INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -
The Indiana Senate has approved legislation allowing nurses, physician
assistants and pharmacists to object on religious or other grounds to having
any role in an abortion.
The
Republican-controlled chamber voted 38-8 Monday for the bill, which now
heads to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, who’s expected to sign it into law.
The legislation
expands Indiana’s conscience-protection statute for medical professionals
who don’t want to perform an abortion or participate in any procedure that
results in an abortion, including prescribing, administering or dispensing
an abortion-inducing drug.
Physicians,
hospital employees and health clinic staffers can already opt out of
abortion-related health care based on an ethical, moral or religious
objection. The new measure would extend that option to nurses, physician
assistants and pharmacists.
The House had
previously passed it on a 69-25 vote.