News Release: Religious Freedom in Health Care Recognized by House of Representatives

(LANSING)—Michigan Catholic Conference today applauds the passage of legislation that seeks to protect the religious freedom of faith-based health care benefit providers. House Bills 4745 and 4746, sponsored by Representative Scott Hummel, provide a civil right of conscience for faith based benefit providers from being forced to offer or provide non-emergency benefits that specifically violate a religious tenet of the faith-based organization.

“Without protection from government intrusion, faith-based health care payers and insurers are susceptible to mandated delivery of non-emergency services that directly contradict an established religious tenet,” said Paul A. Long, Michigan Catholic Conference Vice-President for Public Policy. “As public debate regarding health care mandates has resurfaced, Michigan Catholic Conference believes the time is right, if not overdue, for state law to recognize religious freedom in health care.”

“President Thomas Jefferson expressed in May of 1804, that religious and faith-based organizations should be allowed to govern themselves without government interference,” says Long. “Today, in a large bipartisan majority, the Michigan House of Representatives reaffirms our national tradition that religious liberty, an explicit provision of the Bill of Rights, is to be protected and preserved.”

House Bills 4745 and 4746 now await consideration by the Michigan Senate.

Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.

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