emergency medicine; study committee

Plain English Breakdown

The bill establishes a study group but does not mandate any changes to laws based on its findings; future action depends entirely on legislative decisions after receiving reports.

HB2183: Emergency Medicine Study Committee

This bill creates a temporary committee to study how emergency medical services work in Arizona and report on their financial health.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes the 15-member Study Committee on Emergency Medicine with specific members from government, hospitals, EMS agencies, and healthcare providers.
• Requires the group to review obstacles facing the delivery and sustainability of emergency medical services in both rural and urban areas.
• Directs the committee to study how uncompensated care affects the financial viability of emergency medicine practices.
• Allows the committee to hold public hearings, conduct fact-finding tours, request data from state health officials, and take testimony from witnesses.
• Mandates that the group submit an annual report with findings by December 31 starting in 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Arizona Department of Health Services
• Emergency medical services providers and ambulance operators
• Hospitals and emergency departments across the state

Terms To Know

Study Committee

A temporary group created to research a specific topic, gather information, and make recommendations.

Uncompensated Care

Medical services provided when the patient or their insurance does not pay for them.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Services that provide on-site care and transport sick or injured people to hospitals using ground or air ambulances.

Limits and Unknowns

• The committee ends automatically after June 30, 2029.
• Committee members do not receive a salary but can get money back for travel costs.
• This bill creates the group and its duties but does not change current laws about how emergency care is delivered.

Official Summary Text

HB2183 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

House:
HHS DP 12-0-0-0

HB
2183
: emergency medicine; study committee

Sponsor:
Representative Willoughby, LD 13

House
Engrossed

Overview

Creates
the Study Committee on Emergency Medicine (Study Committee) and outlines
membership, duties and reporting requirements.

History

Emergency medical services (EMS)

are services that follow an accident or an emergency medical situation,
including: 1) for on-site emergency medical care; 2) to transport the sick or
injured by a licensed ground or air ambulance; 3) in using emergency
communications media; 4) in using emergency receiving facilities; and 5) in administering
initial care and preliminary treatment procedures by emergency medical care
technicians (A.R.S. �

36-2201
)

Provisions

1.

Establishes
the 15-member Study Committee that consists of the Director of the Arizona
Department of Health Services (DHS) or their designee, 7 members appointed by
the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 7 members appointed by the
President of the Senate. (Sec. 1)

2.

Requires the
Study Committee to:

a.

review the
delivery of the EMS system in Arizona and the obstacles facing the delivery and
sustainability of the EMS system;

b.

analyze the
emergency medicine capacity in Arizona, including factors impacting EMS
delivery and adequacy in rural and urban areas;

c.

review the
impact of uncompensated care on the financial viability of the practice of
emergency medicine;

d.

identify
factors that impact the stability of entities that deliver emergency medicine
in Arizona; and

e.

solicit
input from patients, health care providers and stakeholders to gather
information regarding service delivery and financial viability of emergency
medicine in Arizona. (Sec. 1)

3.

Allows the
Study Committee to hold hearings, conduct fact-finding tours, request data from
DHS and take testimony from witnesses who may assist the Study Committee in
fulfilling its responsibilities. (Sec. 1)

4.

Specifies
that Study Committee members are not eligible to receive compensation but are
eligible to receive reimbursement of expenses. (Sec. 1)

5.

Requires the
Legislature and DHS to provide staff and support services to the Study
Committee. (Sec. 1)

6.

Requires all
Study Committee meetings be open to the public. (Sec. 1)

7.

Requires,
annually by December 31, the Study Committee to submit a report of its findings
and recommendations to the Governor, Speaker of the House and President of the
Senate and provide a copy of the report to the Secretary of State. (Sec. 1)

8.

Repeals the
Study Committee on July 1, 2029. (Sec. 1)

9.

10.

11.

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FOOTER ---------

12.

Initials AG/LK��������������� HB
2183

13.

2/24/2026� Page 0 House
Engrossed

14.

15.

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Current Bill Text

HB2183 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

emergency medicine;
study committee

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2183

AN
ACT

Establishing the emergency medicine study
committee.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.
Emergency
medicine study committee; membership; duties; reports; delayed repeal

A. The emergency medicine
study committee is established consisting of the following members:

1. Three members of the
house of representatives, not more than two of whom are members of the same
political party and who are appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives. The speaker of the house of representatives shall
designate one of these members to serve as chairperson of the study committee.

2. Three members of the
senate, not more than two of whom are members of the same political party and
who are appointed by the president of the senate.

3. The director of the
department of health services or the director's designee.

4. Two individuals who
operate an emergency department, one in a county with a population of less than
five hundred thousand persons and one in a county with a population of five
hundred thousand or more persons, who are appointed by the speaker of the house
of representatives.

5.
Three physicians who are licensed in this state
pursuant to title 32, chapter 13 or 17, Arizona Revised
Statutes,
and who are appointed by the
president of the senate as follows:

(
a
) One
who practices emergency medicine in a county with a population of less than
five hundred thousand persons
.

(
b
) One
who practices emergency medicine in a county of five hundred thousand or more
persons.

(
c
) One
who serves as a medical director for an emergency medical services agency.

6. One registered nurse or
nurse practitioner who is licensed in this state pursuant to title 32, chapter
15, Arizona Revised Statutes, who works in emergency medicine and who is
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

7. One person who provides
emergency medical services before a patient arrives at a hospital in a county
with a population of less than five hundred thousand persons and who is
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

8. One person who provides
emergency medical services before a patient arrives at a hospital in a county
with a population of five hundred thousand or more persons and who is appointed
by the president of the senate.

B. The study committee
shall do all of the following:

1. Review the delivery of
the emergency medical services system in this state and obstacles facing the
delivery and sustainability of the emergency medical services system in this
state.

2. Analyze the emergency
medicine capacity in this state, including factors impacting emergency medical
service delivery and adequacy in rural and urban areas of this state.

3. Review the impact of
uncompensated care on the financial viability of the practice of emergency
medicine in this state.

4. Identify factors that
impact the stability of entities that deliver emergency medicine in this state.

5. Solicit input from
patients, health care providers and stakeholders to gather information
regarding service delivery and financial viability of emergency medicine in
this state.

C. The study committee may
hold hearings, conduct fact-finding tours, request data from the department of
health services and take testimony from witnesses who may assist the study
committee in fulfilling its responsibilities. All hearings of the
study committee shall be open to the public.

D. The legislature and the
department of health services shall provide staff and support services to the
study committee.

E. Study committee members
are not eligible to receive compensation but are eligible for reimbursement of
expenses pursuant to title 38, chapter 4, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes.

F. On or before December
31, 2026 and each year after, the study committee shall submit a report of its
findings and recommendations to the governor, the president of the senate and
the speaker of the house of representatives and provide a copy of this report
to the secretary of state.

G. This section is repealed
from and after June 30, 2029.