public monies; gender transition; prohibition

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is listed only as 'the general effective date,' so a specific start date cannot be determined from this text alone.

SB1177: Ban on Using Public Money for Gender Transition Procedures

This law stops Arizona from using public money to pay for medical procedures meant to help a person change their gender.

What This Bill Does

• Stops the use of public funds to pay for any medical procedure done for the purpose of gender transition.
• Counts intentional spending on these procedures by government workers as misuse of public monies and a violation of state law.
• Defines 'fund' to include paying, reimbursing, or covering costs through health insurance plans provided by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.
• Adds section 35-196.06 to state law with specific rules about this prohibition.

Who It Names or Affects

• Public officers and public employees who handle government money.
• People seeking medical procedures for gender transition using public funds.
• The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System if it covers these costs with public money.

Terms To Know

Gender transition

The process of changing from living as one's biological sex to living as a different gender, which may include social, legal, or physical changes.

Medical procedure

Surgery on body parts or the use of drugs like puberty blockers and hormones prescribed by doctors.

Public monies

Money owned, received, or held by state, county, district, city, or town officers in their official roles.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill becomes effective on the general effective date, but a specific calendar date is not listed.
• The law only covers medical procedures and drugs; it does not mention other types of support or services for gender transition.

Official Summary Text

SB1177 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
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COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1177

public monies; gender
transition; prohibition

Purpose

Prohibits public
monies from being used to fund gender transition procedures.

Background

Statute
prohibits public officers and other persons responsible for receiving,
transferring or disbursing public monies from misappropriating or otherwise
unlawfully handling funds. A public officer commits a class 4 felony by knowingly
misappropriating or loaning public monies, improperly depositing public monies,
falsifying or altering related accounts or refusing or failing to transfer or
disburse monies as required by law.
Public monies
includes bonds,
evidence of indebtedness and money belonging to, received or held by state,
county, district, city or town officers in their official capacity (A.R.S. ��
35-301

and
35-302
).

Gender
transition
is the process in which a person goes from identifying with and
living as a gender that corresponds to the person's biological sex to
identifying with and living as a gender different from the person's biological
sex and may involve social, legal or physical changes (
A.R.S.
� 32-3230
)

There is no
anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.

Provisions

1.

Prohibits, notwithstanding any other law, the use of public monies to
fund a medical procedure for the purpose of gender transition.

2.

Specifies that the intentional use of public monies to fund gender
transition procedures by a public officer or public employee constitutes a
misuse of public monies.

3.

Defines terms.

4.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

February 13, 2026

MM/hk

Current Bill Text

SB1177 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

public monies; gender
transition; prohibition

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1177

AN
ACT

Amending title 35, chapter 1, article 5, Arizona
Revised Statutes, by adding section 35-196.06; relating to public monies.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 35, chapter 1, article 5,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 35-196.06, to read:

START_STATUTE
35-196.06.

Public monies; gender transition; prohibition; violation; misuse
of public monies; definitions

A. Notwithstanding any other law,
public monies may not be used to fund any medical procedure for the purpose of
gender transition.

B. Any INTENTIONAL violation of this
section by a public officer or public employee is considered a misuse of public
monies and a violation of section 35-301.

C. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Fund" means to
subsidize, reimburse, expend, allocate, grant, pay or distribute public monies
directly or indirectly to any person or entity, including for reimbursements
and coverage for costs, premiums or charges associated with a health INSURANCE
policy, contract or plan provided by the Arizona health care cost containment
system.

2. "Gender transition" has
the same meaning prescribed in section 32-3230.

3. "Medical procedure"
means:

(
a
) Surgically
removing, modifying, altering or entering into tissues, cavities or organs of a
person.

(
b
) Prescribing,
administering or dispensing any puberty blocker, hormone or PHARMACEUTICAL or
PRESCRIPTION drug to a person.

4. "Public monies" has the
same meaning prescribed in section 35-302.
END_STATUTE