Tennessee Gov. Lee signed the Medical Ethics Defense Act, letting providers refuse care on conscience grounds

On April 24, 2025, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the "Medical Ethics Defense Act" (SB0955/HB1044) into law as Public Chapter 266, effective immediately. The statute establishes a right of conscience for health care providers, health care institutions, and health care payers to decline to participate in, or to pay for, any medical procedure, treatment, or service that violates their religious, moral, or ethical beliefs, and it shields those who exercise the exemption from civil liability and from adverse licensing or employment action.

The measure passed the Republican-controlled General Assembly and was enacted primarily to protect providers who object to abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care. Supporters framed it as shielding medical professionals and institutions from being compelled to act against their beliefs.

Opponents, including the Tennessee Equality Project and the Black Women's Health Imperative, warned that the law could be used to deny care to LGBTQ and transgender patients and others seeking disfavored services. Critics noted that the exemption keys refusal to a provider's conscience rather than to a specific procedure and sets no standard separating a genuine conscience objection from discrimination, leaving patients exposed to refusals across a broad range of providers, institutions, and insurers. The statute bars refusals based on a patient's race, sex, religion, or national origin, but not those based on the nature of the care sought.