Arizona Legislative Committees Wrap Up, But Session is Far From Over

April 3, 2026

Legislative Roundup: Week 12 of Arizona's Session

Arizona’s 57th State Legislature has officially completed committee work for its second regular session. The last two weeks saw long committee agendas, late nights, and tense discussions as lawmakers fought to get their bills heard. Though the end of committee hearings signals a significant shift at the Capitol, it doesn't necessarily mean an end to the session is near.

Pharmacists' Test-and-Treat Bill Makes a Surprise Appearance

Committees' final push included a surprise strike-everything amendment for pharmacists’ attempted scope expansion, which would allow them to prescribe for flu, strep, COVID, and HIV PrEP. Although the striker narrowly passed out of the House Appropriations Committee with a 10-7 vote, the proponents have a difficult path ahead thanks to the dedication of ArMA’s physician advocates.



Nearly 650 emails have already been sent to the House of Representatives sharing physician’s concerns with the proposal. The fight is not over, however, and you can still help defeat this mis-guided legislation and the negative impacts it would have on patient outcomes.

Action Needed

Send a pre-drafted, customizable letter to the full House of Represenatives

and share your concerns about the dangerous "test and treat" bill.

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All Eyes on the Floor & the Budget

With committees over, the focus will now shift to floor action, where bills are considered by the full chambers before being transmitted to Governor Katie Hobbs for a signature or veto.


If the legislature were on track to adjourn by its 100-day goal, then we would certainly be seeing more promising budget conversations happening. Unfortunately, ArMA's Advocacy Team doesn’t have promising news or rumors to share on state budget negotiations. Generally, once committee business wraps up, lawmakers shift their attention to passing a budget, but it seems that there are few meaningful conversations happening.


As a reminder, they must pass a budget before July 1 to prevent a state government shut-down. While this date seems far away, the last sessions have labored on almost that long.

Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital Launches Largest Expansion in Its History

By Admin User • August 7, 2026
Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital Launches Largest Expansion in Its History Investment Expands Inpatient and Procedural Capacity to Meet Rising Demand for Cardiovascular Care The Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix announced last week that it is undertaking the largest expansion in its history. The new construction will add inpatient and procedural capacity to serve more Arizonans in need of heart and vascular care. Meeting Arizona's Growing Demand for Heart Care Abrazo explained that the expansion is necessary to support Arizona's continued population growth, which is driving increased demand for cardiovascular services. The added capacity will allow the hospital to not only treat more patients requiring cardiac, vascular, and critical care, but also continue its participation in clinical research and innovation.  Part of a Multi-Year Investment Strategy In its press release, Abrazo describes the expansion as the latest phase of ongoing, multi-year investments intended to advance care and meet the evolving healthcare needs of communities across the state. The hospital did not report an anticipated completion date for the project. Source: Abrazo Health

Arizona Erases $1 Billion in Medical Debt for Nearly 671,000 Residents

By Admin User • August 7, 2026
Hobbs Highlights Milestone in Ongoing Partnership With Undue Medical Debt Gov. Katie Hobbs announced this week that more than $1 billion in medical debt has been erased for nearly 671,000 Arizonans, marking a significant milestone in the state's ongoing partnership with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. How the Program Works The initiative, first launched in 2024, purchases qualifying medical debt from hospitals and collection agencies for a fraction of its value before eliminating the debt entirely for eligible patients. Who Qualifies According to the governor's office, recipients do not need to apply for the program. It is available to Arizona residents who: Receive low- and moderate-income Have medical debt that represents a substantial share of their annual income A Flashpoint in the 2026 Election Season Healthcare affordability has been at the forefront of Arizona's political conversation as the 2026 election season intensifies. Supporters argue that relieving burdensome medical debt can improve: Families' financial stability Creditworthiness Willingness to seek needed healthcare Critics of similar programs have generally questioned whether debt forgiveness addresses the underlying drivers of rising healthcare costs or simply treats the financial consequences after care has been delivered. As debates continue over healthcare affordability and access, Arizona's medical debt relief initiative is expected to remain a prominent example in broader discussions about how states can help patients facing significant medical expenses.