State Senator Kevin Payne (R-AZ) saw a key piece of legislation advance this week as a bill focused on protecting the personal privacy of healthcare workers cleared its final hurdle and moved to the governor’s desk.
The proposal, Senate Bill 1193, received strong bipartisan support during its final vote on Tuesday. The bill would prevent the Arizona Department of Health Services from selling or sharing sensitive personal details of licensed and certified professionals for commercial use unless those individuals give explicit permission.
Payne, who introduced the measure, has framed it as a necessary step to safeguard workers who serve in critical public health roles.
The legislation covers a range of private information, including home addresses, personal phone numbers, email contacts, Social Security numbers, driver’s license information, and biometric data.
Payne's Act of Protection
According to Payne, professionals such as paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and other licensed providers should not have to worry about their personal information being treated as a commodity.
"No one signs up to become a paramedic, emergency medical technician, or health care professional expecting their private information to be packaged, sold, or distributed for commercial gain,” Payne emphasized.
He has argued that while public transparency is important, it should not come at the expense of individual privacy.
The bill attempts to strike that balance; while it limits the commercial use of personal data, it still allows the Department of Health Services to share relevant licensing and disciplinary information with regulators and the public when appropriate. This ensures that oversight and accountability remain intact.
Lawmakers from both parties backed the measure, signaling agreement on the need to update privacy protections amid growing concerns about how personal data is accessed and used.
If signed into law, SB 1193 would mark a notable step in redefining how Arizona handles sensitive information tied to licensed professionals, placing new limits on data use while preserving public access to critical oversight information.
“The public has a right to know whether a licensee is properly credentialed and whether disciplinary action has been taken, but that does not mean private information should be up for sale,” Payne concluded.
