HR 644 · 115th Congress 2017–2019, ended

Conscience Protection Act of 2017

Introduced Jan 24, 2017 Originated House Sponsor Diane Black R-TN

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Jan 24, 2017 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

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. IntroducedJan 24, 2017
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Conscience Protection Act of 2017

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 140

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 24, 2017 to Oct 23, 2018; 72 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-WVAlexander X. MooneyOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-AZAndy BiggsOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-MDAndy HarrisOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-MOAnn WagnerOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-GABarry LoudermilkOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-MIBill HuizengaOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-OHBill JohnsonOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-MOBlaine LuetkemeyerOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TXBlake FarentholdOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-OHBob GibbsOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-OHBrad R. WenstrupOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-KYBrett GuthrieOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TXBrian BabinOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TNCharles J. "Chuck" FleischmannOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-UTChris StewartOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-NJChristopher H. SmithOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-FLDaniel WebsterOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-VADave BratOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TNDavid P. RoeOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-CADoug LaMalfaOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-CODoug LambornOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-GAEarl L. "Buddy" CarterOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-FLGus M. BilirakisOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-ARJ. French HillOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-INJackie WalorskiOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TXJeb HensarlingOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-SCJeff DuncanOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-NEJeff FortenberryOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-INJim BanksOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-OKJim BridenstineOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-GAJody B. HiceOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-SCJoe WilsonOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-FLJohn H. RutherfordOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TNJohn J. Duncan, Jr.OriginalJan 24, 2017
R-MIJohn R. MoolenaarOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-PAKeith J. RothfusOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TXKenny MarchantOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TXKevin BradyOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-NDKevin CramerOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-KSKevin YoderOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-SDKristi L. NoemOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TXLouie GohmertOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-NCMark MeadowsOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TNMarsha BlackburnOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-ALMartha RobyOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-LAMike JohnsonOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-PAMike KellyOriginalJan 24, 2017
I-MIPaul MitchellOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TXPete OlsonOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-ILPeter J. RoskamOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-ILRandy HultgrenOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-NCRichard HudsonOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-GARick W. AllenOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-ALRobert B. AderholtOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-OHRobert E. LattaOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-NCRobert PittengerOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-ILRodney DavisOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-MOSam GravesOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-PAScott PerryOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-NMStevan PearceOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-OHSteve ChabotOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-LASteve ScaliseOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-MSSteven M. PalazzoOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TXTed PoeOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-FLTed S. YohoOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-FLThomas J. RooneyOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-MITim WalbergOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-INTodd RokitaOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-AZTrent FranksOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-MSTrent KellyOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-NCVirginia FoxxOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-NCWalter B. JonesOriginalJan 24, 2017
R-TXBill FloresJan 31, 2017
R-VAH. Morgan GriffithJan 31, 2017
R-OHJames B. RenacciJan 31, 2017
R-OHJim JordanJan 31, 2017
I-MIJustin AmashJan 31, 2017
R-UTMia B. LoveJan 31, 2017
R-PATim MurphyJan 31, 2017
R-MNTom EmmerJan 31, 2017
R-NYChris CollinsFeb 1, 2017
D-MNCollin C. PetersonFeb 14, 2017
D-ILDaniel LipinskiFeb 15, 2017
R-OHMichael R. TurnerFeb 15, 2017
R-KSRoger MarshallFeb 15, 2017
R-GAA. Drew Ferguson IVFeb 28, 2017
R-LAClay HigginsFeb 28, 2017
R-WIGlenn GrothmanFeb 28, 2017
R-MOVicky HartzlerFeb 28, 2017
R-VARobert J. WittmanMar 9, 2017
R-TXSam JohnsonMar 9, 2017
R-CATom McClintockMar 9, 2017
R-VABob GoodlatteMar 15, 2017
R-INLarry BucshonMar 15, 2017
R-PALloyd SmuckerMar 15, 2017
R-INLuke MesserMar 15, 2017
R-IADavid YoungMar 22, 2017
R-TXJodey C. ArringtonMar 23, 2017
R-NCMark WalkerMar 23, 2017
R-ILDarin LaHoodApr 4, 2017
R-NEDon BaconApr 4, 2017
R-ALGary J. PalmerApr 4, 2017
R-TXK. Michael ConawayApr 4, 2017
R-WVDavid B. McKinleyApr 6, 2017
R-MIMike BishopApr 25, 2017
R-KYThomas MassieJul 20, 2017
R-GADoug CollinsSep 1, 2017
R-WVEvan H. JenkinsSep 1, 2017
R-TXJohn RatcliffeSep 1, 2017
R-LARalph Lee AbrahamSep 1, 2017
R-UTRob BishopSep 1, 2017
R-MIJack BergmanSep 6, 2017
R-WIMike GallagherSep 11, 2017
R-IDRaul R. LabradorSep 12, 2017
R-OHWarren DavidsonSep 12, 2017
R-OHDavid P. JoyceSep 18, 2017
R-TXPete SessionsSep 18, 2017
R-GATom GravesSep 18, 2017
R-TNDavid KustoffSep 21, 2017
R-MOBilly LongSep 25, 2017
R-SCRalph NormanSep 26, 2017
R-GAAustin ScottSep 27, 2017
R-NYLee M. ZeldinOct 2, 2017
R-TXRandy K. Weber, Sr.Nov 7, 2017
R-KSLynn JenkinsDec 1, 2017
R-IASteve KingDec 5, 2017
R-AZPaul A. GosarDec 6, 2017
R-TXMichael C. BurgessJan 25, 2018
R-WISean P. DuffyMar 5, 2018
R-NEAdrian SmithMar 7, 2018
R-TXRoger WilliamsMar 7, 2018
R-AREric A. "Rick" CrawfordMar 14, 2018
R-GAKaren C. HandelMar 14, 2018
R-TNScott DesJarlaisMar 14, 2018
R-ALBradley ByrneApr 11, 2018
R-WADan NewhouseApr 17, 2018
R-TXJohn Abney CulbersonApr 23, 2018
R-FLBill PoseyAug 3, 2018
R-MTGreg GianforteSep 6, 2018
R-TXMichael CloudOct 23, 2018

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 Jan 24, 2017

Actions 2

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jan 24, 2017Introduced in House
  2. Jan 24, 2017Referred 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

[Pages H687-H688] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] By Mrs. BLACK: H.R. 644. 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, 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. 163, no. 13, January 24, 2017, page H688.

CRS reports 1

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 1

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

ProductTitleKindPublished
R45869Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education: FY2019 Appropriations ArchivedReportAug 5, 2019

Related bills 3

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

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 301Conscience Protection Act of 2017Identical billFeb 3, 2017
HR 3354Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018Related billSep 27, 2017
HR 6470Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019Related billJul 23, 2018

Titles 2

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

Official Title as Introduced
To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit governmental discrimination against providers of health services that are not involved in abortion.
Short Titles as Introduced
Conscience Protection Act of 2017

Subjects

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

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jan 24, 2017Introduced in House

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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.