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HB2828 • 2026

nurse home visitor grant program

HB2828 - nurse home visitor grant program

Budget Children
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Chris Lopez, Michele Peña
Last action
2026-01-21
Official status
House second read
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not specify details on funding beyond fiscal year 2027, leaving uncertainty regarding future financial support.

Nurse Home Visitor Grant Program

HB2828 establishes the Nurse Home Visitor Grant Program, providing $6 million in fiscal year 2027 for organizations to offer nurse home visitor services to low-income pregnant women.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a grant program administered by the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to prevent child maltreatment and neglect, improve maternal and child health, and promote family economic mobility.
  • Provides $6 million from state funds in fiscal year 2027 for eligible organizations to offer nurse home visitor services to low-income pregnant women.
  • Requires DCS to award grants annually to eligible organizations that meet certain criteria.
  • Ensures services are provided by registered nurses using evidence-based methods proven effective for reducing child maltreatment.
  • Receives data from grant recipients and publishes annual reports on program outcomes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Low-income pregnant women who can enroll in the nurse home visitor program.
  • Organizations that provide services to these women, such as public agencies, nonprofits, municipal and county organizations, and tribal nations.
  • The Department of Child Safety (DCS) which administers the grant program.

Terms To Know

Evidence-based
Using methods or practices that have been proven effective through research.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The program will end on December 31, 2030.
  • Details about how the funds are used for administration after fiscal year 2029 are not specified.
  • It is unclear if there will be additional funding beyond fiscal year 2027.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-21 House

    House second read

  2. 2026-01-20 House

    House Rules: None

  3. 2026-01-20 House

    House Appropriations: None

  4. 2026-01-20 House

    House Health & Human Services: DP

  5. 2026-01-20 House

    House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2828 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

HB
2828
: nurse home visitor grant program

Sponsor:
Representative Lopez, LD 16

Committee
on Health & Human Services

Overview

Appropriates
$6,000,000 and 5 FTE positions from the state General Fund (GF) in FY 2027 to
the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) to administer the Nurse Home
Visitor Grant Program (Grant Program) to award grants to eligible organizations
for the purpose of preventing child maltreatment and neglect, improving
maternal and child development and promoting family's economic stability.

History

The primary purpose of DCS is to protect children. To
achieve this purpose, DCS shall do and focus equally on the following: 1) investigate
reports of abuse and neglect; 2) assess, promote and support the safety of a
child in a safe and stable family or other appropriate placement in response to
allegations of abuse or neglect; 3) work cooperatively with law enforcement
regarding reports that include criminal conduct allegations; 4) without
compromising child safety, coordinate services to achieve and maintain
permanency on behalf of the child, strengthen the family and provide prevention,
intervention and treatment services (
A.R.S. � 8-451
).

Provisions

1.

Requires DCS
to establish and administer the Grant Program to:

a.

prevent
child maltreatment and neglect;

b.

improve maternal and child
health and child development; and

c.

promote a family's economic
mobility. (Sec. 1)

2.

Requires DCS
to award monies from the Grant Program at least annually to one eligible
organization. (Sec. 1)

3.

Requires the
eligible organization to use grant monies to provide voluntary, evidence-based
nurse home visitor services for three years to low-income pregnant women who
voluntarily enroll in the Grant Program. (Sec. 1)

4.

Requires the
Grant Program to be available through the second birthday of a child who is
born to a woman who is enrolled in the Grant Program. (Sec. 1)

5.

Requires the
eligible organization to provide:

a.

assessments and screenings;

b.

care coordination;

c.

case management;

d.

preventative education and
counseling;

e.

interventions and referrals to
health and human services providers; and

f.

educational or job development
resources. (Sec. 1)

6.

Specifies
that eligible organizations include:

a.

public and private entities;

b.

nonprofit organizations;

c.

municipal and county
organizations; and

d.

tribal nations. (Sec. 1)

7.

Requires DCS, when awarding
grant monies, to give preference to organizations that:

a.

provide services in Arizona;

b.

provide services that are
delivered by a registered nurse;

c.

provide services that meet the
specified criteria established by the United States Department of Health and
Human Services for an evidence-based early childhood home visiting services
delivery model that has demonstrated, as of January 1, 2026, favorable results
for reduction in maltreatment;

d.

can demonstrate either the
ability to provide services on the receipt of grant monies or the ability to
deliver services within 90 days after receiving grant monies; or

e.

can provide services in the Grant
Program participant's home, via telehealth services or at another location that
is selected by the Grant Program participant. (Sec. 1)

8.

Specifies
that the evidence-based early childhood home visiting services delivery model must
be ranked as a well-supported service in the Title IV-E Prevention Services
clearing house to prevent foster care placements and provide enhance support to
children and families through an in-home parenting skills-based service. (Sec.
1)

9.

Requires an
organization that receives grant monies to submit to data to DCS as prescribed
by the Children's Health Bureau Title IV-E Prevention Program. (Sec. 1)

10.

Specifies
that the data submitted to DCS must be to the extent the data is collected as a
standard practice of the delivery of the Grant Program services. (Sec. 1)

11.

Requires the
organization to submit the data for the purpose of evaluating successful
delivery of Grant Program services. (Sec. 1)

12.

Requires
DCS, by August 31, 2027, through 2030, to publish a report that includes all of
the following information for the previous Fiscal Year:

a.

the number of grants awarded by
the Grant Program;

b.

the name of the organizations
that received grant monies;

c.

the number of Grant Program
participants who were served;

d.

the number of unduplicated
participants who enrolled during the reporting period for each organization
that was awarded monies by the Grant Program;

e.

the total number of hours that
were spent providing nurse home visitor services; and

f.

data and information that are
deemed necessary by DCS and that measure the health and well-being of Grant Program
participants and their children. (Sec. 1)

13.

Appropriates
$6,000,000 and five FTE positions from the state General Fund in Fiscal Year
2027 to DCS for the Grant Program. (Sec. 3)

14.

Allows DCS
to use up to $382,500 of the appropriated monies in Fiscal Years 2027-2029 to
administer the Grant Program. (Sec. 3)

15.

Exempts the
appropriations from lapsing until December 31, 2030. (Sec. 3)

16.

Contains
legislative findings. (Sec. 4)

17.

Contains a
delayed repeal date of December 31, 2030. (Sec. 2)

18.

19.

20.

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2828

22.

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Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB2828 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
nurse home visitor grant program

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2828

Introduced by

Representatives
Lopez: Pe�a

AN
ACT

amending title 8, chapter 4, article 1,
arizona revised statutes, by adding section 8-469.03; appropriating
monies; relating to the department of child safety.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 8, chapter 4, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 8-469.03, to read:

START_STATUTE
8-469.03.

Nurse home visitor grant program; eligible organization;
requirements; annual report

A. The department shall establish a
nurse home visitor grant program. The department shall administer
the grant program.� The grant program is established to do all of THE
following:

1. Prevent child maltreatment and
neglect.

2. improve maternal and child health
and child development.

3. promote a family's economic
mobility.

B. The department shall award monies
from the grant program at least annually to one eligible organization.� The
eligible organization shall use grant monies to provide voluntary, evidence-based
nurse home visitor services for three years to low-income pregnant women
who voluntarily enroll in the program.� The grant program shall be available
through the second birthday of a CHILD who is born to a woman who is enrolled
in the program.� The eligible organization shall provide all of the following:

1. Assessments and screenings.

2. Care coordination.

3. Case management.

4. preventative education and
counseling.

5. Interventions and referrals to
health and human services providers.

6. Educational or job development
resources.

C. Organizations that are eligible to
receive grant monies pursuant to subsection B of this section include:

1. Public and private entities.

2. Nonprofit organizations.

3. Municipal and county
organizations.

4. Tribal nations.

D. IN awarding grant monies, the
department shall give preference to organizations that:

1. Provide services in this state.

2. Provide services that are
delivered by a registered nurse.

3. Provide services that meet the
criteria established by the United States department of health and human
services for an evidence-based early childhood home VISITING service
delivery model that has demonstrated, as of January 1, 2026, favorable results
for reduction in child maltreatment.� The model shall be ranked as a well-supported
service in the title IV-E prevention services clearinghouse to prevent
foster care placements and provide enhanced support to children and families
through an in-home parenting skills-based service.

4. Can demonstrate either the ability
to provide services on the receipt of grant monies or the ability to deliver
services within ninety days after receiving grant monies.

5. Can provide services in the
program participant's home, via telehealth services or at another location that
is selected by the program participant.

e. An organization that receives
grant monies PURSUANT to this section shall submit to the department data as
prescribed by the children's health bureau title IV-E prevention program
data elements to the extent the data is collected as a standard practice of the
delivery of the grant program services.� the organization shall submit The data
for the PURPOSE of evaluating successful delivery of grant program services.�

F. On or before August 31, 2027,
2028, 2029 and 2030, the department shall publish a report that includes all of
the FOLLOWING information for the previous fiscal year:

1. The number of grants awarded by
the grant program.

2. The name of the organizations that
received grant monies.

3. The number of grant program
participants who were served.

4. The number of unduplicated
participants who enrolled DURING the reporting period for each organization
that was awarded monies by the grant program.

5. The total number of hours that
were spent providing nurse home visitor services.

6. Data and information that are
deemed necessary by the department and that measure the health and well-being
of grant program participants and their children to the extend that the data
and information are collected and reported as a standard practice in the course
of the delivery of the grant program.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Delayed repeal

Section 8-469.03, Arizona
Revised Statutes, as added by this act, is repealed from and after December 31,
2030.

Sec. 3.
Appropriations;
nursing home visitor grant program; exemption

A. The sum of $6,000,000
and five FTE positions are appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal
year 2026-2027 to the department of child safety for the nurse home
visitor grant program established pursuant to section 8-469.03, Arizona Revised
Statutes, as added by this act. The department may use up to
$382,500 of the monies appropriated in each of fiscal years 2026-2027,
2027-2028 and 2028-2029 to administer the program.

B. The appropriation made
in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section
35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations, until
December 31, 2030.

Sec. 4.
Legislative findings

The
legislature finds and declares that:

1. Pregnant
women, to adequately care for a newborn or young child, often benefit from
voluntarily receiving professional assistance and information.

2. Without this assistance
and information, a pregnant woman may develop habits or practices that are
detrimental to her health and well-being and the health and well-being
of her child.

3. Inadequate prenatal care
and inadequate care in infancy and early childhood often inhibit a child's
ability to learn and develop throughout childhood and may have lasting, adverse
effects on the child's ability to function as an adult.

4. The implementation of an
evidence-based nurse home visitor program that has been ranked, as of
January 1, 2026, by the United States department of health and human services
as a well-supported service in the title IV-E prevention services
clearinghouse to prevent foster care placements and provide enhanced support to
children and families through an in-home parenting skills-based
service that demonstrates favorable results for reduction in child maltreatment
and that provides educational, health and other resources for women from
pregnancy through the first two years of a child's life has been proven to
significantly reduce the risk of premature birth, drug use, including nicotine
and alcohol abuse, criminal activity that is committed by a woman or the
woman's child who is under fifteen years of age and the reported number of
incidents of child abuse and neglect.

5. Receiving professional
assistance and information has been proven to reduce a woman's need for other
forms of public assistance and to increase a woman's educational and employment
opportunities.