The proposed bill would amend current statutes to establish new licensure requirements for certain behavioral health facilities in Arizona. Specifically, beginning January 1, 2027, it would require that each applicant, licensee, and owner of outpatient treatment centers, behavioral health inpatient facilities, behavioral health residential facilities, counseling facilities, substance abuse transitional facilities, and behavioral health specialized transitional facilities must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and possess a valid Level I fingerprint clearance card (FPCC). This new requirement is aimed at enhancing the safety and integrity of these health care institutions.

Additionally, the bill would make conforming changes to existing statutes, including the addition of a new section (36-411.02) and the deletion of outdated references. The language regarding the requirement for non-citizen applicants to be lawfully present in the U.S. would be replaced with a stipulation that they must be lawful permanent residents. Overall, the bill seeks to tighten the eligibility criteria for individuals involved in the management and operation of behavioral health facilities, thereby ensuring a higher standard of accountability and security within the sector.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-411.02, 41-619.51, 41-1758, 41-1758.01, 41-1758.07, 41-619.57, 8-804, 41-619.55, 3-314, 8-105, 8-322, 8-463, 8-509, 8-802, 15-183, 15-503, 15-512, 15-534, 15-763.01, 15-782.02, 15-1330, 15-1881, 17-215, 28-3228, 28-3413, 32-122.02, 32-122.05, 32-122.06, 32-823, 32-1232, 32-1276.01, 32-1284, 32-1297.01, 32-1904, 32-1941, 32-1982, 32-2022, 32-2063, 32-2108.01, 32-2123, 32-2371, 32-3271, 32-3430, 32-3620, 32-3668, 32-3669, 32-3922, 32-3924, 32-4128, 32-4222, 36-113, 36-207, 36-411, 36-425.03, 36-446.04, 36-594.01, 36-594.02, 36-766.01, 36-882, 36-883.02, 36-897.01, 36-897.03, 36-1940, 36-1940.01, 36-2069, 36-3008, 41-619.53, 41-1964, 41-1967.01, 41-1968, 41-1969, 41-2814, 41-4025, 46-141, 46-321, 41-619.52, 41-1750, 13-3623, 35-146, 35-147, 41-1758.03, 41-1758.04, 92-544, 15-106