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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
radiation protection systems; installation requirement
Purpose
Effective July 1, 2027, requires hospitals that perform cardiac catheterization 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, as specified.
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 cardiac catheterization procedures involving real-time x-ray imaging to ensure that at least 50 percent of the rooms in which the procedures occur are equipped with a radiation protection system.
2. Deems a hospital to have satisfied the radiation protection system installation requirement if the hospital:
a) issues a purchase order for radiation protection systems for at least 50 percent of the applicable procedure rooms by July 1, 2027; and
b) installs systems by December 31, 2027.
3. Defines purchase order as a binding document that is issued by a hospital requesting a vendor to deliver the described equipment at a specific price and that obligates the hospital to pay the vendor on delivery and acceptance of the equipment or in accordance with the terms of the purchase order.
4.
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.
5. 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.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Applies the radiation protection system requirement to hospitals that perform cardiac catheterization procedures using real-time x-ray imaging.
2. Deems a hospital to have satisfied the radiation protection system installation requirement if the hospital:
a) issues a purchase order for radiation protection systems for at least 50 percent of the applicable procedure rooms by July 1, 2027; and
b) installs systems by December 31, 2027.
3. Defines purchase order.
4. Makes conforming changes.
Senate Action
HHS 1/21/26 DPA 7-0-0
Prepared by Senate Research
February 24, 2026
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