Civil fertility fraud; liability; statute of limitations; definitions

A.R.S. § 12-567 — under General Provisions.

A.R.S. § 12-567

B. A donor of human reproductive material may bring an action against a licensed health care provider who treats a patient for infertility by using human reproductive material donated by the donor and who knows or reasonably should have known that the donor's human reproductive material was used either:

1. Without the donor's consent.

2. In a manner or to an extent other than that to which the donor consented.

C. A plaintiff who prevails in an action under this section is entitled to reasonable attorney fees, the costs of the fertility treatment if the action is brought under subsection A of this section, and either:

1. Compensatory and punitive damages.

2. Liquidated damages of $10,000.

D. A person who brings an action under subsection A of this section has a separate cause of action for each child born as the result of the fraudulent fertility treatment. A person who brings an action under subsection B of this section has a separate cause of action for each individual who received fertility treatment with the donor's human reproductive material.

E. Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided in subsection F of this section, an action for civil fertility fraud must be commenced not later than:

1. Ten years after the eighteenth birthday of the child.

2. If paragraph 1 of this subsection does not apply, twenty years after the procedure was performed.

F. An action for civil fertility fraud that would otherwise be barred under subsection E of this section may be commenced not later than five years after the earliest of the date that:

1. The person first discovers evidence sufficient to bring an action against the defendant through DNA analysis.

2. The person first becomes aware of the existence of a recording that provides evidence sufficient to bring an action against the defendant.

3. The defendant confesses to the offense.

G. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Human reproductive material" means a human spermatozoon or ovum or a human organism at any stage of development from fertilized ovum to embryo.

2. "Physician" means a person who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 13 or 17.