AZ State Lawmakers and Advocates Announce Efforts to Repeal State Abortion Bans and Restrictions
Phoenix, AZ — On Thursday, Democratic lawmakers and advocates with the Arizona Proactive Reproductive Justice Alliance announced efforts to repeal over fifty Arizona laws that ban or restrict abortion care.
“These unconstitutional and ambiguous laws continue to place pregnant people in jeopardy. By joining together to repeal these laws, we have the power to create a future where Arizonans are free to thrive, free from government interference in personal health decisions,” said Sen. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix.
"As a physician, I took an oath to prioritize the health and dignity of my patients, not to act as a clerical enforcer for medically unnecessary laws,” said Dr. DeShawn Taylor, an Arizona-based OB/GYN and advocate. “The voters of Arizona sent a clear mandate when they passed Proposition 139: healthcare decisions belong in the exam room, not the statehouse. These are not medical standards; they are administrative hurdles designed to shame patients and delay essential care. In medicine, delays never improve outcomes; they only increase patient risks and costs."
Arizona laws must reflect what the voters decided in 2024. Bans and restrictions make abortion care more difficult to access and to provide – in some cases, making it impossible for Arizonans to get an abortion at all. To address this crisis, lawmakers and advocates today announced plans to introduce a slate of bills aimed at repealing over fifty laws enacted by anti-abortion politicians.
“Voters mandated that decisions about pregnancy and reproductive care belong to patients and their doctors – not politicians. But even with that constitutional protection in place, our statues contain outdated, unnecessary laws, and these restrictive laws create confusion, barriers, and fear around accessing care,” said Rep. Sarah Liguori D-Phoenix.
“Today, we are sharing the introduction of three pieces of legislation that will repeal over 50 abortion bans and restrictions, still on the books in Arizona: a Mega-Repeal Bill, a Young People's Access Bill, and a Fetal Personhood Repeal Bill, which stops the extension of legal rights to embryos and fetuses. Our bill sponsors are making it clear that abortion bans don’t need to be tweaked or trimmed around the edges–they need to be thrown out, wholesale,” said Dr. Sydney Jemmott, Policy Director for Reproductive Rights at State Innovation Exchange and SiX Action, which works hand-in-hand with state legislators to make sure lawmakers have the tools they need, to win real change.
SB1218/HB2649 removes an old statutory provision that conflicts with voter-approved constitutional rights and threatens access to other medical care including IVF and contraception.
SB1219/HB2652 eliminates a notarized parental consent requirement for minors and replaces it with compassionate judicial process – recognizing that safety, maturity, and best interests matter, especially when family safety isn’t guaranteed.
SB1220/HB2653 cleans up decades of archaic and punitive abortion laws so our legal code reflects modern medicine, clarity for providers, and the will of the voters.
"Today, because of abortion bans and the chilling effect they create, people are afraid that even life saving care could be denied. That fear is not theoretical. It is real, and it shapes decisions," said Bridgette Belle, a youth advocate who shared her own reproductive health story.
“The repeal bills we have heard about today are essential to make abortion care truly affordable and accessible in Arizona,” said Eloisa Lopez, Executive Director of FLORECER: Reproductive Justice.
Watch the livestream to hear full remarks from our Executive Director.
