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HB4012 • 2026

special needs patients; health facilities

HB4012 - special needs patients; health facilities

Healthcare Taxes
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Quantá Crews
Last action
2026-02-10
Official status
House second read
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Special Needs Patients; Health Facilities

HB4012 requires health care facilities to provide enhanced diagnostic evaluations, pain assessments, communication supports, and training for staff to better serve nonverbal and special needs patients.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines terms like 'nonverbal patient' and 'patient with special needs'.
  • Requires health care providers to conduct thorough tests when a special needs patient shows signs of serious illness or injury.
  • Recommends using pain assessment tools that work for nonverbal patients and includes family input in the process.
  • Needs health care facilities to train staff yearly on how to handle these patients properly.
  • Requires each facility to offer social work or advocacy services if requested by a patient's caregiver.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Health care providers, such as doctors and nurses
  • Hospitals and other medical facilities in Arizona
  • Patients who cannot speak due to disabilities or conditions

Terms To Know

Nonverbal patient
An individual who is unable to communicate verbally due to a developmental, neurological, medical or physical condition.
Patient with special needs
Someone with physical, developmental, intellectual, or sensory disabilities that make it hard to communicate pain or symptoms.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how facilities will be punished for noncompliance.
  • It is unclear what specific communication supports and training methods are required by the department of health services.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-10 House

    House second read

  2. 2026-02-09 House

    House Rules: None

  3. 2026-02-09 House

    House Health & Human Services: None

  4. 2026-02-09 House

    House first read

Official Summary Text

HB4012 - special needs patients; health facilities

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB4012 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
special needs patients; health facilities

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 4012

Introduced by

Representative
Crews

AN
ACT

Amending title 36, Arizona Revised
Statutes, by adding chapter 43; relating to patient care.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 36, Arizona Revised Statutes,
is amended by adding chapter 43, to read:

CHAPTER 43

PATIENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

START_STATUTE
36-4301.

Definitions

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise
requires:

1. "Department" means the
department of health services.

2. "Health care facility"
means a hospital, emergency department, urgent care center or other medical
facility that is licensed and regulated pursuant to chapter 4 of this title.

3. "Health care provider"
means a licensed professional who is involved in direct patient care.

4. "Nonverbal patient"
means an individual who is unable to communicate verbally due to a
developmental, neurological, medical or physical condition.

5. "Patient Advocate" means
a trained individual who is designated by a health care facility to assist
nonverbal patients and patients with special needs during diagnostic and
treatment processes.

6. "Patient with special
needs" means an individual who has a physical, developmental, intellectual
or sensory disability that significantly affects the patient's ability to
communicate symptoms or pain.
END_STATUTE

START_STATUTE
36-4302.

Enhanced diagnostic evaluations; deviations

A. When a nonverbal patient or a
patient with special needs exhibits symptoms or behaviors that may indicate
serious internal illness or injury, a health care provider shall ensure that an
enhanced diagnostic evaluation is conducted, consistent with clinical judgment
and medically appropriate standards of care.� The evaluation may include, when
clinically indicated:

1. Laboratory testing, including
blood and urine studies.

2. Diagnostic imaging, including
ultrasound, computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging.

3. Additional diagnostic testing
necessary to rule out serious conditions.

B. A health care provider may deviate
from specific diagnostic elements if the deviation is clinically justified and
documented in the patient's medical record.
END_STATUTE

START_STATUTE
36-4303.

Pain assessment; communication

A. EAch Health care facility shall
use evidence-based pain assessment tools that are appropriate for
nonverbal patients and patients with special needs.

B. Each health care provider shall
seek and document input from the family members or caregivers of nonverbal
patients or patients with special needs who are familiar with the patient's
baseline behavior and typical expressions of pain or distress.

C. Each health care facility shall
make reasonable efforts to provide appropriate communication supports,
including assistive communication tools or simplified communication methods.
END_STATUTE

START_STATUTE
36-4304.

Training requirements; rules

A. EAch health care facility shall
ensure that emergency department staff and other relevant personnel receive
annual training on all of the following relating to nonverbal patients and
patients with special needs:

1. Atypical symptom presentation.

2. Specialized pain assessment
methods.

3. Communication strategies and
sensory-sensitive care.

4. Application of enhanced diagnostic
evaluation principles.

B. The department shall establish in
rule the training requirements for health care facilities under this section.
END_STATUTE

START_STATUTE
36-4305.

Patient advocate program

Each health care facility in this state shall
provide access to social work or patient advocacy services for nonverbal
patients and patients with special needs, if requested. Social
workers and patient advocates shall assist with communication, support
caregiver involvement and promote compliance with this article.
END_STATUTE

START_STATUTE
36-4306.

Documentation; reporting

A. EAch health care facility shall
ensure that the medical records of nonverbal patients and patients with special
needs include documentation of diagnostic decisions, communication methods
used, caregiver input and any deviations from enhanced evaluation practices.

B. Each health care facility shall
submit annual compliance data to the department in a form prescribed by the
department.
END_STATUTE

START_STATUTE
36-4307.

Oversight and enforcement; rules

A. The department shall monitor
compliance with this article and may require corrective action or additional
training for health care facilities that are found to be noncompliant,
consistent with existing enforcement authority pursuant to chapter 4 of this
title.

B. The department shall adopt any
rules necessary to implement this article.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Short title

This act may be cited as "Cito's
Law".