Protection of Conscience Project
Protection of Conscience Project
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Service, not Servitude

Service, not Servitude
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Oregon

2019 Oregon Revised Statutes | Volume : 12 - Public Health | Chapter 435 - Birth Control; Termination of Pregnancy

OR Rev Stat § 435.215 Right to refuse services protected.

The refusal of any person to accept family planning and birth control services shall in no way affect the right of such person to receive public assistance or any other public benefit and every person to whom such services are offered shall be so advised initially both orally and in writing. Employees engaged in the administration of ORS 435.205 to 435.235 shall recognize that the right to make decisions concerning family planning and birth control is a fundamental personal right of the individual and nothing in ORS 435.205 to 435.235 shall in any way abridge such individual right, nor shall any individual be required to state the reason for refusing the offer of family planning and birth control services. [1967 c.491 s.3; 1971 c.779 s.66; 1987 c.158 s.81]

OR Rev Stat § 435.225 Refusal by employee to offer services.

Any employee of the Adult and Family Services Division may refuse to accept the duty of offering family planning and birth control services to the extent that such duty is contrary to the personal or religious beliefs of the employee. However, such employee shall notify the immediate supervisor in writing of such refusal in order that arrangements may be made for eligible persons to obtain such information and services from another employee. Such refusal shall not be grounds for any disciplinary action, for dismissal, for any interdepartmental transfer, for any other discrimination in employment, or for suspension from employment, or for any loss in pay or other benefits. [1967 c.491 s.4; 1971 c.779 s.67]

OR Rev Stat § 435.235 Construction of ORS 435.205 to 435.235.

ORS 435.205 to 435.235 shall be liberally construed to protect the rights of all individuals to pursue their religious beliefs, to follow the dictates of their own consciences, to prevent the imposition upon any individual of practices offensive to the individual's moral standards, to respect the right of every individual to self-determination in the procreation of children, and to insure a complete freedom of choice in pursuance of constitutional rights. [1967 c.491 s.5]

OR Rev Stat § 435.435 Effect of refusal to consent to termination.

The refusal of any person to consent to a termination of pregnancy or to submit thereto shall not be grounds for loss of any privilege or immunity to which the person is otherwise entitled nor shall consent to or submission to a termination of pregnancy be imposed as a condition to the receipt of any public benefits. [1969 c.684 ss.7,12; 1983 c.470 s.5]

OR Rev Stat § 435.475 Refusal to admit patient for termination.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no hospital is required to admit any patient for the purpose of terminating a pregnancy. No hospital is liable for its failure or refusal to participate in such termination if the hospital has adopted a policy not to admit patients for the purposes of terminating pregnancies. However, the hospital must notify the person seeking admission to the hospital of its policy.

(2) All hospitals that have not adopted a policy not to admit patients seeking termination of a pregnancy shall admit patients seeking such termination in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as imposed on any other patient seeking admission to the hospital.

(3) No hospital operated by this state or by a political subdivision in this state is authorized to adopt a policy of excluding or denying admission to any person seeking termination of a pregnancy. [1969 c.684 s.9; 1983 c.470 s.2]

OR Rev Stat § 435.485 Medical personnel not required to participate in termination.

(1) No physician is required to give advice with respect to or participate in any termination of a pregnancy if the refusal to do so is based on an election not to give such advice or to participate in such terminations and the physician so advises the patient.

(2) No hospital employee or member of the hospital medical staff is required to participate in any termination of a pregnancy if the employee or staff member notifies the hospital of the election not to participate in such terminations. [1969 c.684 ss.10,11; 1983 c.470 s.3]