We’ve officially passed the bill introduction deadline in both Chambers, meaning any new bills that come out must either be offered as a strike everything amendment or introduced with the permission of the House Speaker or Senate President.
A total of 1,625 bills have been introduced so far, and if this session is anything like years past, less than 25% of those will ultimately make it to the finish line to become new laws. The House attempted to pass a ‘continuation’ budget this week, but the measure failed on the House floor as one member of the majority, Rep. Liz Harris (R-13), voted against the budget. At this point, a path forward on budget negotiations is unclear, and we are likely in for a long session as this process unfolds.
We’ve signed in support and opposition to several bills this week. You can review our bill tracking spreadsheet to see our updated positions. I’ve signed up to speak at the podium to support SB1710, in the Senate Health Committee next week. That bill would move the Arizona State Hospital out of ADHS. The Superintendent and new agency would report to an independently appointed governing board.
See this for why this governance reform is necessary:
How the Arizona State Hospital is Regulated & the Need for Governance Reform: A Primer
I’ll also be speaking in favor of HB2625 in the House Regulatory Affairs committee, which would require ADHS to visit licensed residential care facilities at least once per year – ending the opportunity for deem-status licensing via a 3rd party for these classes of facilities.
