informed consent; medical interventions

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text provided do not specify penalties for non-compliance or how it will affect existing practices, leaving these points as limits and unknowns.

Informed Consent for Medical Interventions

This bill requires healthcare providers to obtain written informed consent from patients before performing medical interventions, except in emergencies.

What This Bill Does

• Requires health professionals to obtain a signed informed consent form before performing any medical intervention on a patient, which must be retained in the patient's medical record.
• Defines 'medical intervention' as actions taken by healthcare providers to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure diseases and alter biological functions.

Who It Names or Affects

• Healthcare professionals who provide medical interventions.
• Patients receiving medical treatments in non-emergency situations.

Terms To Know

Informed Consent

A process where a patient is fully informed about the nature, purpose, risks and benefits of a proposed medical procedure before agreeing to it in writing.

Medical Intervention

Any action taken by healthcare providers to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure diseases and alter biological functions.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify the exact penalties for non-compliance.
• It is unclear how this will affect existing medical practices that do not currently require written consent.

Official Summary Text

SB1557 - 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. 1557

informed consent;
medical interventions

Purpose

Requires health
professionals, prior to performing any medical intervention on a patient, to
obtain a signed informed consent to be retained in the patient's medical
record, except in cases of emergency medical care.

Background

Consent is
informed if the person giving the consent has been informed of and comprehends
the nature, purpose, consequences, risks and benefits of the alternatives to
the procedure, and has been informed and comprehends that withholding or
withdrawing consent will not prejudice the future provision of care and
services to the client. In cases of unusual or hazardous treatment,
experimental research, organ transplantation and nontherapeutic surgery,
consent is informed if, in addition to the foregoing, the person giving the
consent has been informed of and comprehends the method to be used in the
proposed procedure (
A.R.S. �
36-551
).

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

Provisions

1.

Requires a health professional, prior to performing any medical
intervention on a patient, to obtain a signed informed consent to be retained
in the patient's medical record, except in cases of emergency medical care.

2.

Defines
medical intervention
as a medical procedure, treatment,
device, drug, injection, medication or medical action taken to diagnose,
prevent or cure a disease or alter the health or biological function of a
person.

3.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

February 16, 2026

MM/MS/hk

Current Bill Text

SB1557 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

informed consent;
medical interventions

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1557

AN
ACT

Amending title 32, chapter 32, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 32-3228.01; relating to
health professionals.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section
1.
1. Title
32, chapter 32, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding
section 32-3228.01, to read:

START_STATUTE
32-3228.01.

Informed consent; exception; definition

A. Before performing any medical
intervention on a patient, A health professional shall obtain a signed informed
consent, which shall be retained in the patient's medical record.

B. The requirements of subsection a
of this section do not apply when a patient is receiving emergency medical
care.

C. For the purposes of this section,
"medical intervention" means a medical procedure, treatment, device,
drug, injection, medication or medical action taken to diagnose, prevent or
cure a disease or alter the health or biological function of a person.
END_STATUTE