Assigned to HHS                                                                                                 AS PASSED BY COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1120

radiation protection systems; installation requirement

Purpose

Effective July 1, 2027, requires hospitals that perform procedures involving real-time
x-ray imaging to ensure that at least 50 percent of the procedure rooms are equipped with a radiation protection system.

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).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Requires each hospital that performs procedures involving real-time x-ray imaging, including cardiac catheterization and other interventional procedures, to ensure that at least 50 percent of the rooms in which the procedures occur are equipped with a radiation protection system.

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. Becomes effective on July 1, 2027.

Amendments Adopted by Committee

· Removes outpatient surgical centers and other health care institutions from the radiation protection system installation requirement.

Senate Action

HHS                1/21/26      DPA    7-0-0

Prepared by Senate Research

January 22, 2026

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