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Committee advances bill requiring hospitals to record patient immigration status on intake forms; civil‑liberties groups oppose
Summary
Senate Bill 12-68, which would require hospitals that accept certain payments to include a place on admission forms to indicate lawful or unlawful presence and require quarterly reporting by the Department of Health Services, received a due-pass recommendation despite opposition from civil liberties and community groups.
The House Committee on Health and Human Services gave Senate Bill 12-68 a due-pass recommendation after hearing opposition from civil‑liberties and community organizations.
The bill requires hospitals that accept payment through the state's access program to include on patient admission or registration forms an indication of whether the patient is lawfully present, unlawfully present, or a U.S. citizen. It also establishes quarterly reporting requirements to the Department of Health Services regarding patient immigration status.
Noah Schramm of the ACLU of Arizona testified against the bill, arguing the requirement would chill access to emergency medical care and could be used for enforcement. "If someone is undocumented and knows the hospital is going to ask them about their immigration status, they will be less likely to seek medical care because they will quite reasonably conclude, that the question is there for a reason," Schramm said. He also raised concerns that aggregate or other data could be used to inform enforcement actions or affect funding for facilities.
Staff explained the bill would collect and report aggregate information about immigration status on intake forms, and witnesses asked what purpose the state would serve with the data and how it would be used.
During the roll call, members cited a range of community and organizational opposition, and the committee returned the bill with a due-pass recommendation; the committee reported 6 ayes, 4 nays and 2 members absent.
Votes at a glance: Senate Bill 12-68 — motion: "SB 12-68 be returned with a due pass recommendation." Outcome: returned with due pass; tally reported by the committee: 6 ayes, 4 nays, 0 abstentions, 2 absent.
