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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
rural hospitals; radiation protection grants
Purpose
Appropriates an unspecified amount in FY 2027 from the state General Fund (state GF) to the Department of Health Services (DHS) to establish a grant program to assist rural hospitals with the costs of installing radiation protection systems in rooms in which ionizing radiation procedures occur.
Background
Health care facilities utilize comprehensive sets of measures to prevent worker injury and negative health effects from exposure to high radiation levels. Control measures, including engineering controls such as shielding with lead aprons, administrative controls such as monitoring and access restrictions and personal protective equipment, function to protect workers by reducing the radiation dose, limiting time exposure and preventing contamination (OSHA).
Health care personnel present in a procedure room using ionizing radiation must utilize either protective aprons or whole-body protective barriers with a minimum lead-equivalent thickness of 0.25 millimeters to reduce occupational radiation exposure. Additionally, medical personnel must wear both badge type dosimeters and direct reading dosimeters during radiographic procedures to monitor and document individual radiation dose and support compliance with applicable occupational exposure limits (A.A.C. R9-7-604 and R9-7-1130).
S.B. 1118 appropriates an unspecified amount in FY 2027 from the state GF to DHS.
Provisions
1. Appropriates an unspecified amount in FY 2027 from the state GF to DHS to establish and administer a grant program to assist rural hospitals with the costs of acquiring and installing radiation protection systems in procedure rooms in which ionizing radiation procedures occur.
2. Defines
radiation protection system as a shielding system that is designed to
protect against scatter or direct ionizing radiation exposure, that provides
protection equal to or greater than the shielding effectiveness of a 0.25
millimeter lead-equivalent apron and that includes
real-time dosimetry to measure radiation exposure to health professionals
throughout an ionizing radiation medical procedure.
3. Defines rural hospital as a licensed hospital that is located in a county with a population of less than 1,000,000 persons.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 15, 2026
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