Conscience Regulation: Know Your Rights

• Recipients of certain funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services may not discriminate against you in employment, promotion, or termination of employment, or in the extension of staff or other privileges because of your involvement, or your refusal to be involved with a lawful abortion or sterilization because of your religious beliefs or moral convictions.
   
• You cannot be required to perform or assist in the performance of any part of a health service program or research activity funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including but not limited to the performance, referral for, or counseling for any sterilization procedure or abortion if it would be contrary to your religious beliefs or moral convictions.
   
• State and local governments that receive Department funding may not discriminate against you on the basis that you do not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, refer for abortions, or otherwise make arrangements for such abortions, or because you refuse to undergo training in, provide training in abortions, refer for such training, or otherwise make arrangements for such activities.

If you feel that an entity has discriminated against you, you may contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights at (202) 260-7180, or http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/discrimhowtofile.html.