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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
website; adoption information; task force
Purpose
Beginning February 1, 2022, directs the Department of Health Services (DHS) to include outlined information regarding adoption on the DHS website. Establishes the Adoption Promotion Task Force (Task Force) and prescribes Task Force membership and duties.
Background
DHS
provides and coordinates public health services and programs for Arizona.
Responsibilities of DHS include: 1) protecting and improving public health; 2)
implementing prevention and control programs for diseases and disabilities; 3)
licensing and regulating health care institutions, child care facilities and
various health care providers; 4) providing personnel and administrative
services such as budgeting, information systems and facilities management for DHS;
5) administering radiation control programs; 6) operating the Arizona State
Hospital;
7) overseeing the State Laboratory; 8) administering a statewide system of
emergency medical services, trauma care and a trauma registry; 9) collecting
and maintaining vital records, including birth and death certificates; and 10)
publishing public health statistics on a variety of public health measures and
trends (A.R.S. §§ 36-104
and 36-132).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires DHS, beginning February 1, 2022, to include the following information, in both English and Spanish, on the DHS website home page:
a) a list of agencies and services available to assist a woman through pregnancy, on childbirth and while her child is dependent; and
b) each agency's services, physical address, telephone number and website address.
2. Requires DHS, beginning February 1, 2022, to include the following information and separate links that are accessible from adoptionoption.az.gov, in both English and Spanish, on the DHS website home page:
a) public and nonprofit adoption agencies that are not affiliated with an abortion provider and that are arranged geographically;
b) easily comprehensible first steps to assist pregnant women seeking to confidentially explore adoption placement options;
c) whether an adoption agency allows the woman to select the adoptive parents; and
d) agencies that offer free obstetric ultrasounds and confidential counseling to women considering adoption placement.
3. Necessitates that the aforementioned information be provided in an easily downloadable printed format.
4. Prohibits agencies that counsel, refer, perform, induce, prescribe or provide abortions from inclusion on the list of agencies and services on the DHS website.
5. Establishes the Task Force within DHS and prescribes Task Force membership.
6. Directs the Task Force to advise DHS on preparing information related to adoption that must be included on the DHS website and developing a public education initiative to promote adoption.
7.
Specifies that Task Force members are eligible to receive reimbursement for
Task
Force-related expenses but are not eligible for compensation.
8. Repeals the Task Force on July 1, 2022.
9. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 1, 2021
CRS/kja