SPRINGFIELD (WREX) — Illinois law will no longer protect medical professionals who refuse or participate in healthcare services against their beliefs after Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday signed an amendment to the Health Care Right of Conscious Act into law.
“Masks, vaccines, and testing requirements are life-saving measures that keep our workplaces and communities safe,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Keeping workplaces safe is a high priority, and I applaud the General Assembly for ensuring that the Health Care Right of Conscience Act is no longer wrongly used against institutions who are putting safety and science first.”
The law was originally enacted to protect medical professionals who refuse services like abortions because of personal belief. The Pritzker administration said Monday that the law was improperly invoked during the Covid-19 pandemic to evade employers' requirements for testing, masking and vaccines.
"The misuse of the law’s original intent has put customers, staff, and community members at risk by exposing employers to legal retaliation for enacting life-saving public health measures," the Pritzker administration said.
The law goes into effect June 1, 2022.
