# Plain Language Summary: Taxpayer Conscience Protection Act of 2021

This bill requires states to publicly report detailed information about any Medicaid money they spend on abortion providers. Specifically, if a state uses federal Medicaid funds to pay any healthcare provider that performs abortions or is connected to an organization that does, that state must report it. The bill defines "abortion provider" broadly to include not just clinics that perform abortions, but also any organization that controls or is controlled by an abortion provider.

Here's what the reporting would include: states would have to disclose the exact dollar amounts paid, what services the money was used for, how those amounts compare to previous years, and the number of abortions performed by each provider along with how far along each pregnancy was. States must submit these reports to the federal government within 60 days of their fiscal year ending, and they must also publish the information on their state websites so the public can see it. The federal government would then compile all state reports and share them with Congress and on a public website.

The practical effect is that this creates a public tracking system for Medicaid abortion funding. Anyone could look up how much their state is spending on abortion providers through Medicaid. Supporters argue this gives taxpayers transparency about how their federal tax dollars are being used. Critics contend it could be used to pressure states to defund abortion services and that it singles out abortion providers for special reporting requirements that other healthcare providers don't face. The bill essentially treats Medicaid payments to abortion providers differently from payments to other medical providers by requiring this specific public accounting.

Taxpayer Conscience Protection Act of 2021

Banks, Jim

Taxpayer Conscience Protection Act of 2021 This bill establishes reporting requirements for states regarding certain Medicaid payments to abortion providers. Specifically, the bill requires states that make Medicaid payments using&nbsp;federal funds for any items or services furnished by an abortion provider to annually (1) submit a report to the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services on all such payments, and (2) publish the report on the state's website. The report must include specified information, including the number of abortions performed by the providers and the gestational age with respect to each such abortion.