{"abstract":"In the regulation of health care, the United States has a long history of providing conscience-based protections for individuals and entities with objections to certain activities based on religious belief and moral convictions. Multiple such statutory protections apply to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, or the Department) and the programs or activities it funds or administers. The Department proposes to revise regulations previously promulgated to ensure that persons or entities are not subjected to certain practices or policies that violate conscience, coerce, or discriminate, in violation of such Federal laws. Through this rulemaking, the Department proposes to grant overall responsibility to its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for ensuring that the Department, its components, HHS programs and activities, and those who participate in HHS programs or activities comply with Federal laws protecting the rights of conscience and prohibiting associated discriminatory policies and practices in such programs and activities. In addition to conducting outreach and providing technical assistance, OCR will have the authority to initiate compliance reviews, conduct investigations, supervise and coordinate compliance by the Department and its components, and use enforcement tools otherwise available in civil rights law to address violations and resolve complaints. In order to ensure that recipients of Federal financial assistance and other Department funds comply with their legal obligations, the Department will require certain recipients to maintain records; cooperate with OCR's investigations, reviews, or other enforcement actions; submit written assurances and certifications of compliance to the Department; and provide notice to individuals and entities about their conscience and associated anti-discrimination rights, as applicable.","action":"Proposed rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2018/01/26/2018-01226.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":88,"title":45}],"citation":"83 FR 3880","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2018-03-27","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Submit comments on or before March 27, 2018.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No.: HHS-OCR-2018-0002"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[],"agency_name":"HHS","documents":[{"comment_count":72417,"comment_start_date":"2018-01-26","updated_at":"2023-02-28T15:08:25.289-05:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/HHS-OCR-2018-0002-0001","allow_late_comments":null,"id":"HHS-OCR-2018-0002-0001","comment_end_date":"2018-03-28","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":0,"id":"HHS-OCR-2018-0002","title":"Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care; Delegations of Authority"}],"document_number":"2018-01226","effective_on":null,"end_page":3931,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2018/01/26/2018-01226.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/01/26/2018-01226/protecting-statutory-conscience-rights-in-health-care-delegations-of-authority","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2018-01226?publication_date=2018-01-26","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2018-01-26/2018-01226/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":52,"page_views":{"count":45360,"last_updated":"2026-04-17 14:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-01-26/pdf/2018-01226.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2018-01226.pdf?1516378527","publication_date":"2018-01-26","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2018/01/26/2018-01226.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"0945-ZA03":null},"regulation_id_numbers":["0945-ZA03"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[],"comments_count":72417,"agency_id":"HHS","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=HHS-OCR-2018-0002","supporting_documents_count":0,"docket_id":"HHS-OCR-2018-0002","document_id":"HHS-OCR-2018-0002-0001","regulation_id_number":"0945-ZA03","title":"Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care; Delegations of Authority","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2023-02-28T20:08:24Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":null,"signing_date":null,"start_page":3880,"subtype":null,"title":"Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care; Delegations of Authority","toc_doc":"Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care; Delegations of Authority","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Adult education","Assisted suicide","Civil rights","Colleges and universities","Community facilities","Educational facilities","Employment","Family planning","Government contracts","Government employees","Grant programs-health","Grants administration","Health care","Health facilities","Health insurance","Health professions","Hospitals","Immunization","Insurance","Insurance companies","Laboratories","Manpower training programs","Maternal and child health","Medicaid","Medical and dental schools","Medical research","Medicare","Mental health programs","Nursing homes","Occupational safety and health","Prescription drugs","Public assistance programs","Public health","Religious discrimination","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Scholarships and fellowships","Schools","Scientists","State and local governments","Students","Technical assistance"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":83}