50 State Survey Summary of Bills Limiting Public Health Emergency Authority

Arizona isn’t the only state where bills have been proposed this legislative session that restrict public health emergency authority, prohibiting things like compulsory masking, vaccine policy, and restricting policy making by political jurisdictions, schools and the like.

The Network for Public Health Law produced a compendium this week that tracks the laws that have been introduced restricting executive authority and has followed them through the process – documenting where the bills are in the process.

In their report, you can find a table that details COVID-19-related legislation and broader proposed limitations on public health authority pending in all 50 states (including Arizona).

You can see that the list of harmful bills that were introduced in Arizona were pretty long, but only a couple of bills have survived this far. One has been signed (stopping political jurisdictions from closing businesses during a PH emergency).

A couple more are just waiting for final floor votes and a couple of other bad ones just need Rules Committee hearings and then a final floor vote.

  • SB1009 requires that as of Jan. 2021, the governor may issue an emergency proclamation for a public health emergency for no more than 30 days and may extend the order for additional 30-day periods, not to exceed 120 days, without passage of a concurrent legislative resolution. Just Waiting for House Floor Vote.
  • HB2107 prohibits the mayor of an incorporated city or town, and the chairman of the board of supervisors (BOS) for the unincorporated areas of the county, from ordering the closure of businesses during a declared emergency. Passed and Signed
  • HB2086 provides that COVID-19 vaccine and the HPV vaccine are not required for school attendance. Just Waiting for Senate Floor Vote
  • HB2471 requires that 14 days after a state of emergency is proclaimed, the governor must call for a special legislative session relating to the state of emergency. Passed House. Still needs Senate Rules Committee.
  • SB1567 prohibits state government and business affiliations from requiring any person to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or carry a COVID-19 immunity passport, discriminate against any person based on vaccination status, or enter into a contract, loan, or grant with an organization requiring COVID-19 vaccination. Provides an exemption for health care facilities. Passed Senate, still needs House Rules Committee/House Floor.