Idaho governor signs bill to protect religious, conscience rights of doctors and nurses

Idaho Capitol in Boise. / Credit: Through the Lens of Life/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 21, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).

Idaho Gov. Brad Little this week signed legislation that bolsters religious freedom protections for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals when they object to performing certain procedures or providing certain services.

The new law, signed on Wednesday, amends the Medical Ethics Defense Act to clearly establish that Idaho recognizes “that the right of conscience is a fundamental and inalienable right” whether one’s conscience “is informed by religious, moral, or ethical beliefs or principles.”

Under the law, no health care professional, health care institution, or health care payer can be forced to participate in or pay for any medical procedure, treatment, or service to which he or she objects as a matter of conscience.

The law also prevents employers from retaliating or punishing an employee based on his or her conscience objections to any medical service. It states that a person should communicate his or her conscience objection to the employer as soon as reasonably possible to ensure necessary staffing adjustments can take place.

Under the law, a health care provider cannot be held criminally or civilly liable for refusing to provide a medical service because of the institution’s conscience objection.

Some objections from Catholic institutions or health care professionals could include procedures and services related to abortion, contraception, and transgender drugs and surgeries.

Greg Chafuen, who serves as legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement that “patients are best served by health care professionals who are free to act consistent with their oath to ‘do no harm.’”

“Unfortunately, doctors and nurses have been targeted for caring for their patients by refraining from harmful and dangerous procedures,” he said. “What may be worse, countless young professionals are kept out of the health care field because of fear that they will be forced to violate their conscience.” 

Chaufen added that the Idaho law “ensures that health care professionals are not forced to participate in procedures that violate their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs.”

Idaho’s law also establishes stronger free speech protections by prohibiting departments and regulatory boards from punishing health care providers for engaging in speech, expression, or association that is protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution from government interference.

The law also creates a framework for health care institutions and health care professionals to file lawsuits to remedy any violations of the new regulations.