Arizona SB 1345: ambulances; response times; rates

Bill Text

Chapter 0171 - 572R - H Ver of SB1345 

 House Engrossed 
 Senate Bill

 health 
 facilities; anonymous complaints; prohibition

 (now:� health 
 facilities; licensure; surveys)

 State of Arizona

 Senate

 Fifty-seventh Legislature

 Second Regular Session

 2026

 CHAPTER 171

 SENATE BILL 1345

AN 
ACT

Amending sections 36-405 and 36-425, 
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. Section 36-405, Arizona Revised 
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE36-405. Powers and duties of the director

A. The director shall adopt rules to establish 
minimum standards and requirements for constructing, modifying and licensing 
health care institutions necessary to ensure the public health, safety and 
welfare. The standards and requirements shall relate to the construction, 
equipment, sanitation, staffing for medical, nursing and personal care 
services, and recordkeeping pertaining to administering medical, nursing, 
behavioral health and personal care services, in accordance with generally 
accepted practices of health care. The standards shall require that 
a physician who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 13 or 17 medically 
discharge patients from surgery and shall allow an outpatient surgical center 
to require that either an anesthesia provider who is licensed pursuant to title 
32, chapter 13, 15 or 17 or a physician who is licensed pursuant to title 32, 
chapter 13 or 17 remain present on the premises until all patients are 
discharged from the recovery room. Except as otherwise provided in 
this subsection, the director shall use the current standards adopted by the 
joint commission on accreditation of hospitals and the commission on 
accreditation of the American osteopathic association or those adopted by any 
recognized accreditation organization approved by the department as guidelines 
in prescribing minimum standards and requirements under this section.

B. The director, by rule, may:

1. Classify and subclassify health care institutions 
according to character, size, range of services provided, medical or dental 
specialty offered, duration of care and standard of patient care required for 
the purposes of licensure. Classes of health care institutions may 
include hospitals, infirmaries, outpatient treatment centers, health screening 
services centers and residential care facilities. Whenever the 
director reasonably deems distinctions in rules and standards to be appropriate 
among different classes or subclasses of health care institutions, the director 
may make such distinctions.

2. Prescribe standards for determining a health care 
institution's substantial compliance with licensure requirements.

3. Prescribe the criteria for the licensure 
inspection process.

4. Prescribe standards for selecting health care-related 
demonstration projects.

5. Establish nonrefundable application, initial licensure inspection and licensing fees for health 
care institutions, including a grace period and a fee for the late payment of 
licensing fees.

6. Establish a process for the department to notify 
a licensee of the licensee's licensing fee due date.

7. Establish a process for a licensee to request a 
different licensing fee due date, including any limits on the number of 
requests by the licensee.

C. The director, by rule, shall adopt licensing 
provisions that facilitate the colocation and integration of outpatient 
treatment centers that provide medical, nursing and health-related 
services with behavioral health services consistent with article 3.1 of this 
chapter.

D. The director shall establish a model in rule for 
the department to monitor health care institutions on-site 
that are found to not be in substantial compliance with the applicable 
licensure requirements. The director shall establish on-site 
monitoring fees for health care institutions that are subject to the on-site 
monitoring requirements. The department may 
not charge a fee pursuant to this subsection for a complaint or compliance-related 
survey or inspection if a health care institution is in substantial compliance.

E. The department may provide in-service 
training to health care institutions that request in-service training 
relating to regulatory compliance outside of the survey process. The 
director shall establish in rule in-service training fees for health care 
institutions that request in-service training from the department.

F. Ninety percent of the fees collected pursuant to 
this section shall be deposited, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, 
in the health services licensing fund established by section 36-414 and 
ten percent of the fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited, 
pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, in the state general fund.

G. Subsection B, paragraph 5 of this section does 
not apply to a health care institution operated by