SB 160 - Under this act, no federal act, law, executive order, administrative order, rule, or regulation shall infringe on the right of Missouri to restrict public funds, facilities, and employees from being used to perform, induce, or assist in an abortion; to encourage childbirth over abortion; to defend the religious beliefs or moral convictions of any person who or entity that does not want to be forced to directly or indirectly fund abortions; to prevent the state or its political subdivisions from being coerced, compelled, or commandeered by the federal government to enact, administer, or enforce a federal regulatory program that directly or indirectly funds abortion; or to prohibit the federal government from commanding or conscripting public officials to enforce a federal regulatory program that directly or indirectly funds abortion. Additionally, any taxpayer shall have standing to bring a cause of action in any court or administrative agency of competent jurisdiction to enforce these provisions. Under this act, no public funds shall be expended to any abortion facility, or affiliate or associate thereof, including for MO HealthNet reimbursement.
This act modifies existing statutory language permitting any MO HealthNet participant to obtain MO HealthNet services from any provider of such services in a MO HealthNet provider agreement with the state by requiring such provider to not be disqualified or excluded from serving as a MO HealthNet provider.
Additionally, this act requires the Department to suspend, revoke, or cancel any contract or provider agreement or refuse to enter into a new contract or provider agreement with any provider when it is determined that the provider is not qualified to perform the required services because such provider has committed certain offenses specified in the act, including being found guilty of a pattern of intentional discrimination in the delivery or non-delivery of health care services or being founded by a person who supported eugenics, or if the provider is an abortion facility or an affiliate or associate thereof.
Finally, this act prohibits reimbursement to abortion facilities, or associates or affiliates thereof, under the "Uninsured Women's Heath Program".
This act is substantially similar to provisions of HCS/HB 1854 (2022), SCS/HCS/HB 2012 (2022), SS/SB 667 (2022), SB 779 (2022), and HB 2 (1st Extraordinary Session (2021).
SARAH HASKINS