Senate Engrossed

health information organizations

(now:  hospitals; fingerprints; private investigators; identification)

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

2023

SENATE BILL 1221

An Act

amending title 41, chapter 21, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 41-2414; relating to identification.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 41, chapter 21, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-2414, to read:

START_STATUTE41-2414. Unidentified patients; hospitals; criminal justice agencies; fingerprints; biometric identification

A hospital that is licensed pursuant to title 36, chapter 4 may request assistance from a criminal justice agency as defined in section 41-1750 for noncriminal justice purposes to determine the identity of an unidentified patient who is either incapacitated or deceased through an analysis of the patient's fingerprints or biometric identification techniques.  A private investigator who is registered pursuant to title 32, chapter 24 may fingerprint or obtain the biometric information from the unidentified patient and provide the fingerprints or biometric information to the criminal justice agency without the patient's consent or authorization. The criminal justice agency shall provide the name of the unidentified patient to the hospital but may not provide any of the patient's criminal history record.  The requesting hospital is responsible for the cost of fingerprinting or obtaining the biometric information from the patient and shall pay the fee that is established pursuant to section 41-1750, subsection J.END_STATUTE