A new proposal from President Joe Biden's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would revoke protections for medical workers to refuse service that conflicts with their beliefs.
The current guidelines were enacted during the Trump administration and focused on religious exemptions for controversial subjects including performing abortions or sterilizations, transgender surgeries, and administering contraception.
Designed initially to strip funding from uncompliant health facilities, the 2019 rule was blocked by three federal courts after several blue states and cities, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Planned Parenthood filed lawsuits.
Now, the HHS said in a Thursday statement it would partially rescind the controversial Trump-era process and "provide additional safeguards to protect against conscience and religious discrimination."
According to the department, the biggest changes will be the official removal of most religious and moral conscience rights detailed in the 2019 rule. Provisions that allowed the HHS to strip funding based on the newer conscience rights have also been retired.
"No one should be discriminated against because of their religious or moral beliefs, especially when they are seeking or providing care," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. "The proposed rule strengthens protections for people with religious or moral objections while also ensuring access to care for all in keeping with the law."
National Women's Law Center President and CEO Fatima Goss Graves applauded the department's decision, noting its relevancy after the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling in June.
"The administration's action reaffirming that patient health must come first is crucial in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion and the resulting increase in refusals to provide care to patients across the country," Graves stated.
"It's more important than ever to protect people seeking healthcare, including abortion, and to ensure their providers are able to give them the care they need," she added.