SB 1123 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - Second Regular Session

medical examiners; authorized persons

SB 1123 amends Arizona law to clarify and expand the authority of county medical examiners. It allows medical examiners to delegate specific death investigation tasks (like autopsies) to medical students, residents, pathologist assistants, or contracted professionals under supervision, while requiring board approval for payments. The bill also establishes clear procedures for organ and tissue donation, requiring medical examiners to consult with organ procurement organizations before limiting removals and documenting decisions. It directly affects medical examiners, healthcare providers, and organ donation programs by standardizing how death investigations interact with transplant protocols. The changes aim to balance thorough death investigations with timely organ donation opportunities.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Apr 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Jan 9, 2026 Signed Apr 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Engrossed Version (02/10/2026) → Chaptered Version · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill finalizes the text of Senate Bill 1123, converting it from a draft version to an official chaptered law. The substantive content remains largely the same, but the final version adds new sections regarding dispute resolution for medical examiner reports and fees for external examinations. It also includes specific language clarifying the roles of medical students and residents in blood testing and organ donation contexts.

Scope change

The bill's scope is effectively unchanged as it codifies the same duties for medical examiners, but the final version adds specific procedural requirements for handling disputes over medical examiner findings and clarifies fee structures for services provided.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new provision (Section D) requiring medical examiners to provide all evidence and documentation to a court-designated forensic pathologist if a dispute arises over the findings of a medical examiner's report.

FISCAL

Added a new provision (Section E) explicitly authorizing medical examiners to charge fees for external examinations and autopsies, established by the board of supervisors.

TECHNICAL

Added a new Section F to 11-594 granting medical examiners entitlement to all medical records related to persons for whom they must certify cause of death.

The text was reorganized from a draft format to a formal chaptered law format, including the addition of approval dates and filing information.

DEFINITION

Clarified in Section 32-3207 that medical students, residents, and fellows in pathology training are authorized to draw blood specimens during autopsies under supervision.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 10, 2026 · House Apr 7, 2026

How they voted

29–1

Passed

Total votes 30

Feb 10, 2026

D Democratic13

13 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican17

16 Yea 1 Nay

94% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 13, 2026

Signed into law

Signed by Governor

executive

Apr 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

PASSED

lower

Apr 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

lower

Feb 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

PASSED

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors