Arizona’s Sunrise Review process provides a mechanism for health and non-health professions to request regulation or an expansion in scope of practice.
Health Profession
A.R.S. § 32-3103 restricts regulation of any unregulated health profession except to protect the public interest and establishes a profession will be regulated only if: 1) there is evidence of harm or endangerment to public health, safety or welfare; 2) the public needs and will benefit from an assurance of initial and continuing professional ability; and 3) the public cannot be effectively protected by other means in a more cost-beneficial manner.
To initiate the sunrise application process, a health professional group must submit a written report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by November 1 explaining the factors prescribed in A.R.S. § 32-3105 or 32-3106. The health committee of the House of Representatives and the health and human services committee of the Senate, or their respective successor committees, may conduct informational hearings and may take public comment on the written report before the legislative session begins. The committees must study the written report and may take public comment at the informational hearings but cannot vote on whether to accept or reject the report. A health professional group may seek to introduce legislation regardless of comments from the informational hearings.
Non-Health Profession
A.R.S. § 32-4401 restricts regulation of any non-health profession except to protect the public interest and establishes a profession will be regulated only if: 1) an unregulated practice can clearly harm the public health, safety or welfare; 2) the public benefit of the regulation clearly exceeds the costs for consumers, businesses and individuals; 3) the public needs and will benefit from an assurance of initial and continuing professional ability; and 4) the public cannot be effectively protected by private certification or other alternatives.
A non-health professional group must submit a written report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by September 1 explaining the factors in A.R.S. § 32-4403. The legislative committee of reference must study the written report and deliver its recommendations to the Speaker, the President, the Governor and, if appropriate, the regulatory entity before the third Friday in January following the year the report is submitted. Legislative committees of reference may hold hearings as necessary.
Below are the submitted sunrise applications for this year’s COR: