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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
medical interventions; prohibition
Purpose
Prohibits business entities, ticket issuers, schools and state, county and local government entities or officials from requiring a person to receive or use a medical intervention or discriminating against a person based on whether the person has received or used a medical intervention.
Background
Statute prohibits government entities from requiring a person to wear a mask or facial covering anywhere on the entity's premises, except where long-standing workplace safety and infection control measures unrelated to COVID-19 may be required and from requiring a person under 18 years old to receive a vaccination for COVID-19 or any variant without the consent of a parent or guardian (A.R.S. §§ 36-681 and 36-682).
Employers that receive notice from an employee that taking the COVID-19 vaccination conflicts with a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance must provide the employee a reasonable accommodation, unless the accommodation would pose an undue hardship and more than a de minimus cost to the employer (A.R.S. § 23-206)
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits a business entity from refusing to provide any service, product, admission to a venue or transportation to a person because the person has or has not received or used a medical intervention.
2. Prohibits a business entity from requiring any medical intervention as a term of employment unless the employment requires travel to, or entry into a place of business or facility in, a foreign jurisdiction requiring a medical intervention as the only means of entry.
3. Stipulates that, if an employee is required to receive or use a medical intervention due to travel to a foreign jurisdiction, the requirement must be included in either a valid written employment contract or, if no written contract exists, in advance written notice provided at least 14 days before the employee is required to receive or use the medical intervention, unless the business entity receives Medicare or Medicaid funding.
4. Prohibits a ticket issuer from penalizing, discriminating against or denying a ticket holder access to an entertainment event because the ticket holder has or has not received or used a medical intervention.
5. Prohibits a school from requiring a medical intervention for any person to attend the school, enter a campus or building or be employed, subject to the Arizona Parents' Bill of Rights.
6. Prohibits a business entity from requiring a medical intervention for any person to attend, enter the building or premises or be employed.
7. Prohibits a state, county or local government entity or official from requiring a person to receive or use a medical intervention, including as:
a) a condition of receiving any government benefit, service or government-issued license or permit, entering a building or using transportation; or
b) a term of employment.
8. Prohibits a business entity or a state, county or local government from providing or offering a different salary, hourly wage or other ongoing compensation or benefit to an employee based on whether the employee has or has not received or used a medical intervention.
9. Specifies that the medical intervention prohibitions do not apply to any situation in which personal protective equipment, items or clothing are required by employers in the public or private sector based on existing traditional and accepted industry standards or federal law, but that this exemption does not apply to any vaccine, mask requirement or other medical intervention that was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
10. Authorizes the Attorney General or the prosecuting attorney for the county where a violation occurs to enforce the medical intervention prohibitions and pursue injunctive relief.
11. Requires a business entity or state, county or local government entity found to have violated the medical intervention prohibitions to pay the attorney fees and costs incurred in the enforcement action.
12. Defines terms.
13. Designates this legislation as the Arizona Medical Freedom Act.
14. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
RO 1/27/26 DP 3-2-0-0
3rd Read 2/26/26 31-20-9
3rd Read* 2/26/26 31-22-7
*on reconsideration
Prepared by Senate Research
March 16, 2026
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