Conscience Protections for Medical Residents Act

Opt-in abortion training for residents

If enacted, this bill would protect medical residents from required abortion training unless they voluntarily opt in. Starting on the date of enactment, any residency or postgraduate program that (1) requires training in performing, assisting, or counseling/referring for induced abortions without a resident first voluntarily opting in, or (2) discriminates against a resident for refusing to opt in or refusing to participate, would be excluded from the statutory definition used for Medicare-approved residency programs. That exclusion could affect a program's Medicare approval or payments. Residents would be able to decline abortion-related training and would be protected from discrimination for doing so.