Anyone hoping to get federal money for their health programs cannot discriminate against those who object to abortion or even birth control, according to a rule floated by the Bush administration.

The New York Times has gotten its hands on a proposal, circulated around the Department of Health and Human Services Monday, which says hospitals, clinics, researchers and medical schools would have to sign "written certifications" as a prerequisite to getting money under any HHS program. That certification would also be required of state and local governments, so they can’t discriminate in, say, grant-making, against hospitals or other institutions that have policies against providing abortion. The proposal also expresses concern over some state laws that require hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims.

The proposal has some groups up in arms. They view it as another effort by the abstinence-pushing President Bush, who also directed the Food and Drug Administration to block over-the-counter access to the morning-after pill and has fought against congressional efforts to give aid to overseas groups that provide contraceptive devices such as condoms and birth control pills, to further diminish women’s reproductive rights.

"The proposed definition of abortion is so broad that it would cover many types of birth control, including oral contraceptives and emergency contraception," said Mary Jane Gallagher, president of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association. "We worry that under the proposal, contraceptive services would become less available to low-income and uninsured women."

Added Nancy Keenan, president of Naral Pro-Choice America: "Why on earth is the Bush administration trying to discourage doctors and clinics from providing contraception to women who need it?"

The proposal could cut off federal aid to those who discriminate on the basis of "religious beliefs or moral convictions" where the issues of abortion and contraception are concerned. It defines abortion as: "Any of the various procedures – including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action – that result in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation."

In May, conservative advocacy groups like the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America and Eagle Forum sent a letter to Bush, pushing him to reinstitute regulations that would strip federal funding for family-planning groups if they refer patients to abortion doctors or share facilities with abortion providers. Current regulations currently give almost $300 million in federal funds to family-planning groups such as Planned Parenthood.