Skip to content
Georgia Commons
Menu

Official Code of Georgia Annotated

Title 16. CRIMES AND OFFENSES · Chapter 12. OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC HEALTH AND MORALS · Article 5. ABORTION

16-12-142. Objections by medical facilities, physicians, or pharmacists to providing abortion-related services.

Active

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

  1. (a)

    Nothing in this article shall require a hospital or other medical facility or physician to admit any patient under the provisions of this article for the purpose of performing an abortion. In addition, any person who states in writing an objection to any abortion or all abortions on moral or religious grounds shall not be required to participate in procedures which will result in such abortion; and the refusal of the person to participate therein shall not form the basis of any claim for damages on account of such refusal or for any disciplinary or recriminatory action against the person. The written objection shall remain in effect until the person revokes it or terminates his association with the facility with which it is filed.#

  2. (b)

    Any pharmacist who states in writing an objection to any abortion or all abortions on moral or religious grounds shall not be required to fill a prescription for a drug which purpose is to terminate a pregnancy; and the refusal of the person to fill such prescription shall not form the basis of any claim for damages on account of such refusal or for any disciplinary or recriminatory action against the person; provided, however, that the pharmacist shall make all reasonable efforts to locate another pharmacist who is willing to fill such prescription or shall immediately return the prescription to the prescription holder. The written objection shall remain in effect until the person revokes it or terminates his or her association with the facility with which it is filed. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize a pharmacist to refuse to fill a prescription for birth control medication, including any process, device, or method to prevent pregnancy and including any drug or device approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for such purpose.#

The notes below are printed with the section but are not enacted law (O.C.G.A. § 1-1-1(c)). They are shown apart from the text.

History

Code 1933, § 26-1202, enacted by Ga. L. 1968, p. 1249, § 1; Ga. L. 1973, p. 635, § 1; Ga. L. 2006, p. 152, § 2A/HB 1178.

Law reviews

For article on 2006 amendment of this Code section, see 23 Georgia St. U. L. Rev. 197 (2006).

Read the official page (the state's PDF, opened at the page this text was read from).

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Text read from t16-ch12-17-(v14b)-2024-pdf.pdf, Volume V14B, 2024 edition, pages 172 to 173; merge action: carried; file SHA-256 36dbab616896.