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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
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HB 2248: medical interventions; prohibition
Sponsor: Representative Fink, LD 27
Committee on Regulatory Oversight
Overview
Restricts a governmental entity, business entity, school or ticket issuer from barring employment, entry, service or other involvement based on whether a person has or has not received or used a medical intervention.
History
Statute prohibits a governmental entity from requiring a person under 18 years of age to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or any variant of it without the consent of a parent or guardian. Additionally, no governmental entity may require a resident to receive the COVID-19 vaccination or any variant of it (A.R.S. § 36-682).
The Parents' Bill of Rights allows parents the right to make all health care decisions for their minor child unless otherwise prohibited by law. Statute designates the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt rules prescribing the required immunizations for school attendance, including the required doses and recommended ages to receive the immunizations. An immunization for COVID-19 or any variant of COVID-19 is not required for school attendance (A.R.S. §§ 1-602, 36-672).
Statute specifies that if an employer receives notice from an employee that the employee's sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances prevent the employee from receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, the employer must provide reasonable accommodation unless the accommodation would pose an undue hardship and more than a negligible financial cost to the employer's business operations (A.R.S. § 23-206).
Provisions
1. Defines medical intervention as any medical procedure, treatment, device, drug, injection, medication or action taken to diagnose, prevent or cure a disease as outlined. (Sec. 1)
2. Prohibits a business entity from refusing to provide service, products or entry to a person because that person has or has not received or used a medical intervention. (Sec. 1)
3. Restricts a business entity from requiring a medical intervention as a term of employment, unless the terms include travel to a foreign jurisdiction that requires a medical intervention for entry. (Sec. 1)
4. Mandates that any medical intervention requirement imposed on an employee due to business with a foreign jurisdiction be included in a written employment contract or an advance written notice provided to the employee at least 14 days before they must receive the medical intervention. (Sec. 1)
5. Exempts business entities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding from the prohibition of medical intervention as a term of employment. (Sec. 1)
6. Restricts a ticket issuer from penalizing a ticket holder or denying access to an entertainment event because the person has or has not received or used a medical intervention. (Sec. 1)
7. Prohibits a school from requiring a medical intervention for attendance, entry or employment at the school. (Sec. 1)
8. Stipulates that a business entity may not require a medical intervention for attendance, entry into the entity's building or premises or employment. (Sec. 1)
9. Restricts a state, county or local government entity or official from requiring a person to receive or use a medical intervention, or
a. as a condition of receiving a government benefit or service, government-issued license or permit, entering a building or using transportation; or
b. as a term of employment. (Sec. 1)
10. Prohibits any business or governmental entity from altering the compensation or benefit to an employee based on whether the employee has or has not received or used a medical intervention. (Sec. 1)
11. Specifies that the medical intervention prohibitions prescribed in the bill do not apply to situations in which personal protective equipment are required by employers based on existing industry standards or federal law, excluding any vaccine, mask requirement or medical intervention introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Sec. 1)
12. Permits the Attorney General or the prosecuting attorney for the county where a violation occurs to pursue enforcement or injunctive relief for the provisions of the bill and to be awarded attorney fees and costs incurred in pursuing enforcement action. (Sec. 1)
13. Cites the short title of the bill as the Arizona Medical Freedom Act. (Sec. 2)
14. Defines pertinent terms. (Sec. 1)
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18. Initials DC HB 2248
19. 1/23/2026 Page 0 Regulatory Oversight
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