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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
radiation protection systems; medical procedures
Purpose
Prohibits
hospitals that perform cardiac catheterization procedures involving real-time
x-ray imaging from requiring health professionals to wear lead aprons during
those procedures if the procedure room is 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. Prohibits a hospital that performs cardiac catheterization procedures involving real-time x-ray imaging from requiring that physicians, physician assistants, nurses or other health professionals wear lead aprons during these procedures if the procedure room is equipped with a radiation protection system that is in use according to the manufacturer's instructions.
2. Allows a hospital's radiation safety officer or designee to require lead aprons, thyroid collars or other radiation personal protection equipment if the radiation safety officer or designee determines, according to the as low as reasonably achievable standard, that staff exposures will approach occupational dose thresholds or elevated exposure.
3. Requires hospitals to instruct health professionals who choose not to wear a lead apron because the procedure room is equipped with a radiation protection system to wear a real-time dosimeter to monitor radiation exposure.
4. Specifies that health professionals are not prohibited from voluntarily choosing to wear a lead apron during a procedure involving real-time x-ray imaging even if the procedure room is equipped with a radiation protection system.
5. 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.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Requires health care institutions to instruct health professionals who choose not to wear a lead apron to wear a real-time dosimeter.
2. Makes conforming changes.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Removes outpatient surgical centers and other health care institutions from the lead apron enforcement requirement.
2. Applies the exception to the lead apron requirement, for hospitals that use a radiation protection system, to cardiac catheterization procedures involving real-time x-ray imaging.
3. Conditions the exception to the lead apron requirement on the radiation protection system being used according to the manufacturer's instructions.
4. Limits the lead apron exception to health professionals working primarily within a radiation protection system's designated safety zone.
5. Clarifies that health professionals are not prohibited from voluntarily choosing to wear a lead apron.
6. Allows the Department of Health Services to adopt rules governing radiation protection system requirements using an expedited rulemaking process.
7. Defines designated safety zone.
8. Makes conforming changes.
Amendments Adopted by the House of Representatives
1. Allows a hospital's radiation safety officer or designee to require radiation protection equipment if staff exposure approaches occupational dose limits under the as low as reasonably achievable standard.
2. Removes the requirement for hospitals to instruct health professionals to wear a lead apron in rooms equipped with a radiation protection system if the health professional is not working primarily in the radiation protection system's designated safety zone.
3. Removes the authority for the Department of Health Services to adopt rules governing radiation protection system requirements using an expedited rulemaking process.
4. Modifies the definition of radiation protection system.
5. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Senate Action House Action
HHS 1/21/26 DPA 7-0-0 HHS 3/23/26 DPA 9-2-0-1
3rd Read 3/2/26 27-2-1 3rd Read 4/15/26 50-2-8
Prepared by Senate Research
April 15, 2026
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