In Arizona, a contentious bill making its way through the state legislature is raising concerns among the healthcare community and immigrant rights advocates alike. Senate Bill 1268, sponsored by Republican Senator Wendy Rogers, mandates that any hospital receiving state funding ask patients to declare their citizenship status, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. While Rogers insists that the information gathered would not be shared with immigration authorities and is primarily to keep tabs on state expenditures for healthcare on undocumented individuals, opponents of the bill argue that it could lead to racial profiling and discourage people from seeking medical assistance.
Rogers stands firm on her viewpoint, telling FOX 10 Phoenix, "America must come first. Yes, we are a wealthy nation. But, we won't remain wealthy if we keep giving everything away with no accountability," arguing that the intent of this bill is not to dissuade care but rather to track spending which if someone is deterred from seeking healthcare because of the bill, it's not a concern for her "especially if someone is not a citizen." The bill promises not to compromise patient care, pledging not to divulge names, addresses, or ages— only legal status presence in the country.
Contrastingly, Rep. Patricia Contreras voiced her opposition, noting the potential risks the bill poses to the safety and wellbeing of patients and healthcare providers, during a bill hearing meanwhile Noah Schram, a policy strategist for the ACLU of Arizona, expressed fears over possible unintended outcomes, such as funding cuts to hospitals treating high numbers of undocumented patients and the chilling effect it may have on seeking out healthcare services, relaying his concerns in a statement obtained by KJZZ.
The bill has already navigated through the Arizona Senate with the passage in February, and on March 10, it received a 6-2 vote from the House health and Human Services Committee, with the next step being a House caucus hearing slated for Tuesday, as indicated by information from FOX 10 Phoenix.
