(a) No hospital or other health care facility shall be required to, or held liable for refusal to, perform or permit the performance of abortion or sterilization contrary to its stated ethical policy. No physician, nurse, staff member or employee of a hospital or other health care facility, who shall state in writing to such hospital or health care facility an objection to performing, participating in, or cooperating in, abortion or sterilization on moral, religious or professional grounds, shall be required to, or held liable for refusal to, perform, participate in, or cooperate in such abortion or sterilization.
(b) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice:
(1) For any person to impose penalties or take disciplinary action against, or to deny or limit public funds, licenses, certifications, degrees, or other approvals or documents of qualification to, any hospital or other health care facility, refusal of such hospital or health care facility to perform or permit to be performed, participate in, or cooperate in, abortion or sterilization by reason of objection thereto on moral, religious or professional grounds, or because of any statement or other manifestation of attitude by such hospital or health care facility with respect to abortion or sterilization.
(2) For any person to impose penalties or take disciplinary action against, or to deny or limit public funds, licenses, certifications, degrees, or other approvals or documents of qualification to any physician, nurse or staff member or employee of any hospital or health care facility, due to the willingness or refusal of such physician, nurse or staff member or employee to perform or participate in abortion or sterilization by reason of objection thereto on moral, religious or professional grounds, or because of any statement or other manifestation of attitude by such physician, nurse or staff member or employee with respect to abortion or sterilization.
(3) For any public or private agency, institution or person, including a medical, nursing or other school, to deny admission to, impose any burdens in terms or conditions of employment upon, or otherwise discriminate against any applicant for admission thereto or any physician, nurse, staff member, student or employee thereof, on account of the willingness or refusal of such applicant, physician, nurse, staff member, student or employee to perform or participate in, abortion or sterilization by reason of objection thereto on moral, religious or professional grounds, or because of any statement or other manifestation of attitude
by such person with respect to abortion or sterilization; provided, however, that this subsection shall not apply to any health care facility operated exclusively for the performance of abortion or sterilization or directly related procedures or to a separate clinic of a health care facility for the performance of abortion or sterilization or directly related procedures.
(Ord. 32-2022. Passed 5-18-22.)