hospitals; patient immigration status; reporting.

HB 2689 requires Arizona hospitals to add a question on patient admission forms asking whether a patient is a U.S. citizen, lawfully present, not lawfully present, or declines to answer. Hospitals must submit quarterly reports to the state health department on admission numbers by these categories, without collecting personal identifying information. The department then compiles an annual report for the legislature detailing total admissions by status category and analyzing costs of uncompensated care for patients not lawfully present. The bill explicitly states that patient responses won't affect care or be shared with immigration authorities.