The definition of a "religious body" that will be able to hire and fire staff on religious grounds will be expanded under the Morrison government's proposed religious discrimination laws, while conscientious objection provisions for health practitioners will be narrowed.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney-General Christian Porter released a second draft of their religious discrimination bill on Tuesday, following about 6000 written submissions and an avalanche of criticism from church, business and community groups about its first effort.

Mr Porter said there were 11 key changes in the second draft, which came from listening to "all sides of this debate", including churches, religious aged-care providers, LGBTIQ advocates and doctors.

Following concerns from the Australian Medical Association, the new bill makes it clear "conscientious objection" does not give health workers the right to discriminate against patients based on gender or other characteristics. Explanatory notes accompanying the bill say "an objection must be to a procedure, not a person". The conscientious objection provisions will now apply only to nurses, midwives, doctors, psychologists and pharmacists, tighter than the first definition, which was any person licensed to "provide a health service". Read more via Sydney Morning Herald