Senator Werner Advances First-in-the-Nation Protections for Health Care Workers Exposed to Radiation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Arizona is one step closer to becoming the first state in the nation to protect doctors, nurses, and medical staff working in high-radiation hospital settings. Three bills sponsored by Senate Health & Human Services Chair Carine Werner passed unanimously out of committee today.
The bipartisan package targets a quiet but serious risk inside hospitals and surgical centers, long-term radiation exposure faced by health care professionals working in cardiac catheterization labs and other procedure rooms that rely on real-time X-ray imaging.
"These are the people saving our lives every day, and too often they're doing it at the cost of their own long-term health," said Senator Werner. "We know the risk. We have the technology to reduce it. Now we're taking action."
The legislation addresses three critical gaps, all aimed at keeping health care workers safe without disrupting patient care.
SB 1120 requires hospitals that perform real-time X-ray procedures to install modern radiation protection systems in at least half of their procedure rooms by July 2027. These systems shield workers from harmful radiation and track exposure in real time, offering far greater protection than traditional lead aprons alone.
SB 1121 makes sure medical professionals are no longer forced to wear heavy lead aprons when a procedure room is already equipped with advanced radiation shielding. Staff can still choose to wear lead if they want, but the bill recognizes that technology can now do the job more safely and with less physical strain. The bill also ensures radiation exposure is monitored when shielding systems are used.
SB 1118 helps rural hospitals keep up by creating a grant program to assist with the cost of installing radiation protection systems, so geography or budget constraints don't determine worker safety.
Health care professionals working in cath labs can be exposed to radiation day after day, year after year. That exposure has been linked to higher rates of cancer, orthopedic injuries from heavy protective gear, and early burnout in an already strained workforce.
"This is about protecting the people behind the scenes. The nurses. The techs. The doctors who don't make headlines but make care possible," Werner said. "If these bills are signed into law, Arizona will lead the nation in recognizing that health care workers deserve the same protections as the patients they serve."
All three bills now move to the full Senate for consideration.
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus