Kentucky is facing a shortage of health care workers according to the Kentucky Hospital Association, 12% of positions in Kentucky hospitals are unfilled the bill that cleared the full Senate today looks to address that shortage by ensuring medical professionals can refuse to provide medical care if it violates their conscience.

Senate Bill, 132, is sponsored by state Sen Donald Douglas, a doctor from Nicholasville.

He says it's time Kentucky joined the several states that have rights of conscience laws for health care professionals.

But some Democrats argue the bill could lead to patients being harmed.

>> This bill is meant to provider recruitment Bill.

And economic development.

Bill.

In a bill that says to the health care providers.

We welcome you to the cockpit to the common.

Well.

We want you here.

We will honor your moral conscience.

This bill.

Actually protect those people.

Who want to express the moral conscience just like every other Kentuckian here in the Commonwealth.

>> What this bill does is give anyone or any institution in the medical space, a license to discriminate.

Because it's not just limited to denying care based on a religious objection.

It goes so far as to say and ethical moral or any other type of conscience.

Objection.

That's very brought.

That means that somebody could say I don't want to provide prenatal care to this person because they are pregnant.

>> Outside of means they could say I don't want to provide a cancer screening to this person because they're in a same sex relationship.

>> It means that anyone could come up with any reason at any point in any time to hold up someone's health care.

>> Senate Bill 132, past with 26, yes votes and 6, no votes.

It now heads to the House for consideration there where a similar bill failed to gain traction just last year, the Conservative Family Foundation praise to today's passage calling it a much needed Bill.

In a statement, Executive director David Walz said, quote, no Kentuckian especially our frontline healthcare workers should be forced to choose between their faith and their profession.