The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is moving to bring back a civil rights division focused on religious liberty and conscience protections.
The division was first created during President Donald Trump’s first administration, later dissolved under former President Joe Biden, and is now being restored as part of a broader restructuring of HHS’ Office for Civil Rights.
Office for Civil Rights Gets New Structure
HHS announced on May 18 that its Office for Civil Rights will now operate through three separate divisions.
They include the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division, the Civil Rights Division, and the Health Information Privacy, Data, and Cybersecurity Division.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the reorganization is intended to strengthen enforcement of religious liberty, conscience protections, and anti-discrimination laws.
Trump-Era Office Returns After Biden-Era Closure
The conscience and religious freedom office was originally established in 2018 during Trump’s first term.
It was later dissolved in 2023 under the Biden administration. HHS now says restoring the division will help the department give greater priority to religious freedom and conscience rights enforcement.
Anti-Christian Bias Report Cited
The department also linked the move to Trump’s wider effort to address what his administration describes as anti-Christian bias.
An April 30 Department of Justice report accused previous HHS leadership of advancing rules that providers believed could require participation in gender-related care for minors with limited religious exemptions.
Abortion and Emergency Care Rules Remain Central Issues
The policy shift also comes after disputes over conscience protections for medical professionals.
Under Biden, HHS removed some protections for doctors and interpreted EMTALA, a federal emergency care law, as requiring hospitals and emergency rooms to provide abortions in certain emergency situations.
That interpretation drew legal challenges from Catholic organizations.
OCR Says Each Area Needs Dedicated Leadership
Paula M. Stannard, director of HHS’ Office for Civil Rights, said the new structure gives civil rights, religious freedom, conscience protections, and health information privacy their own senior leadership.
She said each area requires specialized expertise to serve the public effectively.
Impact and Consequences
The reorganization could reshape how HHS handles complaints involving abortion, religious objections, gender-related medical care, and faith-based health providers.
Supporters are likely to view the move as a restoration of protections for doctors, hospitals, and religious organizations.
Critics may argue it could create new barriers for patients seeking certain medical services.
What’s next?
HHS is expected to continue expanding enforcement around conscience and religious freedom complaints.
The department’s Office for Civil Rights has already launched investigations into 13 states over alleged violations of federal conscience protections involving abortion objections.
Summary
HHS is restoring a Trump-era division dedicated to religious liberty and conscience protections.
The move restructures the Office for Civil Rights into three divisions and signals renewed federal focus on religious objections, abortion-related protections, and civil rights enforcement in health care.
Bulleted Takeaways:
- HHS is restoring the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division.
- The office was created under Trump in 2018 and dissolved under Biden in 2023.
- HHS says the move strengthens religious liberty and conscience protections.
- The restructuring creates three divisions within the Office for Civil Rights.
- The policy shift is tied to broader concerns over anti-Christian bias.
- Abortion, emergency care rules, and gender-related medical policies remain key issues.
- HHS has already opened investigations into 13 states over conscience protection claims.
