PREFILED JAN 07 2026
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REFERENCE TITLE: gender transition procedures; informed consent |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2026
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SB 1099 |
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Introduced by Senators Carroll: Angius, Gowan, Payne, Shamp; Representative Pingerelli
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AN ACT
Amending title 32, chapter 32, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 32-3230.03; relating to health professionals.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 32, chapter 32, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 32-3230.03, to read:
32-3230.03. Informed consent; gender transition procedures; record retention; civil action; definitions
A. A health professional may not prescribe, administer or perform a gender transition procedure without first obtaining voluntary, written and signed informed consent as prescribed in this section.
B. Before prescribing, administering or performing a gender TRANSITION procedure, a health professional shall disclose, at a minimum, both verbally and in writing, all of the following:
1. That the long-term benefits and harms of puberty-suppressing medications, cross-sex hormones and surgical procedures used for gender transition are uncertain and that available research has low certainty.
2. That the known risks and reasonably foreseeable harms associated with these procedures include:
(a) Impaired bone mineral density and altered skeletal development.
(b) Possible adverse effects on brain maturation, cognition and emotional regulation.
(c) Infertility or permanent sterilization, including the risk that fertility may not be restored if puberty is suppressed before gamete maturation.
(d) Structural and functional changes to reproductive organs, including ovarian, uterine, testicular and genital tissue damage.
(e) Cardiovascular, metabolic and thromboembolic risks that are associated with high-dose hormone exposure.
(f) Psychiatric or behavioral changes, including mood instability, depression, anxiety, aggression and other adverse reactions that have been observed in postmarketing reports.
(g) Surgical complications, including chronic pain, altered sensation, impaired sexual function, fistulas, strictures and the possibility of the need for additional revision surgeries.
3. That removal or alteration of healthy organs is irreversible and that certain surgical outcomes cannot be fully corrected or reversed.
4. That fertility preservation may be impossible for individuals who begin puberty-suppressing medications before gamete maturation.
5. The existence of nonmedical alternatives, including psychotherapy, treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions and other noninvasive approaches.
6. That some individuals choose to detransition and that data regarding long-term outcomes, regret rates and reversibility of effects are limited.
C. Informed consent obtained pursuant to this section must be documented on a form prescribed by the department of health services and shall be maintained in the patient's medical record.
D. A health professional shall retain all informed consent documents relating to a gender transition procedure for at least fifteen years and shall make these records available to the health professional's health profession regulatory board on request for the purpose of a compliance review.
E. A health professional may not provide information that is materially incomplete or that minimizes the risks associated with a gender transition procedure. A violation of this subsection constitutes an act of unprofessional conduct and is subject to discipline by the appropriate health profession regulatory board.
F. A person may bring a civil action for damages against a health professional who does any of the following:
1. Fails to obtain informed consent as required by this section.
2. Knowingly provides false, incomplete or misleading information.
3. Fails to disclose risks or alternatives as required by this section.
G. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Gender dysphoria" means a marked incongruence between an individual's experienced gender and biological sex as described in the most recent edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders.
2. "Gender transition procedure":
(a) Means any medical or surgical intervention that is intended to suppress puberty, alter secondary sex characteristics or modify reproductive anatomy or function for the purpose of treating or managing gender dysphoria.
(b) Includes:
(i) Puberty-suppressing medications.
(ii) Cross-sex hormone therapies.
(iii) Surgical procedures that alter or remove healthy reproductive or sexual organs or otherwise modify genital or nongenital anatomy.
3. "Health professional" means a health professional who evaluates, diagnosis, refers, prescribes, administers or performs a gender transition procedure.
Sec. 2. Legislative intent
The legislature finds that medical interventions used for gender transition involve significant uncertainty and potential for harm, including risks to bone development, neurocognitive maturation, fertility, reproductive health, cardiovascular function and psychiatric well-being. The purpose of this act is to ensure that no individual is subjected to such interventions without complete, accurate and fully informed consent consistent with the best available scientific evidence.