State Representative Lupe Diaz speaking with attendees on the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives on opening day of the 57th legislature in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Gage Skidmore)
Abortion is legal in Arizona, but state Republicans are one step closer to putting new roadblocks in place to make it difficult for patients to even hear about how to get one.
It’s already illegal for any state funding to pay for abortions in Arizona. State funding does get spent on health care services and facilities for low-income people—and now a new bill that passed in the Arizona House of Representatives would make it illegal for providers to get that funding if they even “promote” the idea that abortion is an option.
HB 2547 was introduced by Arizona Rep. Lupe Diaz (R-Benson) earlier this year.
It would add the following to state law:
This state may not enter into a contract with or make a grant to any person that performs or promotes abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed or promoted.
The bill isn’t specific about what it means to “promote” abortion. It could be interpreted as a health care clinic letting a patient know that they can legally get an abortion at another clinic or facility. Or, it could prevent emergency room physicians from telling a patient that an abortion would be their best option for saving their reproductive organs.
“HB 2547 is unpopular among voters and completely misleading,” Erika Mach, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Arizona, said in a statement.
“It attempts to silence and gut funding for Planned Parenthood Arizona and other health care organizations just for providing abortion care, while in actuality, defunding reproductive health care like birth control, cancer screenings, wellness exams, STI testing and treatment, and more.”
HB 2547 passed the state House along party lines, with Republicans—who have a majority in both the House and Senate—voting in favor and Democrats voting against. As of April 18, the bill had not been voted on in the full Senate, though it did pass a vote in the Senate Government Committee on March 19.
Planned Parenthood Arizona urged Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, to veto the bill if it reaches her desk.
“Gov. Hobbs must veto this extremist legislation and put a stop to this dangerous effort to continue to chip away at our constitutional right to abortion,” Mach said.
If it passes in the state Senate, it’s extremely likely that Hobbs will veto the bill. Since being elected in 2022, she has not signed any anti-abortion legislation into law.
It’s worth noting that despite Hobbs’ insistence on vetoing all anti-abortion and anti-reproductive rights legislation, local Republicans keep sending those kinds of bills to her desk.
Every seat in the Arizona Senate and Arizona House is up for reelection in 2026, along with the governorship. Last time Arizona had a Republican governor, Doug Ducey, he signed anti-abortion legislation into law.
READ MORE: HCR 2025 would require 60% of AZ voters to change the state constitution—with one massive exception
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