Bill > HB112

This bill enacts the Conscientious Right to Refuse Act, which prohibits discrimination against individuals who refuse certain medical interventions, including vaccines, biological products, drugs, gene editing technologies, and medical devices, based on personal conscience or religious convictions. The bill applies to a wide range of entities including businesses, employers, healthcare providers, hospitals, educational institutions, and government agencies, preventing them from taking adverse actions such as denying employment, terminating jobs, refusing services, segregating individuals, or financially penalizing them for their medical intervention choices. For minors, the bill ensures that medical care, including organ transplantation, cannot be denied if a personal representative declines vaccination on conscience grounds. The legislation provides legal recourse for individuals who believe they have been discriminated against, allowing them to seek injunctive relief, declaratory judgments, or monetary damages, with provisions for awarding court costs and attorney's fees to successful plaintiffs. The bill also grants immunity to public service providers from civil liability for disease outbreaks believed preventable by vaccines, while explicitly maintaining the right to recommend, educate about, and provide access to medical interventions. Importantly, the bill stipulates that its provisions prevail over conflicting general laws, emphasizing strong protections for individual medical autonomy.

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https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb112