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Protection of Conscience Project

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Service, not Servitude

Chapter 188 Regulation of Abortions

Section 188.105
Discrimination by employer prohibited because of failure of employee to participate in abortion--exceptions.

188.105. 1. It shall be unlawful:

(1) For an employer:

(a) To fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his or her compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's refusal to participate in abortion;

(b) To limit, segregate, or classify his, her, or its employees or applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his or her status as an employee, because of such individual's refusal to participate in abortion;

(c) To discharge, expel, or otherwise discriminate against any person because he or she has opposed any practices forbidden under sections 188.100 to 188.120 or because he or she has filed a complaint, testified, or assisted in any legal proceeding under sections 188.100 to 188.120;

(2) For any person, whether an employer or employee, or not, to aid, abet, incite, compel, or coerce the doing of any of the acts forbidden under sections 188.100 to 188.120, or to attempt to do so.

2. Notwithstanding any other provision of sections 188.100 to 188.120, the acts proscribed in subsection 1 of this section shall not be unlawful if there can be demonstrated an inability to reasonably accommodate an individual's refusal to participate in abortion without undue hardship on the conduct of that particular business or enterprise, or in those certain instances where participation in abortion is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of that particular business or enterprise.

3. Nothing contained in sections 188.100 to 188.120 shall be interpreted to require any employer to grant preferential treatment to any individual because of such individual's refusal to participate in abortion.
(L. 1986 H.B. 1596)

Section 188.110
Discrimination by colleges, universities and hospitals prohibited-- no requirement to pay fees, when.

188.110. 1. No public or private college, university or hospital shall discriminate against any person for refusal to participate in abortion.

2. No applicant, student, teacher, or employee of any school shall be required to pay any fees that would in whole or in part fund an abortion for any other applicant, student, teacher, or employee of that school, if the individual required to pay the fee gives written notice to the proper school authorities that it would be in violation of his or her conscience or beliefs to pay for or fund abortions. The school may require the individual to pay that part of the fees not funding abortions, if the school makes reasonable precautions and gives reasonable assurance that the fees that are paid are segregated from any fund for the payment of abortions.
(L. 1986 H.B. 1596)

Chapter 197 Medical Treatment Facility Licenses


Section 197.032
Hospitals and medical personnel may refuse abortions--no denial of public benefits for such refusal--civil action, when.

197.032. 1. No physician or surgeon, registered nurse, practical nurse, midwife or hospital, public or private, shall be required to treat or admit for treatment any woman for the purpose of abortion if such treatment or admission for treatment is contrary to the established policy of, or the moral, ethical or religious beliefs of, such physician, surgeon, registered nurse, midwife, practical nurse or hospital. No cause of action shall accrue against any such physician, surgeon, registered nurse, midwife, practical nurse or hospital on account of such refusal to treat or admit for treatment any woman for abortion purposes.

2. No person or institution shall be denied or discriminated against in the reception of any public benefit, assistance or privilege whatsoever or in any employment, public or private, on the grounds that they refuse to undergo an abortion, to advise, consent to, assist in or perform an abortion.

3. Any person who shall deny or discriminate against another for refusal to perform or participate in an abortion shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity or other redress.
(L. 1973 H.B. 731 & 793 §§ 1, 2, 3)

Coverage for certain obstetrical/gynecological services--exclusion of contraceptive coverage permitted, when--rulemaking authority.

376.1199. 1. Each health carrier or health benefit plan that offers or issues health benefit plans providing obstetrical/gynecological benefits and pharmaceutical coverage, which are delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2002, shall:

(1) . . . Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require a health carrier to perform, induce, pay for, reimburse, guarantee, arrange, provide any resources for or refer a patient for an abortion, as defined in section 188.015, RSMo, other than a spontaneous abortion or to prevent the death of the female upon whom the abortion is performed, or to supersede or conflict with section 376.805 . . .

4. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of this section to the contrary:

(1) Any health carrier may issue to any person or entity purchasing a health benefit plan, a health benefit plan that excludes coverage for contraceptives if the use or provision of such contraceptives is contrary to the moral, ethical or religious beliefs or tenets of such person or entity;

(2) Upon request of an enrollee who is a member of a group health benefit plan and who states that the use or provision of contraceptives is contrary to his or her moral, ethical or religious beliefs, any health carrier shall issue to or on behalf of such enrollee a policy form that excludes coverage for contraceptives. Any administrative costs to a group health benefit plan associated with such exclusion of coverage not offset by the decreased costs of providing coverage shall be borne by the group policyholder or group plan holder;

(3) Any health carrier which is owned, operated or controlled in substantial part by an entity that is operated pursuant to moral, ethical or religious tenets that are contrary to the use or provision of contraceptives shall be exempt from the provisions of subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of this section.

For purposes of this subsection, if new premiums are charged for a contract, plan or policy, it shall be determined to be a new contract, plan or policy.

5. Except for a health carrier that is exempted from providing coverage for contraceptives pursuant to this section, a health carrier shall allow enrollees in a health benefit plan that excludes coverage for contraceptives pursuant to subsection 4 of this section to purchase a health benefit plan that includes coverage for contraceptives.

66. Any health benefit plan issued pursuant to subsection 1 of this section shall provide clear and conspicuous written notice on the enrollment form or any accompanying materials to the enrollment form and the group health benefit plan contract:

(1) Whether coverage for contraceptives is or is not included;

(2) That an enrollee who is a member of a group health benefit plan with coverage for contraceptives has the right to exclude coverage for contraceptives if such coverage is contrary to his or her moral, ethical or religious beliefs; and

(3) That an enrollee who is a member of a group health benefit plan without coverage for contraceptives has the right to purchase coverage for contraceptives.

7. Health carriers shall not disclose to the person or entity who purchased the health benefit plan the names of enrollees who exclude coverage for contraceptives in the health benefit plan or who purchase a health benefit plan that includes coverage for contraceptives. Health carriers and the person or entity who purchased the health benefit plan shall not discriminate against an enrollee because the enrollee excluded coverage for contraceptives in the health benefit plan or purchased a health benefit plan that includes coverage for contraceptives.


Chapter 404- Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care

Physician, health care facility, may refuse decision of attorney in fact, when--transfer from facility allowed.

404.830. 1. No physician, nurse, or other individual who is a health care provider or an employee of a health care facility shall be required to honor a health care decision of an attorney in fact if that decision is contrary to the individual's religious beliefs, or sincerely held moral convictions.

2. No hospital, nursing facility, residential care facility, or other health care facility shall be required to honor a health care decision of an attorney in fact if that decision is contrary to the hospital's or facility's institutional policy based on religious beliefs or sincerely held moral convictions unless the hospital or facility received a copy of the durable power of attorney for health care prior to commencing the current series of treatments or current confinement.

3. Any health care provider or facility which, pursuant to subsection 1 or 2 of this section, refuses to honor a health care decision of an attorney in fact shall not impede the attorney in fact from transferring the patient to another health care provider or facility.

Refusal to honor health care decision, discrimination prohibited, when.

404.872. No physician, nurse, or other individual who is a health care provider or an employee of a health care facility shall be discharged or otherwise discriminated against in his employment or employment application for refusing to honor a health care decision withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment if such refusal is based upon the individual's religious beliefs, or sincerely held moral convictions.