President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is accusing Democrat-led Illinois of violating the conscience protections of pro-life doctors and pregnancy centers by requiring them to refer for abortions.
HHS issued a Notice of Violation to Illinois on Jan. 21, informing the state that the department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) found the state’s Senate Bill 1564 in violation of federal law. The Illinois law mandates pro-life healthcare professionals, against their moral and religious beliefs, refer patients for abortions — a law HHS contends violates the Coats-Snowe and Weldon amendments. Those amendments prohibit government entities receiving federal funds from coercing healthcare professionals and organizations into referring or facilitating abortions.
HHS said Illinois has 30 days to bring its policies into
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