Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) has signed into law new legislation that permits healthcare professionals in the state to refuse treatment to patients if it conflicts with the providers’ personal morals, ethics, or religious beliefs. The law could lead to LGBTQ people being turned away for preventative care like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), which is about 99% effective in preventing HIV transmission. And women could be denied medically necessary abortions. The new law applies to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and insurance companies and includes the use of pronouns in a medical setting. 
The legislation’s sponsor, Rep. Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro), a physician himself, told lawmakers the measure protects healthcare providers from “moral injury.” Dr. Amy Gordon Bono, a primary care physician in Tennessee, told WKRN News denying care for any reason is a clear violation of the Hippocratic Oath, which prioritizes patients’ well-being and mandates healthcare professionals “do no harm.” “When legislation is not patient-centered, it’s morally compromised to begin with,” she added. “Politicians need to stop dictating medical care, and this bill allows politicians to take their intrusive efforts even further to dictate medical conscience.” Read more at WKRN.
Tennessee’s new law protects healthcare workers’ conscience rights, letting them refuse procedures that violate their beliefs. Supporters hail it as a win for religious freedom; critics raise concerns about patient care.#ConscienceRights #TennesseeLaw #MedicalFreedom… pic.twitter.com/1rgNrf8rId
— The Christian Post (@ChristianPost) April 29, 2025
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