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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
website information; pregnant women
Purpose
Requires the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), by December 1, 2025, to provide a conspicuous link on the agency's public website that directs a person to adoption information and support for pregnant women.
Background
Laws 2021, Chapter 279 requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to provide, on DHS's public website home page, a conspicuous link that directs a person to: 1) a list of public and private agencies available to assist a woman through pregnancy, on childbirth and while the child is dependent, except for a referral to an agency that counsels, refers, performs, induces, prescribes or provides any means for abortion; 2) each agency's services, physical address, telephone number and website address, if available; 3) information on and a link to a separate featured webpage with the domain name AdoptionOption.AZ.gov. The prescribed webpage must list: 1) public and nonprofit adoption agencies that are not affiliated with an abortion provider and that are arranged geographically; 2) easily comprehensible first steps to assist a pregnant woman seeking to confidentially explore the option of placing her child for adoption; 3) whether the adoption agency allows the women to choose the adoptive parents; 4) agencies that offer obstetric ultrasounds free of charge; and 5) agencies that offer confidential counseling to a woman considering adoption free of charge. The outlined adoption information and support for pregnant women must be available in an easily downloadable format.
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires AHCCCS, by December 1, 2025, to provide on its public website's home page a conspicuous link that directs a person to easily comprehensible information on support for pregnant women and adoption information, as statutorily outlined.
2. Makes technical changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
HHS 2/13/25 DP 6-5-1-0
3rd Read 3/3/25 32-26-2
Prepared by Senate Research
March 10, 2025
AN/slp