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AZ SB1534
Bill
Status
Introduced
2/2/2026
Primary Sponsor
Priya Sundareshan
Click for details
AI Summary
- Establishes a 4% community stability assessment on net patient revenue for limited service hospitals operating in rural Arizona counties (population under 500,000), effective January 1, 2027
- Creates the Rural Safety Net Fund to collect assessment monies, with funds segregated by county so collections from hospitals in one county can only be distributed to eligible hospitals in that same county
- Defines "limited service hospital" as one with an emergency department that does not provide at least two core safety net services (24-hour obstetrics, inpatient behavioral health, trauma center designation, or neonatal intensive care)
- Requires eligible recipient hospitals to be licensed general hospitals providing at least two core safety net services with a payor mix of at least 20% Medicaid or uninsured patients
- Mandates annual reporting by March 1 from all rural county hospitals on emergency department visits, admissions, patient transfers, and payor sources, with data published on the department's website
Legislative Description
Rural hospitals; stability assessment; distribution
Last Action
Senate read second time
2/3/2026
Committee Referrals
Rules2/2/2026
Finance2/2/2026
Appropriations, Transportation and Technology2/2/2026
Full Bill Text
No bill text available