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HB 2741

Establishing the Kansas medical rights of conscience act to permit a healthcare provider to refuse to provide transgender healthcare services if such services violate the provider's conscience and creating a civil cause of action for violation of this act.

2025-2026 Regular Session

The bill would allow healthcare providers to refuse transgender care for conscience reasons, potentially limiting patient access and enabling a civil action for violations.

Died in Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 2741

Bill Summary – HB 2741 (Kansas, 2025-2026)

Purpose and intent

HB 2741 seeks to establish the Kansas Medical Rights of Conscience Act. The core aim is to authorize healthcare providers to refuse to provide transgender healthcare services if doing so would violate the provider’s conscience. The bill also creates a civil cause of action for individuals who allege their rights under the act were violated.

Key provisions

  • Conscience-based refusal: A healthcare provider may refuse to provide, offer to provide, or participate in transgender healthcare services if such services conflict with the provider’s religious or moral beliefs or conscience.

  • Scope of services: The bill targets transgender healthcare services. The exact range of covered actions (e.g., diagnostic, prescriptive, surgical, counseling, or referrals) would be determined by the bill’s text, but the intent is to excuse providers from participation or provision of such care on conscience grounds.

  • Civil remedy for violations: The act creates a civil cause of action for individuals whose rights under the act are allegedly violated. Remedies could include damages, injunctive relief, and potential attorney’s fees, subject to the bill’s standards and defenses.

  • Procedural considerations: The bill would specify how patients can seek relief, potential limits on damages, and any immunities or defenses available to providers acting under the act. It may outline procedures for resolution, standards of proof, and potential exemptions for emergency situations.

Who would be affected

  • Healthcare providers: Providers (physicians, nurses, clinics, and other medical professionals or institutions) who object to transgender healthcare on conscience grounds would have a protected right to refuse services.

  • Patients seeking transgender care: Individuals seeking transgender healthcare services could be affected by potential denial of services or referrals, depending on the provider’s conscience-based refusal.

  • Employer and facility settings: Hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities that employ or contract with conscientious objectors may experience changes in how transgender care is delivered or coordinated.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduction and committee process: HB 2741 was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Health and Human Services on February 6, 2026.

  • Status: Died in committee on April 10, 2026, meaning it did not advance to the full House for a vote and did not become law in this session.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Access to care: Proponents emphasize protection of conscience rights for providers; opponents caution that the act could reduce access to transgender healthcare for patients, potentially necessitating additional patient referrals or transfer of care.

  • Legal risk: The civil action provision would enable patients to sue providers or institutions that deny care, creating a potential legal pathway for relief or damages, subject to the bill’s protections for providers.

  • Emergency care and conflicts: The bill may include carve-outs or requirements for emergency care or for situations where timely treatment is critical, though specifics would depend on the final text.

Note

As of the last action, the bill did not pass out of committee and therefore did not become law in the 2025-2026 Kansas session.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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