HB2249 is a bill that amends section 36-424 of the Arizona Revised Statutes concerning health care institutions. The bill specifically prohibits the Director of the Department of Health Services from accepting accreditation reports as a substitute for conducting compliance investigations at residential care institutions that provide behavioral health services. This change means that such institutions will no longer be eligible for an exemption from compliance inspections based on accreditation reports.

The current law allows the Director to accept accreditation reports from approved independent nonprofit accrediting organizations in lieu of compliance inspections for certain health care institutions. However, with the passage of HB2249, residential care institutions offering behavioral health services will be required to undergo compliance investigations by the Director, regardless of any accreditation they may have. The bill is set to become effective on the general effective date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-424
House Engrossed Version: 36-424