LambornApr 15, 2016
R-GAEarl L. "Buddy" CarterApr 15, 2016
R-FLJeff MillerApr 15, 2016
R-TXKenny MarchantApr 15, 2016
R-TXRandy K. Weber, Sr.Apr 15, 2016
R-ALRobert B. AderholtApr 15, 2016
R-NMStevan PearceApr 15, 2016
R-FLThomas J. RooneyApr 15, 2016
R-AZTrent FranksApr 15, 2016
R-MOAnn WagnerApr 19, 2016
R-OHBill JohnsonApr 19, 2016
R-MIJohn R. MoolenaarApr 19, 2016
R-TXBill FloresApr 21, 2016
R-OHBob GibbsApr 21, 2016
R-FLDaniel WebsterApr 21, 2016
R-TNDavid P. RoeApr 21, 2016
R-CADoug LaMalfaApr 21, 2016
R-WIF. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.Apr 21, 2016
R-TXPete OlsonApr 21, 2016
R-TXRandy NeugebauerApr 21, 2016
R-NCRobert PittengerApr 21, 2016
R-OHSteve ChabotApr 21, 2016
R-OKSteve RussellApr 21, 2016
R-VADave BratApr 27, 2016
R-TXJeb HensarlingApr 27, 2016
R-GAJody B. HiceApr 27, 2016
R-NDKevin CramerApr 27, 2016
R-TXLamar SmithApr 27, 2016
R-NCMark MeadowsApr 27, 2016
R-MOSam GravesApr 27, 2016
R-NYChris CollinsApr 29, 2016
R-PAKeith J. RothfusApr 29, 2016
R-ILPeter J. RoskamMay 11, 2016
R-ILDarin LaHoodMay 12, 2016
R-PAMichael G. FitzpatrickMay 12, 2016
R-WACathy McMorris RodgersMay 16, 2016
R-INLarry BucshonMay 16, 2016
R-NCRichard HudsonMay 16, 2016
R-GARick W. AllenMay 16, 2016
R-VAJ. Randy ForbesMay 23, 2016
R-INTodd RokitaMay 24, 2016
R-NCVirginia FoxxMay 24, 2016
R-IADavid YoungJun 7, 2016
R-SCJoe WilsonJun 7, 2016
R-FLRon DeSantisJun 7, 2016
R-TXTed PoeJun 7, 2016
R-GAAustin ScottJun 13, 2016
R-FLGus M. BilirakisJun 13, 2016
R-TXBrian BabinJun 21, 2016
R-VAH. Morgan GriffithJun 21, 2016
R-PATim MurphyJun 21, 2016
R-WISean P. DuffyJun 22, 2016
R-OHBrad R. WenstrupJun 24, 2016
R-MIBill HuizengaJul 5, 2016
R-MSGregg HarperJul 5, 2016
R-KSKevin YoderJul 5, 2016
R-TXLouie GohmertJul 5, 2016
R-PAMike KellyJul 5, 2016
R-AZPaul A. GosarJul 5, 2016
R-TNScott DesJarlaisJul 5, 2016
R-OHWarren DavidsonJul 5, 2016
R-MICandice S. MillerJul 6, 2016
R-INJackie WalorskiJul 6, 2016
R-OHJim JordanJul 6, 2016
R-SDKristi L. NoemJul 6, 2016
R-TXMichael C. BurgessJul 6, 2016
R-MITim WalbergJul 6, 2016
R-LASteve ScaliseJul 7, 2016
R-WYCynthia M. LummisJul 8, 2016
R-ALGary J. PalmerJul 8, 2016
R-OKJim BridenstineJul 8, 2016
R-AZMatt SalmonJul 8, 2016
R-NCRenee L. EllmersJul 8, 2016
R-UTRob BishopJul 8, 2016
R-MNTom EmmerJul 8, 2016
R-KYBrett GuthrieJul 11, 2016
R-MIDavid A. TrottJul 11, 2016
R-TXJohn RatcliffeJul 11, 2016
R-TXKevin BradyJul 11, 2016
R-ALMartha RobyJul 11, 2016
R-KSMike PompeoJul 11, 2016
R-LARalph Lee AbrahamJul 11, 2016
R-ILRodney DavisJul 11, 2016
R-CAStephen KnightJul 11, 2016
R-WVAlexander X. MooneyJul 12, 2016
R-UTMia B. LoveJul 12, 2016
R-GATom GravesJul 12, 2016

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseEnergy and Commerce Committee
Referred Mar 22, 2016
Health Subcommittee
Referred Mar 25, 2016

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Mar 25, 2016Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  2. Mar 22, 2016Introduced in House
  3. Mar 22, 2016Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: This bill makes specific changes to existing law in a manner that provides conscience protections in accord with the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution. Further, this bill creates a private right of action in federal court in accord with Clause 9 of Section 8 of Article I and Clause 18, Section 8 of Article I, of the United States Constitution. Similarly, this bill provides for preventing disbursement of all or a portion of certain Federal financial assistance in accord with Clause 1, Section 8 Article 1.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 162, no. 45, March 22, 2016, page H1553.

Related bills 2

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 304Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower ActRelated billJul 14, 2016
S 2927Conscience Protection Act of 2016Identical billMay 12, 2016

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To prevent governmental discrimination against providers of health services who decline involvement in abortion, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Conscience Protection Act of 2016

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Mar 22, 2016Introduced in House

Support LegiList

This page is free, carries no paywall, and is built and maintained by one person. If the record here is useful to you, a few dollars keeps it going.

$1 $5 $10

Processed by Stripe in a separate window. LegiList never sees card details.

Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.