Healthcare

passed · Arizona · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 1813: state hospital; governing board

SB 1813 amends Arizona law to clarify the purpose and operations of the Arizona State Hospital. It requires the hospital to admit patients based solely on clinical need (not county residency) for treatment of mental health conditions, and allows services for alcoholism/drug abuse if funded by the legislature. Key provisions include mandating specific facilities like occupational therapy spaces, child care units, dental services, and a patient tracking system to monitor treatment progress. The hospital will remain under the director of the Department of Health Services. This bill directly affects patients receiving inpatient mental health care and hospital staff.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental health treatment based on clinical need (not residency), requires specific facilities (occupational therapy, dental), and allows expanded services for alcoholism/drug abuse if funded.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

passed · Arizona · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 1116: AHCCCS; claims review; behavioral health

SB 1116 requires that appeals for behavioral health claims under Arizona's Medicaid program (AHCCCS) subject to a capped fee-for-service payment schedule must be reviewed by an individual with relevant clinical experience. This applies specifically to disputes over payments for behavioral health services where providers are paid under a fixed, capped rate system. The bill directly affects behavioral health providers and patients involved in payment appeals within AHCCCS. It mandates clinical expertise in the review process rather than non-clinical review, aiming to improve the accuracy of payment decisions for these services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates clinical expertise in AHCCCS behavioral health appeals, ensuring fair payment disputes and protecting patient access to mental health services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

failed · Arizona · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 1391: stress management pilot program; appropriation

SB 1391 establishes a two-year pilot program to provide preventative mental wellness training for Arizona peace officers and their families. The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board will select a qualified nonprofit to deliver this program, focusing on stress resiliency, suicide prevention, and peer support - avoiding clinical treatment or generalized employee assistance. It appropriates $950,000 for fiscal year 2026-2027 to cover curriculum development, instructor compensation, training delivery, and program evaluation. The program must report on participation, outcomes, and recommendations by December 31, 2028, and expires June 30, 2029. This directly affects all Arizona peace officers, their families, and law enforcement agencies through mandated training on occupational stress impacts and wellness strategies.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $950,000 for a pilot program funding mental wellness training for peace officers, directly allocating state budget resources to support public safety personnel well-being.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds preventative mental wellness training for peace officers, including stress resiliency and suicide prevention, directly supporting mental health services as defined in the topic.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

passed · Arizona · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 1347: health insurance; fertility preservation; coverage

SB 1347 requires Arizona health insurance providers (including hospital service corporations, health care organizations, and disability insurers) to cover fertility preservation services for cancer patients of reproductive age whose medically necessary treatment may cause infertility, effective January 1, 2027. Insurers cannot require preauthorization for these services and must apply standard deductibles, copayments, and coverage limits. Religious employers may request exemptions if coverage conflicts with their beliefs, but must provide written notice to subscribers. The law does not prevent individuals from purchasing supplemental insurance for these services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for fertility preservation in cancer treatment, expanding patient access without preauthorization or excessive cost-sharing.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

passed · Arizona · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 1179: group home monitoring program; continuation

SB 1179 extends Arizona’s developmental disabilities group home monitoring program to continue monitoring group homes serving residents with complex needs (defined as those with dual psychiatric and developmental disabilities causing disruptive or harmful behaviors). Starting January 2026, a designated advocacy entity will conduct in-person checks to verify residents receive their care plans, including medication, behavioral support, and dietary needs, while ensuring staff competency and family involvement. The program requires monthly reports to the state department, quarterly department responses, and annual reviews by legislators to assess quality of care and determine future funding. This directly affects group homes, residents with complex needs, and the designated advocacy entity conducting the monitoring.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends monitoring program to verify care plans (medication, behavioral support) for residents with psychiatric/developmental disabilities, ensuring access to mental health services and protecting patient rights.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

passed · Arizona · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 1114: appropriation; behavioral health patient brokering

SB 1114 appropriates $1,000,000 from Arizona's state general fund for fiscal year 2026-2027 to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. The funds are specifically designated for investigations into "behavioral health patient brokering," an unethical practice where individuals or entities refer patients to treatment facilities for financial gain. This bill directly affects Maricopa County (which includes Phoenix) by providing resources to investigate these practices, without creating new regulations or altering existing laws. The appropriation is a one-time funding measure focused solely on enabling law enforcement investigations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $1M from state general fund for behavioral health investigations, directly funding a public service within budget allocation90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds investigation into unethical behavioral health patient brokering, protecting patient rights and mental health service integrity within healthcare.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

passed · Arizona · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 1678: health facilities; group homes; resident information

SB 1678 requires assisted living centers and homes in Arizona to provide emergency responders with a standardized written document when contacting them for a resident. This document must include critical information like the resident's medications, allergies, primary care physician details, health conditions, pharmacy contact, health insurance authorization, and advance directives. The bill also mandates that hospitals coordinate with receiving assisted living facilities by providing detailed discharge plans, including medical assessments, medication instructions, and follow-up care recommendations. These provisions directly affect assisted living facilities, emergency responders, hospitals, and residents by standardizing communication during medical emergencies and patient transfers. The goal is to improve care coordination and safety during transitions between facilities and emergency services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates standardized health information sharing for emergency responders in assisted living, improving patient safety and care coordination during emergencies.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

passed · Arizona · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 1244: court-ordered treatment; continuation

Arizona Senate Bill 1244 amends mental health statutes to streamline court-ordered treatment continuity for individuals with serious mental health conditions. It requires mental health agencies to conduct annual reviews 90 days before treatment expiration to assess whether continued court-ordered treatment is appropriate (Section 36-543). The bill creates a new "conversion" process (Section 36-543.01) allowing patients to transition to ongoing court-ordered treatment without a full new petition, while strengthening notification requirements for guardians and patients about treatment renewals or discharges (Sections 36-504.01, 36-542). These changes directly affect patients under court-ordered mental health treatment, their guardians, and mental health treatment agencies.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeStreamlines court-ordered mental health treatment continuity, reducing gaps that could lead to recidivism, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareStreamlines mental health treatment continuity, prevents care gaps for serious conditions, and supports patient access to ongoing court-ordered care through annual reviews and conversion process.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

passed · Arizona · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 1629: behavioral health; contracts; network adequacy

SB 1629 requires Arizona managed care organizations (MCOs) to submit a detailed network adequacy study to the administration before terminating contracts with "high-volume" behavioral health service providers (those delivering ≥10% of a specific service or employing >10% of licensed providers) without cause. The study must analyze service provider-to-enrollee ratios, appointment wait times, patient volume, impacts on disabled members, and cumulative termination effects, with MCOs providing 90 days' written notice. The administration reviews these studies within 10 business days and must confirm network adequacy standards will be maintained before allowing termination. This bill directly affects MCOs and high-volume behavioral health providers by creating a review process to prevent disruptions in mental health services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires MCOs to justify terminations of behavioral health providers, ensuring continued access and preventing disruptions to mental health services through mandated network adequacy studies.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

passed · Arizona · Senate Mar 9, 2026

SB 1122: AHCCCS; prior authorization; behavioral health

SB 1122 prohibits the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) from requiring prior authorization for behavioral health services for members enrolled in the American Indian Health Plan (AIHP) starting January 1, 2027. The exception allows prior authorization only if AHCCCS implements a corrective action plan after meeting with a provider and the provider fails to comply within 90 days. This law directly affects AIHP members and behavioral health providers by reducing administrative barriers to accessing mental health and substance use disorder care. The bill aims to streamline service access without altering coverage or funding.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves prior authorization barriers for AIHP behavioral health services, improving patient access to mental health care without administrative delays.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track