Bill Text: OH HCR35 | 2011-2012 | 129th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: To urge the President of the United States to direct

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 57-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-02-21 - To Insurance, Commerce, & Labor [HCR35 Detail]

Download: Ohio-2011-HCR35-Enrolled.html

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As Adopted by the House

129th General Assembly Regular Session 2011-2012

H. C. R. No. 35

Representatives Stautberg, Sears 

Cosponsors: Representatives Adams, J., Adams, R., Amstutz, Anielski, Baker Speaker Batchelder  Representatives Beck, Blair, Blessing, Boose, Brenner, Bubp, Buchy, Butler, Combs, Conditt, Damschroder, Derickson, DeVitis, Dovilla, Duffey, Gardner, Gonzales, Goodwin, Grossman, Hackett, Hagan, C., Hall, Hayes, Henne, Hill, Hottinger, Huffman, Johnson, Kozlowski, Landis, Maag, Martin, McClain, Newbold, Pelanda, Peterson, Roegner, Rose, Rosenberger, Ruhl, Schuring, Slaby, Sprague, Stebelton, Terhar, Thompson, Uecker, Wachtmann, Young 

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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To urge the President of the United States to direct

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the Secretary of Health and Human Services to

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rescind the rule requiring religious employers to

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include contraceptive services in their health

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insurance plans in violation of their religious

5

beliefs and to urge members of the United States

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Congress to enact the "Respect for Rights of

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Conscience Act."

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE SENATE CONCURRING):

WHEREAS, In August 2011, the United States Department of	9
Health and Human Services issued an interim final rule regarding	10
health insurance coverage for preventive services for women	11
pursuant to the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" Pub.	12
L. No. 111-148; and	13

WHEREAS, The interim rule defined preventive services to	14
include sterilization, contraceptive services (including some	15
abortion-inducing drugs), and education and counseling to promote	16
these services among all women of reproductive capacity; and	17

WHEREAS, On January 20, 2012, the Department announced that	18
the final rule will require nonprofit employers who, based on	19
religious beliefs, do not currently provide contraceptive coverage	20
in their insurance plans, to comply with the new law by August 1,	21
2013; and	22

WHEREAS, As Thomas Jefferson stated in 1809, "[n]o provision	23
in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which	24
protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the	25
civil authority"; and	26

WHEREAS, Respect for conscience and religious liberty are	27
deeply embedded in the history and traditions of our nation and	28
codified in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution	29
and numerous state and federal laws; and	30

WHEREAS, Never before has the federal government forced	31
individuals and organizations to go into the marketplace and	32
purchase a product that violates their consciences; and	33

WHEREAS, Implementing this rule departs from the	34
long-standing federal policy of exempting individuals and	35
organizations from having to take part in health services that	36
violate their religious beliefs or moral convictions; and	37

WHEREAS, Implementing the rule will force organizations that	38
play a vital role in providing health care and other needed	39
services either to violate their consciences or severely curtail	40
those services to the detriment of both religious freedom and	41
access to health care; and	42

WHEREAS, Forcing Americans to choose between violating their	43
consciences and forgoing their health care is an unconscionable	44
attack on both access to health care and on religious freedom; now	45
therefore be it	46

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 129th General Assembly	47
of the State of Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge the	48
President of the United States to direct the Secretary of Health	49
and Human Services to rescind the rule that would force an	50
employer to offer health insurance coverage that violates the	51
employer's religious beliefs or moral convictions; and be it	52
further	53

RESOLVED, That we also urge the members of the United States	54
Congress to enact the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act" (H.R.	55
1179 and S. 1467), which declares that nothing in the "Patient	56
Protection and Affordable Care Act" is to be construed to	57
authorize a health plan to require a health care provider to	58
provide, participate in, or refer for a specific item or service	59
contrary to the provider's religious beliefs or moral convictions;	60
and be it further	61

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives	62
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the	63
President of the United States, to the United States Secretary of	64
Health and Human Services, to the Speaker and Clerk of the United	65
States House of Representatives, to the President Pro Tempore and	66
Secretary of the United States Senate, to the members of the Ohio	67
Congressional delegation, and to the news media of Ohio.	68