STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – State Representative Nick Kupper has introduced House Concurrent Resolution 2056 to allow Arizona voters to decide whether the right to refuse a medical mandate should be protected as a fundamental right in the Arizona Constitution.

HCR 2056 would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot at the next general election. If approved by voters, the measure would prohibit government entities from mandating, requiring, coercing, or compelling an individual to accept or receive a medical product or treatment as a condition of employment, education, access to public facilities, participation in services, or the exercise of any right or benefit.

For Representative Kupper, a U.S. Air Force veteran, the proposal is grounded in firsthand experience and concern over government intrusion into personal medical decisions.

“Across multiple administrations and on both sides of the political divide, we have seen government officials assert sweeping authority over individual medical choices through threats to livelihoods, careers, and basic freedoms,” Representative Kupper said. “I nearly lost my career and Air Force retirement for refusing an unapproved medical mandate. No elected official or bureaucrat should ever have the authority to force a medical procedure on a free citizen. This resolution gives the people of Arizona the opportunity to decide for themselves whether that power should exist.”

The resolution defines coercion or compulsion as imposing penalties, denying benefits, or triggering other adverse consequences for refusing a medical mandate. It includes clear and specific exceptions preserving existing authorities, including court-ordered treatment when an individual poses a proven danger to themselves or others, parental rights to make medical decisions for minors, emergency medical care when consent cannot be obtained, lawful criminal investigations, compliance with federal law, and existing state requirements for diagnostic tests and procedures.

“This is about freedom and informed consent,” Representative Kupper said. “Adults should be able to make decisions about their own bodies, and parents should have the final say for their children. That principle should not change based on who is in power or what crisis is being used to justify control.”

The resolution does not prevent the state from responding to public health situations or making medical products available to the public. 

“This does not stop the state from promoting vaccines, offering treatment, responding to emergencies, or providing care,” Representative Kupper said. “It simply draws a firm line against force and punishment. Education and access are appropriate. Coercion is not.”

Placing the question before voters, Representative Kupper said, is the proper role of a constitutional republic when fundamental rights are at stake.

“Rather than leaving this authority in the hands of a few politicians or unelected officials at the Capitol, this measure puts the decision where it belongs, with the voters,” Representative Kupper said. “If Arizonans want medical mandates enshrined in law, they can say so. If they want medical freedom protected, they can say that too.”

“Claims that this would undermine public safety, or the rule of law are false,” Representative Kupper added. “This resolution does not weaken law enforcement, does not override federal law, and does not strip courts of their authority. Those powers are preserved. What it prevents is government punishment of peaceful, law-abiding citizens for making personal medical choices.”

If HCR 2056 is approved by the Legislature, the measure would be placed on the ballot for voters to decide at the next general election.

Nick Kupper is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 25 which includes portions of Maricopa, Yuma, and La Paz Counties. He also serves as Vice Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee. Follow him on X at @realnickkupper.