On April 7 2011 the Arizona Legislature passed a new law that prohibits cities or counties from charging fees to traffic crash victims for police and medical services and supplies. HB 2003 was sponsored by Representative John Kavanaugh, R-Fountain Hills, and was recently signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer. Arizona has become the twelfth state to pass a law restricting accident response fees.

Currently most cities and counties in Arizona do not bill individuals for emergency rescue related services, and only charge fees to insurance companies that cover them. Senator Leah Landrum Taylor, D-Phoenix, explains that no Arizona locality currently charges individuals the kinds of fees that the new bill will prohibit, making the legislation unnecessary.

A poll by Harris Interactive found that 77% of Arizona residents are under the impression that all emergency response services are covered by their state taxes.

Kerry Hayden, a Tempe resident and representative of Farmers Insurance Group, explained how the idea of charging fees for these services is becoming more appealing to cities as a way to balance the budget in times of deficits.

Mary Okoye, a lobbyist in Tucson, explains that her community is against the proposed bill. Okoye claims that, considering Tucson's current financial state, the city lawmakers should have the power to enact certain fees as a way to generate funds. Tucson currently only charges for ambulance services, and even then they only mail bills to insurance companies that will cover the expense.

Farmers Insurance Group and other insurance companies support the bill on the basis that it will save these companies money. Some crash victims without certain coverage could potentially face extremely large bills from both the city and the hospital without the new legislation.

The new legislation does outlaw the billing of individuals for city service fees, but does provide for some exceptions. For example, the "stupid motorist law" provides that cities can charge individuals for rescue costs if they jumped barriers or drove into a flooded wash. Also, any motorist that damages city property would also be held accountable for related fees and charges.