Hello Arizona Nurses!

Our AzNA policy team had another busy week at the legislature with exciting hearings and lots of behind the scenes work to improve bills in process. Thanks to Christine Creen, Nichole Kuhns, Pat VanMaanen, Clay Mering, Dawna Cato, Leighanna Lawson, Jane Nakazato, Denise Link, Amber Porter, Selina Bliss, Georgina Rotzler, Hannah Challa, Sara Hererra, Jason Warren, Patricia Timmons, Jackie Martin, Rosemary Bolza, Rebecca Stoops, and Erin Luedtke for reviewing bills in the past week.

If you’re interested in getting involved, please email Dawna Cato at dawna@aznurse.org.

Recapping Week 4:

• AzNA supported HB2083 which will provide funding for diabetes outpatient self-management training prescribed by primary care practitioners. This bill passed out of the House Health & Human Services committee on 1/31 and the House Appropriations Committee on 2/2. Next up is the House Rules Committee before a full House vote and then on to the Senate.

• AzNA supported HB2227 which will provide a financial incentive to conduct 6-week postpartum visits for AHCCCS enrollees. This bill passed out of the House Health & Human Services committee on 1/31. Next up will be hearings in House Appropriations and House Rules, which have not been scheduled yet.

• One of AzNA’s flagship bills for this session, HB2434, passed unanimously out of the House Health & Human Services committee last week on 1/31. This bill would require smoke evacuation systems or devices to be used in all operating rooms to decrease the risk of exposure to staff. Kudos to Dan Wade, RN for providing compelling testimony to improve the safety of OR nurses and all OR workers.

Looking Ahead to a Busy Week 5:

• This week is already off to a great start with HB2434, AzNA’s smoke evacuation bill, passing unanimously out of the House Rules Committee on 2/7. Next stop is the Committee of the Whole before a full House floor vote and then on to the Senate.

• AzNA is monitoring several bills being heard in the Senate Health and Human Services committee this week on 2/9, and will sign in on several including:
• SB1052, which would disallow any government entity or business in Arizona from requiring any medical procedure including vaccines that have a potential implication that could cause death. AzNA is opposed to this bill, as it would essentially outlaw the ability to mandate any medical procedure as every procedure has the potential to cause bad outcomes that could lead to death. This bill would effectively disallow any school to require vaccinations, and would pose a direct threat to public health and safety.
• SB1514, which would mandate that a patient can have two visitors of their choice with them at all times in a healthcare facility, excluding surgical theatres. AzNA is opposed to this bill, as it may impede providers’ ability to provide safe and effective care in some situations, including in cases of suspected abuse, infectious disease emergency, or critical trauma.
• SB1639, which would require medical records integration for better tracking of controlled substances prescriptions. AzNA is supporting this bill, as it will improve safe access to care by providing an enhanced safeguard against abuse or unintentional overprescribing of controlled substances.
• SB1640, which clarifies that certified nursing assistants must be at least 16 years old. AzNA is supporting this bill, as it provides clarifying language that has the potential to open high-school based CNA programs to build the certified nursing assistant workforce, enhancing patient access to care.

What can you do this week to support AzNA’s public policy agenda?

Register for Healthcare Day at the Capitol next week on 1/16 and catch the Legislative Session Bill Report Zoom session on 2/8 (or the recording if you miss it live).

Don’t forget to practice armchair advocacy with just a few clicks of your mouse by using the Arizona Legislature’s RTS system. (Remember that although RTS stands for “Request to Speak” it doesn’t actually involve speaking!) We encourage you to sign in today and register your support or opposition of the bills that will be heard on 2/9.

• AzNA’s public policy agenda
• RTS manual here:
• Note that you must activate your RTS account at a designated kiosk in the state capitol (or in downtown Tucson at 400 W. Congress St.) before you use it the first time. If you need help with that, please email dawna@aznurse.org and we can assist

Stay tuned for more updates from the policy pulse in the coming weeks. Next week will be a big one with our other flagship bills addressing workplace assault and nursing workforce expected to be heard in committees. We’ll need the full force of our nursing community to weigh in to support these bills on their journey to improving nursing and healthcare for all Arizonans.

Heather Ross, DNP, PhD

AzNA Government Affairs Officer