Freedom of conscience; creating the Medical Ethics Defense Act; granting certain rights and protections to certain medical practitioners, healthcare institutions, or healthcare payers. Effective date.

SB 665, the "Medical Ethics Defense Act," protects medical practitioners, healthcare institutions, and payers from discrimination when refusing to provide services based on conscience. It grants the right to decline any medical procedure or service (including abortion, as referenced in the title) that conflicts with their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. The bill prohibits adverse actions like termination, loss of licensure, or denial of contracts for such refusals, while explicitly stating this protection does not override duties to provide other non-conflicting care. It applies broadly to all healthcare workers - from doctors and nurses to pharmacists and researchers - and defines "discrimination" to include any retaliatory penalty tied to conscience-based decisions.