The Arizona Senate has advanced legislation that would prohibit public schools and other government entities from imposing vaccine or mask mandates.
Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, wrote in an April 20 post on X that the Senate passed the bill 17–12 after it cleared the House 31–20 and that all Democrats voted against it. Those vote totals have not been independently confirmed in this report.
The measure would bar state and local government entities, including school districts, from requiring vaccinations or face coverings, according to reporting from KJZZ. The proposal applies to public institutions broadly, not solely schools.
Separately, lawmakers are considering House Concurrent Resolution 2056, a constitutional referral that would prohibit the state and its subdivisions from requiring vaccines or other medical products or treatments. According to Arizona PBS, the measure would go directly to voters if approved by the Legislature.
According to the Arizona Daily Star, a broader legislative push could ultimately amend the state constitution to guarantee a right to refuse medical mandates, including those tied to school attendance and access to public services.
Arizona law currently requires certain immunizations for school attendance while allowing exemptions for medical, religious, and personal reasons, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
The measure now heads to Gov. Katie Hobbs, who has the authority to sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without her signature. If she issues a veto, the Legislature would need a two-thirds vote in both chambers to override it and enact the proposal over her objection.
