Ky. Rev. Stat. § 311.800 (2026)

Exception -- Injunction to enforce compliance -- Abortions in private hospital or health care facility -- Unlawful discriminatory practices. (1) No publicly owned hospital or other publicly owned health care facility shall perform or permit the performance of abortions, except to save the life of the pregnant woman. (2) In the event that a publicly owned hospital or publicly owned health facility is performing or about to perform an abortion in violation of subsection (1) of this section, and law enforcement authorities in the county have failed or refused to take action to stop such a practice, any resident of the county in which the hospital or health facility is located, may apply to the Circuit Court of that county for an injunction or other court process to require compliance with subsection (1) of this section. (3) No private hospital or private health care facility shall be required to, or held liable for refusal to, perform or permit the performance of abortion contrary to its stated ethical policy. (4) No physician, nurse staff member or employee of a public or private hospital or employee of a public or private health care facility, who shall state in writing to such hospital or health care facility his objection to performing, participating in, or cooperating in, abortion on moral, religious or professional grounds, be required to, or held liable for refusal to, perform, participate in, or cooperate in such abortion. (5) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for the following: (a) Any person to impose penalties or take disciplinary action against, or to deny or limit public funds, licenses, certifications, degrees, or other approvals or documents of qualification to, any hospital or other health care facility due to the refusal of such hospital or health care facility to perform or permit to be performed, participate in, or cooperate in, abortion by reason of objection thereto on moral, religious or professional grounds, or because of any statement or other manifestation of attitude by such hospital or health care facility with respect to abortion; or, (b) Any person to impose penalties or take disciplinary action against, or to deny or limit public funds, licenses, certifications, degrees, or other approvals or documents of qualification to any physician, nurse or staff member or employee of any hospital or health care facility, due to the willingness or refusal of such physician, nurse or staff member or employee to perform or participate in abortion by reason of objection thereto on moral, religious or professional grounds, or because of any statement or other manifestation of attitude by such physician, nurse or staff member or employee with respect to abortion; or, (c) Any public or private agency, institution or person, including a medical, nursing or other school, to deny admission to, impose any burdens in terms of conditions of employment upon, or otherwise discriminate against any applicant for admission thereto or any physician, nurse, staff member, student or employee thereof, on account of the willingness or refusal of such applicant, physician, nurse, staff member, student or employee to perform or participate in abortion or sterilization by reason of objection thereto on moral, religious or professional grounds, or because of any statement or other manifestation of attitude by such person with respect to abortion or sterilization if that health care facility is not operated exclusively for the purposes of performing abortions or sterilizations. Effective: July 15, 1980 History: Amended 1980 Ky. Acts ch. 225, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1980. -- Created 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 255, sec. 11.