Official Summary Text
HB2557 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
Assigned to
JUDE���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� AS
PASSED BY COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR
H.B. 2557
candidate
petitions; felony disclosure
(
NOW: releasing
medical records; promptness
)
Purpose
Requires a
health care provider to provide a patient with access to, or copies of, the
patient's medical records or payment records within specified timeframes after
receiving a written request.
Background
A health care
provider must provide a patient or the patient's health care decision maker
with access to or copies of the patient's medical records and payment records
on written request. A provider may deny access if a health professional
determines that access is reasonably likely to endanger the life or physical
safety of the patient or another person, cause substantial harm to another
person, or reveal information obtained under a promise of confidentiality with
someone other than a health professional, and access would be reasonably likely
to reveal the source of the information. A provider may also deny access in
circumstances related to clinical research or if the patient is an inmate and
access would jeopardize safety, security, custody or rehabilitation within a
correctional institution. If access is denied, the provider must document the
reason a provide a written explanation and must release any portions of the
record that are not subject to denial (
A.R.S.
� 12-2293
).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund
associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1.
Requires a health care provider to provide a patient with access to, or
copies of, the patient's medical records or payment records within seven
business days of receiving a written request.
2.
Specifies
that if the medical records or payment records request is made by a patient or
the patient's health care decision maker and is for the purpose of upcoming
medical treatment, a health care provider must respond to a request within:
a)
10 business days after receiving the request if the medical records are
less than 12 months old and are maintained in the health care provider's
current electronic health record system; or
b)
15
business days after receiving the request if the medical records are 12 months
old or more and are maintained in the health care provider's current electronic
health record system.
3.
Specifies
that the health care provider must respond to a medical records or payment
records request within 30 days if the request is made for a purpose other than
upcoming medical treatment, including:
a)
litigation;
b)
a request that is made by a patient for medical records that are not
identified as necessary for upcoming medical treatment, including a request for
personal copies of the patient's medical records when the medical records are
otherwise available through a patient portal;
c)
requests for the purposes of life insurance or life insurance
underwriting;
d)
requests from payors, unless otherwise specified in a contract between
the provider and the payor;
e)
requests from schools or educational institutions;
f)
requests for records of a deceased patient; or
g)
any other request that is not related to current or upcoming medical
treatment.
4.
Defines
upcoming medical treatment
as a scheduled or anticipated health care
service or medical consultation for which the requested medical records are
reasonably necessary to facilitate diagnosis, treatment or coordination of
care.
5.
Makes
technical and conforming changes.
6.
Becomes
effective on the general effective date.
Amendments
Adopted by Committee
1.
Specifies
that, if the medical records or payment records request is made by a patient or
the patient's health care decision maker and is for the purpose of upcoming
medical treatment, a health care provider must respond to a request within:
a)
10 business days after receiving the request if the medical records are
less than 12 months old and are maintained in the health care provider's
current electronic health record system; or
b)
15 business days after receiving the request if the medical records are
12 months old or more and are maintained in the health care provider's current
electronic health record system.
2.
Specifies
that the health care provider must respond to a request within 30 days if the
request is made for a specified purpose other than upcoming medical treatment.
3.
Defines
upcoming medical treatment
as a scheduled or
anticipated health care service or medical consultation for which the requested
medical records are reasonably necessary to facilitate diagnosis, treatment or
coordination of care
.
4.
Makes
technical and conforming changes.
House Action
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Senate
Action
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Prepared by Senate Research
March 30, 2026
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Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
Chapter 0098 - 572R - S Ver of HB2557
Senate Engrossed
House Bill
candidate
petitions; felony disclosure
(now:� releasing
medical records; promptness)
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
CHAPTER 98
HOUSE BILL 2557
AN
ACT
amending section 12-2293, Arizona
Revised Statutes; relating to patient records.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 12-2293, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
12-2293.
Release of medical records and payment records to patients and
health care decision makers; definitions
A. Except as provided in subsections B and C of this
section, on the written request of a patient or the patient's health care
decision maker for access to or copies of the patient's medical records and
payment records, the health care provider in possession of the
medical
record or payment
record shall provide access to or copies of the
medical records or payment
records to the patient or the
patient's health care decision maker
promptly and within not
more than seven
business days
.
B. A health care provider may deny a request for
access to or copies of medical records or payment records if a health
professional determines that either:
1. Access by the patient is reasonably likely to
endanger the life or physical safety of the patient or another person.
2. The
medical records or payment
records
make reference to a person other than a health professional and access by the
patient or the patient's health care decision maker is reasonably likely to
cause substantial harm to that other person.
3. Access by the patient's health care decision
maker is reasonably likely to cause substantial harm to the patient or another
person.
4. Access by the patient or the patient's health
care decision maker would reveal information obtained under a promise of
confidentiality with someone other than a health professional and access would
be reasonably likely to reveal the source of the information.
C. A health care provider may deny a request for
access to or copies of medical records or payment records if the health care
provider determines that either:
1. The information was created or obtained in the
course of clinical research and the patient or the patient's health care
decision maker agreed to the denial of access when consenting to participate in
the research and was informed that the right of access will be reinstated on
completion of the research.
2. A health care provider is a correctional
institution or is acting under the direction of a correctional institution and
access by a patient who is an inmate in the correctional institution would
jeopardize the health, safety, security, custody or rehabilitation of the
patient or other inmates or the safety of any officer, employee or other person
at the correctional institution or of a person who is responsible for
transporting the inmate.
D. If the health care
provider denies a request for access to or copies of the medical records or
payment records, the health care provider must note this determination in the
patient's
medical records or payment
records and provide
to the patient or the patient's health care decision maker a written
explanation of the reason for the denial of access.� The health care provider
must release the medical records or payment records information for which there
is not a basis to deny access under subsection B of this section.
E. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this SECTION, a health care provider shall respond to a request
for medical records within the following time frames:
1. If the request is made by a
patient or the patient's health care decision maker and is for the purpose of
upcoming medical treatment:
(
a
) Within ten
business days after receiving the request if the medical records are less than
twelve months old and are maintained in the health care provider's current
electronic health record system.
(
b
) Within
fifteen business days after receiving the request if the medical records are
twelve months old or more and are maintained in the health care provider's
current electronic health record system.
2. Within thirty calendar days if the
request is for a purpose other than upcoming medical treatment, including:
(
a
) Litigation.
(
b
) A request
that is made by a patient for medical records that are not identified as
necessary for upcoming medical treatment, including a request for personal
copies of the patient's medical records when the medical records are otherwise
available through a patient portal.
(
c
) Requests
for the purposes of life insurance or life insurance underwriting.
(
d
) Requests
from payors, unless otherwise specified in a contract between the provider and
the payor.
(
e
) Requests
from schools or educational institutions.
(
f
) Requests
for records of a deceased patient.
(
g
) Any other
request that is not related to current or upcoming medical treatment.
F. Subsection E of this section does
not require a health care provider to create or compile records that do not
otherwise exist.
E.
G.
For
the purposes of this section
:
,
1.
"Health
professional" has the same meaning prescribed in section 32-3201.
2. "upcoming medical
treatment" means a scheduled or anticipated health care service or medical
consultation for which the requested medical records are reasonably necessary
to facilitate diagnosis, treatment or coordination of care.
END_STATUTE
APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR JUNE 4, 2026.
FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 5, 2026.