HB2989 • 2026

family court; records; access; confidentiality

HB2989 - family court; records; access; confidentiality

Children Education Healthcare

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rachel Keshel
Last action: 2026-02-05
Official status: House second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is unknown because the bill has passed the legislature but no enactment date is provided in the source text.

HB2989: Rules for Parents Accessing Child Records

This law gives both parents equal rights to access a child's medical and school records unless safety concerns like domestic violence or stalking require the court to limit that access.

What This Bill Does

Requires both parents to have equal access to prescription medication, health documents, and school records upon reasonable request.
Prohibits one parent from choosing a single pharmacy for a child's medicine without agreeing with the other parent first.
Allows courts to limit or block record sharing if there is an order of protection, domestic violence, coercive control, or participation in address confidentiality programs.
Permits courts to require electronic exchange of records instead of direct contact between parents and providers when safety is a concern.
Protects doctors and schools from legal trouble if they refuse to share records based on court orders, safety laws, or written instructions.

Who It Names or Affects

Parents with joint legal custody in Arizona family courts
Children involved in cases regarding medical care, education, domestic violence, stalking, or coercive control
Healthcare providers and schools that hold child records

Terms To Know

Joint Legal Custody: When both parents share the right to make major decisions for their child.
Address Confidentiality Program: A state program that hides a person's real home address from public records for safety reasons.
Coercive Control: Using threats, isolation, or other tactics to control another person's behavior and freedom.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify the exact date it will take effect.
Courts must decide on a case-by-case basis how much information is safe to share in situations involving violence, stalking, or coercive control.
Parents seeking access despite safety concerns must prove by clear and convincing evidence that no other way exists to get the needed records.

Bill History

2026-02-05 House
House second read
2026-02-04 House
House Rules: None
2026-02-04 House
House Judiciary: None
2026-02-04 House
House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2989 - family court; records; access; confidentiality

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2989 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
family court; records; access; confidentiality

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2989

Introduced by

Representative
Keshel

AN
ACT

amending section 25-403.06, arizona
revised statutes; relating to legal decision-making and parenting time.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Section 25-403.06, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
25-403.06.

Parental access to prescription medication and records; address
confidentiality; immunity; burden of proof

A. Unless otherwise provided by court order or law,
on reasonable request both parents are entitled to have equal access to
prescription medication, documents and other information concerning the child's
education and physical, mental, moral and emotional health
,

including medical, school, police, court and other records
,

directly from the custodian of the records or from the other parent.

B. A person who does not comply with a reasonable
request shall reimburse the requesting parent for court costs and attorney fees
incurred by that parent to force compliance with this section.

C. A parent with joint legal custody shall not
designate one pharmacy in a single location as the only source of the child's
prescription medication without
the
agreement of the
other parent.

D. A parent who attempts to restrict the release of
documents or information by the custodian or attempts to withhold prescription
medication without a prior court order is subject to appropriate legal
sanctions.

e. If a parent or a child is a
participant in the address confidentiality program pursuant to section 41-162
or is protected by an order of protection or an injunction against harassment,
or if a court has determined the parent or child has been subject to an act of
domestic violence or coercive control, the court shall restrict access to the
child's records pursuant to this section as necessary to protect the parent's
confidentiality and safety. The court may do any of the following:

1. order the Revocation of the
offending parent's access to a child's records pursuant to this
section. A court may order the revocation of a parent's access to a
child's records only when it has been shown by a preponderance of the evidence
that the parent has used the access rights pursuant to this section to
endanger, harass, abuse, stalk, obtain a protected or substitute address or
facilitate coercive control of the other parent or the child.

2. require that a child's records
that are requested pursuant to this section be exchanged through electronic
means.

3. Prohibit direct contact between
the requesting parent and the child's providers.

4. order the Redaction of identifying
location INFORMATION, including all of the following:

(
a
) protected
or substitute home addresses.

(
b
) Telephone
numbers.

(
c
) email
addresses.

(
d
) the child's
appointment locations.

(
e
) The
identities of a provider's staff.

5. Limit and define the child's
records that are required to be provided, including all of the following:

(
a
) Provider
visit summaries.

(
b
) Provider
billing documents.

(
c
) Report
Cards.

(
d
) Provider
progress reports.

(
e
) Physician
recommendations and prescriptions.

6. Require the requesting parent to
show good cause before the issuance of a subpoena for the child's records.

F. A child's provider is not CIVILLY
or administratively liable for the good faith refusal to release a child's
records pursuant to this section if the provider's refusal is based on any of
the following:

1. An order of protection.

2. a parent's or child's
Participation in the address confidentiality program pursuant to section
41-162.

3. A court order.

4. A written instruction from a
court.

G. IN a matter involving domestic
violence, stalking, coercive control or participation in the address
confidentiality program pursuant to section 41-162, the burden is on the
requesting parent to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the
requested access is necessary and cannot be provided through any alternative
means.
END_STATUTE