mammography results; notice; repeal

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide information on the effective date of the repeal, leaving this detail uncertain.

Mammography Results; Notice Repeal

This bill removes a requirement for healthcare institutions to inform patients if they have extremely dense breast tissue.

What This Bill Does

• Removes the rule that requires health care places to tell patients if they have extremely dense breasts.

Who It Names or Affects

• Healthcare institutions and facilities that perform mammograms.
• Patients who receive mammography services and are categorized as having heterogeneously or extremely dense breast tissue.

Terms To Know

Mammography

A type of X-ray used to detect breast cancer in women, especially those with dense breast tissue.

Dense Breast Tissue

Breast tissue that has more fibrous and glandular tissue than fatty tissue, which can make it harder to see cancers on a mammogram.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify when the changes will take effect.
• It is unclear how healthcare providers will communicate about dense breast tissue without following this specific rule.

Official Summary Text

SB1318 - 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. 1318

mammography results;
notice; repeal

Purpose

Repeals the requirement that health care institutions and facilities provide
specified notice to a patient identified as having extremely dense breasts.

Background

According to the National Cancer Institute, breast tissue is composed of
fibrous tissue, glandular tissue and fatty tissue. Dense breast tissue has relatively
high amounts of fibrous and glandular tissue and relatively low amounts of
fatty tissue. Mammography reports classify breast density into four levels: 1) almost
entirely fatty; 2) scattered fibroglandular tissue;

3) heterogeneously dense, which may obscure small masses; and 4) extremely
dense, which lowers the sensitivity of mammography (
NCI
)
.

Current statute requires a health care institution that performs
mammography examinations to provide a patient categorized as having
heterogeneously dense breasts or extremely dense breasts the following notice
in the mammography report:

Your mammogram indicates that you have dense breast tissue. Dense
breast tissue is common and is found in 50 per cent of women. However, dense
breast tissue can make it more difficult to detect cancers in the breast by
mammography and may also be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
This information is being provided to raise your awareness and to encourage you
to discuss with your health care providers your dense breast tissue and other
breast cancer risk factors. Together, you and your physician can decide if
additional screening options are right for you. A report of your results was
sent to your physician
(
A.R.S.
� 36-415
).

Effective September 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a
final rule updating the federal Mammography Quality Standards Act, which
established a federal mandate for breast density reporting with specified
language to be used in all mammography reports. These federal breast density
reporting requirements apply in addition to state statutory requirements. (
88
Fed. Reg. 14101 (Mar. 10, 2023)
).

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

Provisions

1.

Repeals the requirement that health care institutions and facilities provide
specified notice to a patient identified as having heterogeneously dense or extremely
dense breasts.

2.

Becomes
effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

February 9, 2026

MM/MS/hk

Current Bill Text

SB1318 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

mammography results;
notice; repeal

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1318

AN
ACT

Repealing section 36-415, Arizona
Revised Statutes; relating to health care institutions.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1.
Repeal

Section 36-415, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is repealed.