{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-75.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-75.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-75.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-75.html"}],"law_id":62829,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62829,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-75","catch_line":"Conscience clause","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-63.1; 1974, c. 679; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","full_text":"Nothing in \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-72, 18.2-73 or \u00a7 18.2-74 shall require a hospital or other medical facility or physician to admit any patient under the provisions hereof for the purpose of performing an abortion. In addition, any person who shall state in writing an objection to any abortion or all abortions on personal, ethical, moral or religious grounds shall not be required to participate in procedures which will result in such abortion, and the refusal of such person, hospital or other medical facility 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 such person, nor shall any such person be denied employment because of such objection or refusal. The written objection shall remain in effect until such person shall revoke it in writing or terminate his association with the facility with which it is filed.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":229036,"text":"Nothing in \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-72, 18.2-73 or \u00a7 18.2-74 shall require a hospital or other medical facility or physician to admit any patient under the provisions hereof for the purpose of performing an abortion. In addition, any person who shall state in writing an objection to any abortion or all abortions on personal, ethical, moral or religious grounds shall not be required to participate in procedures which will result in such abortion, and the refusal of such person, hospital or other medical facility 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 such person, nor shall any such person be denied employment because of such objection or refusal. The written objection shall remain in effect until such person shall revoke it in writing or terminate his association with the facility with which it is filed.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14910,"edition_id":1,"name":"Abortion","identifier":"9","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13100,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:44","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:44","permalink":{"id":165253,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14910,"identifier":"9","token":"18.2\/4\/9","url":"\/18.2\/4\/9\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13100,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against the Person","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:17","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:17","permalink":{"id":164763,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13100,"identifier":"4","token":"18.2\/4","url":"\/18.2\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":56913,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-71","catch_line":"Producing abortion or miscarriage, etc.; penalty","url":"\/18.2-71\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-71","metadata":false},{"id":58717,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-71.1","catch_line":"Partial birth infanticide; penalty","url":"\/18.2-71.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-71.1","metadata":false},{"id":76148,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-72","catch_line":"When abortion lawful during first trimester of pregnancy","url":"\/18.2-72\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-72","metadata":false},{"id":67072,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-73","catch_line":"When abortion lawful during second trimester of pregnancy","url":"\/18.2-73\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-73","metadata":false},{"id":72692,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-74","catch_line":"When abortion or termination of pregnancy lawful after second trimester of pregnancy","url":"\/18.2-74\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-74","metadata":false},{"id":65658,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-74.1","catch_line":"Abortion, etc., when necessary to save life of woman","url":"\/18.2-74.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-74.1","metadata":false},{"id":80458,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-74.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-74.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-74.2","metadata":false},{"id":62829,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-75","catch_line":"Conscience clause","url":"\/18.2-75\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-75","metadata":false},{"id":68933,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-76","catch_line":"Informed written consent required","url":"\/18.2-76\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-76","metadata":false},{"id":75676,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-76.1","catch_line":"Encouraging or promoting abortion","url":"\/18.2-76.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-76.1","metadata":false},{"id":66474,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-76.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-76.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-76.2","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":80458,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-74.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-74.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-74.2","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":68933,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-76","catch_line":"Informed written consent required","url":"\/18.2-76\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-76","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-75\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1974, chapter 679; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":76148,"section_number":"18.2-72","catch_line":"When abortion lawful during first trimester of pregnancy","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-72\/"},{"id":67072,"section_number":"18.2-73","catch_line":"When abortion lawful during second trimester of pregnancy","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-73\/"},{"id":72692,"section_number":"18.2-74","catch_line":"When abortion or termination of pregnancy lawful after second trimester of pregnancy","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-74\/"}],"permalink":{"id":165283,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62829,"identifier":"18.2-75","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-75","url":"\/18.2-75\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-75\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-75","dublin_core":{"Title":"Conscience clause","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-75","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Nothing in \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-72<\/a>, 18.2-73<\/a> or \u00a7 18.2-74<\/a> shall require a hospital or other medical facility or physician to admit any patient under the provisions hereof for the purpose of performing an abortion. In addition, any person who shall state in writing an objection to any abortion or all abortions on personal, ethical, moral or religious grounds shall not be required to participate in procedures which will result in such abortion, and the refusal of such person, hospital or other medical facility to participate therein shall not form the basis of any claim for damages<\/span> on account of such refusal or for any disciplinary or recriminatory action against such person, nor shall any such person be denied employment because of such objection or refusal. The written objection shall remain in effect until such person shall revoke it in writing or terminate his association with the facility with which it is filed.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCONSCIENCE CLAUSE (\u00a7 18.2-75)\n\nNothing in \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-72, 18.2-73 or \u00a7 18.2-74 shall require a hospital or other\nmedical facility or physician to admit any patient under the provisions hereof\nfor the purpose of performing an abortion. In addition, any person who shall\nstate in writing an objection to any abortion or all abortions on personal,\nethical, moral or religious grounds shall not be required to participate in\nprocedures which will result in such abortion, and the refusal of such person,\nhospital or other medical facility to participate therein shall not form the\nbasis of any claim for damages on account of such refusal or for any\ndisciplinary or recriminatory action against such person, nor shall any such\nperson be denied employment because of such objection or refusal. The written\nobjection shall remain in effect until such person shall revoke it in writing or\nterminate his association with the facility with which it is filed.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-63.1; 1974, c. 679; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}