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HB2228 • 2026

elder abuse; registry; attorney general

HB2228 - elder abuse; registry; attorney general

Healthcare Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Walt Blackman
Last action
2026-03-03
Official status
Senate second read
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about implementation of training curriculum in public and private schools.

Elder Abuse Reporting and Training

This bill requires the Arizona Prosecuting Attorney's Advisory Council to develop a training program on mandatory reporting laws for individuals required to report elder abuse, and mandates follow-up reports to the Attorney General within two years.

What This Bill Does

  • Directs the Arizona Prosecuting Attorney's Advisory Council to create a statewide training curriculum on Arizona’s mandatory reporting laws for individuals who must report cases of elder abuse.
  • Requires individuals filing actions under Adult Protective Services to submit follow-up reports to the Attorney General within two years, indicating whether the action is ongoing or completed.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Individuals required to report cases of elder abuse, such as healthcare workers and social service providers.
  • The Arizona Prosecuting Attorney's Advisory Council responsible for developing the training curriculum.
  • The Attorney General who maintains the Elder Abuse Registry.

Terms To Know

Vulnerable Adult
An individual aged 18 or older who is unable to protect themselves from abuse, neglect, or exploitation due to a physical or mental impairment.
Elder Abuse Registry
A list maintained by the Attorney General that includes civil, criminal and administrative actions involving vulnerable adults.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a person fails to submit a follow-up report within two years.
  • It is unclear how the training curriculum will be implemented in public and private schools.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Plain English: MLAVENDER 2/18/2026 (602) 926-3848 ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FLOOR AMENDMENT EXPLANATION 57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session Majority Research Staff HB 2228: elder abuse; registry; attorney general BLACKMAN FLOOR AMENDMENT 1.

  • MLAVENDER 2/18/2026 (602) 926-3848 ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FLOOR AMENDMENT EXPLANATION 57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session Majority Research Staff HB 2228: elder abuse; registry; attorney general BLACKMAN FLOOR AMENDMENT 1.
  • Directs the Arizona Prosecuting Attorney's Advisory Council to develop a statewide training curriculum on Arizona mandatory reporting laws and make it available to individuals who have a duty to report.
  • Fifty-seventh Legislature Blackman Second Regular Session H.B.
  • 2228 BLACKMAN FLOOR AMENDMENT HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AMENDMENTS TO H.B.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Senate second read

  2. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Senate Rules: None

  3. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Senate Government: None

  4. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Senate first read

  5. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Transmitted to Senate

  6. 2026-02-23 House

    House third read passed

  7. 2026-02-19 House

    House committee of the whole

  8. 2026-02-10 House

    House minority caucus

  9. 2026-02-10 House

    House majority caucus

  10. 2026-02-09 House

    House consent calendar

  11. 2026-01-20 House

    House second read

  12. 2026-01-15 House

    House Rules: C&P

  13. 2026-01-15 House

    House Government: DP

  14. 2026-01-15 House

    House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2228 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

House:
GOV DP 7-0-0-0

HB
2228
: elder abuse; registry; attorney general

Sponsor:
Representative Blackman, LD 7

House
Engrossed

Overview

Requires
the Arizona Prosecuting Attorney's Advisory Council (Council) to develop a statewide
training curriculum on Arizona mandatory reporting laws. Mandates that a person
filing an action under Adult Protective Services must submit a report to the Attorney
General (AG) within two years of submitting the initial notice. Outlines
procedures for the AG when reports are not submitted.

History

The Elder Abuse Registry (Registry) is a list maintained by
the AG that includes civil, criminal and administrative actions involving
vulnerable adults. A
vulnerable adult
is an individual who is 18 years
or older and who is unable to protect himself from abuse, neglect or
exploitation by others because of a physical or mental impairment (
Elder Abuse
Registry
,
A.R.S. � 46-451
).

Current statute requires that a person who files an action under
Adult Protective Services must serve notice and a copy of the pleading to the AG
within 30 days of the action being filed in the superior court. The notice must
identify the action and the person against whom the complaint is and their
attorney. The person serving notice is responsible for submitting a report on
the final disposition of the case within 30 days of the final action. The AG is
required to keep the Registry with: 1) the persons' names who file actions; 2) the
action's file date in the superior court or the date the administrative
decision was rendered; 3) the dates of conduct in the complaint, the indictment
or decision; 4) the general nature of the complaint, indictment or decision;
and 5) the disposition of the complaint, indictment or decision (
A.R.S. � 46-457
).

Provisions

1.

Directs the
Council to develop a statewide training curriculum on Arizona mandatory
reporting laws and make it available to individuals who have a duty to report.
(Sec. 1)

2.

Requires an
individual who files an action under Adult Protection Services to submit a
follow-up report to the AG within two years of the initial notice, indicating
whether the action is ongoing. (Sec. 2)

3.

Specifies
that if a report is not submitted within two years, the AG may:

a.

update the Registry,
if the AG is able to determine the status or disposition of the actions; or

b.

delete the
information from the Registry, if the AG is unable to determine the status or
disposition of the actions. (Sec. 2)

4.

Makes technical
and conforming changes. (Sec. 1, 2)

5.

6.

7.

---------- DOCUMENT
FOOTER ---------

8.

Initials ML/MN�������������� HB
2228

9.

2/25/2026� Page 0 House
Engrossed

10.

11.

---------- DOCUMENT
FOOTER ---------

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB2228 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

elder abuse;
registry; attorney general

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2228

AN
ACT

amending sections 15-245 and 46-457,
arizona revised statutes; relating to adult protective services.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 15-245, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
15-245.

Mandatory reporting training; materials

A. The Arizona prosecuting attorneys' advisory
council shall develop a statewide training curriculum on the mandatory
reporting laws of this state, including section 13-3620, for public
school personnel. Each public school shall require its personnel to
complete the training developed pursuant to this section.

B. The Arizona prosecuting attorneys'
advisory council shall develop a statewide training curriculum on the mandatory
reporting laws of this state, including section 46-454, and shall make
the training curriculum available to persons who are required to report
pursuant to section 46-454.

B.

C.
The
department of education shall provide resources and materials developed
pursuant to this section that schools may use for the purposes of providing
information on the mandatory reporting laws of this state, including section 13-3620,
to parents and students.

C.

D.
The
department shall make the training curriculum and materials developed pursuant
to this section available to public and private schools. This
section does not require private schools to offer the training developed
pursuant to this section.

END_STATUTE
Sec. 2. Section 46-457,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
46-457.

Elder abuse central registry; mandatory reporting; release of
information

A. A person who files an action under this article
shall serve notice and one copy of the pleading with the attorney general
within thirty days after the action is filed in the superior
court. The notice shall identify the action, the person against whom
the civil complaint has been filed and that person's attorney. The
person who files an action
is responsible for submitting

shall submit
a report
on

to
the attorney general not more than two years after the initial notice is
submitted to the attorney general that indicates whether the action is ongoing
and shall submit a report that provides
the final disposition of the
case within thirty days after the final action is taken.

B. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection,
a state agency other than adult protective services that renders an
administrative decision that substantiates the allegation of abuse or that
files a civil action that alleges abuse, neglect or financial exploitation
pursuant to this article or title 36 shall serve notice and one copy of the
administrative decision or pleading with the attorney general within thirty
days after the administrative decision is rendered or within thirty days after
the action is filed in the superior court. The agency
is
responsible for submitting

shall submit
a report
on the final disposition of the case within thirty days after the final action
is taken.� Adult protective services shall report its findings to the registry
established pursuant to section 46-459.� The department of economic
security shall not provide the notice prescribed in this subsection for
information maintained in the adult protective services registry pursuant to
section 46-459.

C. If the victim of the offense is a vulnerable
adult, a person who files a criminal complaint or indictment involving a
violation of this article or section 13-1102, 13-1103, 13-1104,
13-1105, 13-1201, 13-1203, 13-1204, 13-1303, 13-1304,
13-1403, 13-1404, 13-1406, 13-1802, 13-1807, 13-2002,
13-2310 or 13-3623 shall submit a copy of the criminal complaint or
indictment to the attorney general within thirty days after
arraignment. Within thirty days
of
after
the date of issuance of the minute entry the court shall
endorse to the attorney general a copy of the sentencing minute entry or the
minute entry reflecting the case has been dismissed or a judgment of acquittal
has been entered. The attorney general shall develop guidelines to
implement this subsection.

D. The attorney general shall maintain a registry
containing the names of persons pursuant to subsection A, B or C of this
section with the date the action was filed with the superior court or the date
the administrative decision was rendered, the dates of the conduct set forth in
the complaint, the indictment or decision, the general nature of the complaint,
indictment or decision and the disposition of the complaint, indictment or
decision, if known.
If a report on the status and
disposition of an action is not submitted pursuant to subsection A, B or C of
this section, the attorney general shall either:

1. If the attorney general is able to
determine the status or disposition of the action, update the registry.

2. If the attorney general is unable
to determine the status or disposition of the action, delete the information
from the registry.

E. The information maintained pursuant to subsection
D of this section is available to the public on written request to the
custodian of the registry.

F. A person may submit a written statement on that
person's own behalf to the custodian of the registry. The statement
is part of the records for distribution in response to all inquiries concerning
that person.

G. A person or agency that distributes information
in the registry in good faith is not subject to civil or criminal liability.
END_STATUTE