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PHOENIX - Some Arizona lawmakers are working to pass a bill that would require any hospital that receives state funds to ask patients for their citizenship status.
What we know:
The bill's sponsor, Republican Senator Wendy Rogers, is adamant that the information would not be turned over to immigration authorities.
Rogers says the goal is to track how much the state is spending on healthcare for undocumented individuals.
But, critics fear the data could be used against those who are in the U.S. illegally.
"It really threatens the safety and wellbeing of patients and healthcare providers, and I vote no," Rep. Patricia Contreras said during a bill hearing.
Rogers, however, voted for her bill to move forward.
"We need to account for the dollars that are flowing out the door, and with that, I vote, aye," she said.
The backstory:
Senate Bill 1268 would require hospitals receiving state funding to ask every patient for their citizenship status. The numbers would then be reported to the Arizona Department of Health Services quarterly.
Rogers says this comes down to knowing where state funds are being spent.
"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," Rogers said.
The bill says this would not impact patient care, nor pass along patients’ names, addresses, or ages. It would keep a record of whether they're in the country legally or not.
The other side:
Those against the bill fear the government could use the information against patients, deterring them from seeking care.
"If someone is undocumented, or they have an undocumented family member or friend, and they know that the hospital is going to ask them questions about their citizenship, they are going to have the same question running through their head, which is, you know, ‘Why are they asking this question? Where is this data going to go? Am I going to have an ICE agent knocking at my door just because I went to seek emergency medical care?’" Noah Schramm, policy strategist for ACLU of Arizona, said.
Rogers says it's not her concern if someone doesn't seek care because of this.
"It’s not my job to determine if someone is dissuaded from care, especially if someone is not a citizen. The intent is to track the status and the cost," she said.
Schramm fears it would allow the government to cut funding to hospitals with a high number of undocumented patients.
"This is sort of being put in the category of pro-immigration enforcement," Schramm said. "This really isn't about immigration policy. It's about health care, and it's about people's fundamental right to access, you know, basic medical services, emergency services, regardless of their legal status in the country."
Rogers' response?
"They should stay home in their home country if they want to have care," she said.
What's next:
The bill passed the Arizona Senate in February and got a 6-2 vote from the House health and human services committee on March 10.
Florida is the only other state where this has been voted into law.
If this becomes law in Arizona, patients can choose not to answer the question and those totals would also be recorded.
SB 1268 is scheduled for a house caucus hearing on March 18.