Oppose SB1094: Reject Ideological Attack on Healthcare Providers

I urge you to vote against Senate Bill 1094 when it comes before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee this Wednesday. This legislation, sponsored by Senator John Kavanagh, is a reintroduction of a bill that was vetoed last year, and it represents a dangerous precedent that would devastate healthcare access in Arizona. SB1094 would allow individuals to sue physicians who performed gender reassignment surgery on them as minors for up to 25 years after turning 18, meaning until age 43. The bill goes further by establishing a four-year window after any detransition treatment, potentially extending liability even longer. Critically, the legislation explicitly removes parental consent as a defense, upending established medical malpractice standards and creating an unprecedented liability framework that singles out one specific area of medical care. This bill is not about protecting patients. It is designed to intimidate healthcare providers into refusing care by creating a liability exposure that extends decades beyond standard malpractice statutes. No physician can reasonably practice medicine under the threat of lawsuits that could emerge 30 or 40 years after treatment, particularly when even parental consent offers no protection. The practical effect will be to eliminate access to this care entirely, regardless of medical necessity or family circumstances. The legislation allows for actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees, creating a financial incentive structure that encourages litigation. By permitting claims for mental anguish without requiring physical injury, the bill opens the door to subjective claims that are nearly impossible to defend against decades after the fact. Arizona physicians already face significant challenges in providing comprehensive healthcare. SB1094 would force providers to choose between serving their patients according to established medical standards and protecting themselves from ruinous legal exposure. This is ideologically driven legislation that interferes with the physician-patient relationship and threatens to drive qualified healthcare providers out of Arizona. Vote no on SB1094.