View Our PowerPoint Summarizing the 2026 Legislative Session
There were some meaningful public health wins this year. Several bills we supported made it through the Legislature and have already been signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs. A few other good bills are still sitting on her desk.
The governor also vetoed several bad bills, and we’re urging her to veto five more that passed during the final weeks of the session.
Several proposals we opposed died before they could reach the finish line. That includes HCR2056, the sweeping constitutional amendment that would have undermined school vaccine requirements and many other basic disease-control tools. That one was a major threat, and its failure is a public health victory.
Republican lawmakers did send three other measures we oppose directly to voters. Because ballot referrals bypass the governor, those fights will move to the November election.
Here’s the final rundown.
Ballot Referrals We Oppose — Headed to Voters in November
HCR2001 — Voting Restrictions
Makes early voting and voting by mail much more difficult. Among other changes, it would end the longstanding practice of using a voter’s signature as the primary method of verifying a mailed ballot and adding new identification hurdles. Status: On the November ballot
HCR2048 — ESA Expansion Disguised as a Military-Family Measure
The title makes this sound like a narrow proposal allowing children of former military service members to save unused Empowerment Scholarship Account funds for college. But the broader effect would be to block important ESA accountability reforms, including key provisions of the Protect Education Act if voters approve that citizen initiative. Status: On the November ballot
SCR1004 — Photo-Enforcement Ban
It would prohibit cities and towns from installing new photo-enforcement systems and make it difficult for communities with existing programs to keep them. The measure covers red-light cameras, not just speed cameras. Well-placed red-light cameras can prevent serious and deadly crashes at dangerous intersections. Status: On the November ballot
Good Bills We Supported — Passed & Signed
HB2176 — ADHS Licensing Reform
Prevents health-care facilities from evading accountability through “license swapping.” It also improves notice requirements and creates a clearer informal dispute-resolution process.
HB2177 — AHCCCS Services for Tribal Members
Restores AHCCCS waiver requests that it could provide more services to tribal members. Those requests were dropped in 2010.
HB2178 — State-Agency Chief Medical Officers
Requires chief medical officers working for state agencies to hold an active Arizona MD or DO license.
HB2195 — Skilled-Nursing Facility Oversight
Improves nursing-home licensing and oversight. It gives ADHS access to certain personnel records, requires faster delivery of statements of deficiencies and aligns complaint investigations with federal standards.
HB2673 — Mental-Health Screening in County Jails
Requires county jails to provide mental-health screening and ensure that people receive more assessments and treatment when called for.
HB2923 — Court-Ordered Treatment Judicial Review
Improves the judicial-review process for court-ordered treatment cases and creates clearer standards for courts and petitioners.
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Good Bills That Passed — We Hope the Governor Signs Them
HB2244 — Evictions and Satisfaction of Judgments
Makes a modest but useful improvement to the landlord-tenant system by addressing court-fee relief and the handling of satisfied eviction judgments.
SB1113 — Service of Process for Evaluation Agencies
Allow an evaluation agency to serve certain court documents when authorized by a judge. This should improve the administration of the court-ordered evaluation process.
SB1162 — Health-Care Licensing and Inspection Coordination
Directs ADHS and AHCCCS to coordinate oversight work and reduce duplicative inspections. It also allows ADHS to resolve some complaints and self-reports through off-site review. That should improve efficiency, but implementation will need to be monitored to ensure that off-site reviews don’t become superficial “windshield inspections.”
SB1165 — Breast-Cancer Screening Cost Sharing
Prohibits insurers from imposing cost-sharing requirements for preventive breast-cancer screening and more services needed to complete the screening process.
SB1247 — Assisted-Living Occupants
Allows a person who isn’t receiving services to live with someone in an assisted-living facility or assisted-living home when the facility agrees.
SB1564 — Electronic Monitoring in Long-Term Care
Requires assisted-living and skilled-nursing facilities to publicly disclose whether they allow residents, patients or families to install video-monitoring devices in rooms with the consent of the people living there.
Bad Bills We Opposed — Vetoed by the Governor
SB1051 — Hospital Immigration-Status Reporting
Would have required hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status, keep the information and report aggregate data. The measure risked discouraging people from seeking needed medical care.
HB2206 — SNAP Error-Rate Mandate
Would have required the Arizona Department of Economic Security to reduce its SNAP payment error rate to no more than 3% by 2030 and imposed additional audit and reporting requirements. The measure focused on punitive oversight at a time when ADES already faces major administrative burdens.
HB2396 — SNAP Waiver Request
Would have required ADES to request a federal waiver related to allowable SNAP purchases. The measure was poorly designed and would have added administrative work without a clear public-health benefit.
Bad Bills That Passed — We’re Urging the Governor to Veto Them
HB2086 — Vaccination and Mask Requirements
Would prohibit businesses and government entities from requiring masks or proof of vaccination in many circumstances. The bill is broad and unclear, and it could interfere with basic infection-control measures during outbreaks.
Status: On the governor’s desk — veto urged
HB2248 — Medical-Intervention Restrictions
Would prevent private businesses and other organizations from adopting vaccine requirements, including in some health-care settings. The Legislature shouldn’t be micromanaging the infection-control policies of private employers and medical facilities.
Status: On the governor’s desk — veto urged
HB2448 — SNAP Work-Requirement Waivers
Would prohibit ADES from requesting certain federal SNAP work-requirement waivers unless they are required by federal law or specifically authorized by state law. That would limit Arizona’s flexibility to respond to economic conditions and protect food access.
Status: On the governor’s desk — veto urged
SB1011 — Vaccination Status on Infant Death Certificates
Would require medical examiners investigating sudden infant deaths to check vaccination status and include that information on death certificates. The measure appears designed to fuel misinformation rather than improve the scientific investigation of infant deaths.
Status: On the governor’s desk — veto urged
SB1212 — Vaccine Reimbursement Restrictions
Would prevent health insurers from offering different vaccine-administration reimbursement rates based on whether providers meet vaccination benchmarks. That would interfere with incentive programs designed to improve vaccination rates.
Status: On the governor’s desk — veto urged
Good Bills We Supported — But They Died
HB2051 — AHCCCS Breastfeeding and Lactation Coverage
Would have improved AHCCCS coverage of inpatient and outpatient lactation services and addressed reimbursement gaps.
HB2064 — Vulnerable Pedestrian Safety
Would have strengthened protections for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
HB2194 — Prior-Authorization and Claim Denial Transparency
Would have required insurers to provide clear contact information explaining how patients and providers can appeal denied claims and prior-authorization decisions.
HB2214 — Skin-Cancer Prevention License Plate
Would have created a specialty license plate supporting nonprofit sun-safety education.
HB2224 — Produce Incentive Program
Would have proposed $2 million per year for produce incentives administered through ADES, helping families afford healthier food.
HB2228 — Elder-Abuse Registry Accountability
Would have strengthened accountability for reporting elder-abuse information from Adult Protective Services to the Attorney General’s Office.
HB2252 — Midwives and Ambulance Transport
Would have allowed midwives to go with patients in ambulances during hospital transfers when approved by the emergency medical services medical director.
HB2542 — Preventive Dental Care in AHCCCS
Would have allowed Arizona’s limited AHCCCS adult dental benefit to cover preventive services, not just emergencies.
HB2617 — Prostate-Cancer Screening
Would have required health plans to cover PSA screening without cost sharing for higher-risk men over age 40.
HB2683 — SNAP Contingency Funding
Would have provided $5 million to help keep SNAP benefits during a federal government shutdown.
HB2914 — Electronic Monitoring in Long-Term Care
Would have authorized families to install monitoring devices in assisted-living and skilled-nursing facilities when all residents of the room consented. AHCA kills this every year.
HB2958 — AHCCCS Dental Coverage During Pregnancy
Would have required AHCCCS to cover dental care for pregnant members, using prescription-drug rebate funds for the state match.
SB1082 — Petting-Zoo Hygiene
Would have required basic handwashing and supervision standards at petting zoos. Simple infection-control measures like these prevent avoidable illnesses.
SB1112 — Witnesses in Mental-Health Hearings
Would have allowed people familiar with a patient’s behavior to provide information during court-ordered evaluation proceedings.
SB1169 — Graduate Medical Education
Would have provided $18 million in funding and expenditure authority to expand medical-residency slots in Arizona.
SB1574 — School Immunization-Rate Disclosure
Would have required schools to make school-specific vaccination rates available upon request.
SB1716 — Clozapine Access
Would have reduced dangerous interruptions in access to clozapine for some people with serious mental illness.
SB1813 — Arizona State Hospital Bed Access
Would have based future admissions to the Arizona State Hospital on clinical need rather than geography. It also would have removed the outdated 55-bed limit for Maricopa County patients.
Bad Bills We Opposed — And Are Glad Died
HB2005 — Clinical Decisions Involving Unvaccinated Patients
HB2007 — Over-the-Counter Ivermectin
HCR2056 — Constitutional Right to Refuse Medical Mandates
HB2059 — Interstate 8 Speed Limit
HB2060 — University Health Centers and Abortion Care
HB2061 — Health-Care Services and Patient Rights
HB2107 — SNAP Purchase Restrictions
HB2148 — Legislative Appropriation of Federal Grants
HB2154 — Public Funding and Abortion Services
HB2267 — Renewable-Energy Projects as Public Nuisances
HB2331 — Reliable Energy Standard
HB2364 — Mailing Abortion Medication
HB2797 — SNAP and TANF Eligibility Red Tape
SB1016 — Religious Exemptions for Medical Products
SB1019 — Fluoridation Ban
SB1070 — “Trump Derangement Syndrome” Study
SB1194 — Clinical Decisions Involving Unvaccinated Patients
SB1236 — AHCCCS Eligibility Verification
SB1368 — SNAP Food Restrictions
The Bottom Line
The 2026 legislative session produced a mixed result. Several solid public-health measures became law, particularly bills improving health-care licensing, nursing-home oversight, mental-health screening in jails and court-ordered treatment procedures. Gov. Hobbs also vetoed several harmful measures.
At the same time, several useful bills died, including proposals addressing dental care during pregnancy, preventive dental services in AHCCCS, Arizona State Hospital access, lactation services and the physician workforce.
The immediate priority is clear: Gov. Hobbs should sign the good bills still on her desk and veto the remaining bills that would interfere with vaccination programs, disease-control measures and food aid.
Then the focus shifts to November. Voters will decide the fate of three legislative ballot referrals that could make it harder to vote, weaken ESA accountability and effectively end red-light cameras in Arizona.
