HB4110 sheriff's officers; correctional officers; training

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is not listed in the provided metadata or text, so it remains unknown until signed by the governor or published as law.

HB4110: Serious Mental Illness Training for Sheriff's Officers and Correctional Staff

This law requires sheriff's deputies, detention officers, other sheriff office employees with direct prisoner contact, and state correctional officers to complete specific training on serious mental illness.

What This Bill Does

Requires new staff who have direct, routine interaction with prisoners or inmates to finish the training within six months of being hired.
Mandates that all covered employees take a refresher course at least once every two years.
Directs the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System mental health commissioner to create or approve the training curriculum.
Requires the curriculum developer to consult with psychiatrists, nurses, and advocacy groups representing families affected by serious mental illness.
Specifies that training must cover recognizing acute psychosis and anosognosia, de-escalation strategies, emergency procedures, family perspectives, and systemic factors.

Who It Names or Affects

Sheriff's deputies in Arizona counties
Detention officers working for county sheriff offices
Other sheriff office employees who have direct, routine interaction with prisoners
State correctional officers who interact directly with inmates

Terms To Know

Anosognosia: A condition where a person does not realize they are mentally ill or cannot see their own symptoms.
Acute psychosis: A severe mental health episode involving confusion, hallucinations, or delusions that happens suddenly and intensely.
De facto mental health institution: The role correctional facilities play as places where many people with serious mental illness are held because there is no other care available for them.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill text does not state when the law will officially take effect.
The source material does not specify how much money counties or the state must spend to provide this training.
The document does not describe penalties for officers who fail to complete the required courses.

Official Summary Text

HB4110 - sheriff's officers; correctional officers; training

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB4110 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
sheriff's officers; correctional officers; training

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 4110

Introduced by

Representatives
Hernandez L: Aguilar, Crews, Hernandez A, Hernandez C, Luna-N�jera, M�rquez,
Peshlakai

AN
ACT

amending title 11, chapter 3, article 2,
arizona revised statutes, by adding section 11-459.02; amending title 41,
chapter 11, article 6, arizona revised statutes, by adding section 41-1663;
relating to sheriff and correctional officer training.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 11, chapter 3, article 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 11-459.02, to read:

START_STATUTE
11-459.02.

Sheriff's deputy officers; detention officers; serious mental
illness training

A. Each county sheriff shall require
that each sheriff's deputy and detention officer and any other employee of the
sheriff's office who has direct, routine interaction with a prisoner complete a
serious mental illness training program that is developed or approved by the
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System mental health commissioner. The
training must include psychosis-specific content and instruction that is
appropriate for high-acuity correctional environments.

B. A New sheriff's deputy or
detention officer or employee of the sheriff's office who has direct and
routine interaction with a prisoner shall complete the training within six
months after the date of hire.� All sheriff's deputies, detention officers and
employees shall complete a refresher training course at least once every two
years.

C. The sheriff shall maintain records
of each sheriff's deputy's, detention officer's and employee's compliance and
make those records available for inspection by the county board of supervisors
and the arizona health care cost containment system mental health commissioner.

D. The arizona health care cost
containment system mental health commissioner shall develop or approve the
training curriculum in consultation with all of the following:

1. At least one psychiatrist who is
licensed pursuant to title 32, chapters 13 or 17 and who has expertise in acute
psychosis and anosognosia.

2. At least one registered nurse who
is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15 and who has a minimum of five
years' experience in civil psychiatric inpatient or emergency psychiatric
settings.

3. An Advocacy organization that
represents families affected by serious mental illness and high-acuity
psychosis.

4. An Organization whose primary
mission is general mental health awareness.

E. The training must include
evidence-based instruction on all of the following:

1. Recognition of acute psychosis,
anosognosia, loss of insight and clinical deterioration.

2. Violence risk factors that are associated
with untreated psychosis and communication, safety and de-escalation strategies
appropriate for correctional settings.

3. |Emergency and involuntary
treatment procedures, including evaluation and court-ordered treatment.

4. Procedures for a clinical
referral, documentation and escalation to mental health personnel.

5. The perspective of the family of a
person with serious mental illness, including barriers to treatment and
circumstances in which families repeatedly seek help before crises or
tragedies.

6. Systemic factors contributing to
the presence of individuals with serious mental illness in correctional
settings.

7. The role of correctional
facilities as de facto mental health institutions and the importance of
empathy, professionalism and understanding toward individuals experiencing
severe mental illness.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Title 41, chapter 11, article 6,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-1663, to read:

START_STATUTE
41-1663.

Correctional officers; serious mental illness training

A. The director shall require that
each correctional officer who has direct, routine interaction with an inmate
complete a serious mental illness training program that is developed or
approved by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System mental health
commissioner. The training must include psychosis-specific content and
instruction that is appropriate for high-acuity correctional environments.

B. A new correctional officer who has
direct and routine interaction with an inmate shall complete the training
within six months after the date of hire.� All correctional officers shall
complete a refresher training course at least once every two years.

C. The director shall maintain
records of each correctional officer's compliance and make those records
available for inspection by the department and the arizona health care cost
containment system mental health commissioner.

D. The arizona health care cost
containment system mental health commissioner shall develop or approve the
training curriculum in consultation with all of the following:

1. At least one psychiatrist who is
licensed pursuant to title 32, chapters 13 or 17 and who has expertise in acute
psychosis and anosognosia.

2. At least one registered nurse who
is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15 and who has a minimum of five
years' experience in civil psychiatric inpatient or emergency psychiatric
settings.

3. An Advocacy organization that
represents families affected by serious mental illness and high-acuity
psychosis.

4. An Organization whose primary
mission is general mental health awareness.

E. The training must include
evidence-based instruction on all of the following:

1. Recognition of acute psychosis,
anosognosia, loss of insight and clinical deterioration.

2. Violence risk factors that are
associated with untreated psychosis and communication, safety and de-escalation
strategies appropriate for correctional settings.

3. |Emergency and involuntary
treatment procedures, including evaluation and court-ordered treatment.

4. Procedures for a clinical
referral, documentation and escalation to mental health personnel.

5. The perspective of the family of a
person with serious mental illness, including barriers to treatment and
circumstances in which families repeatedly seek help before crises or
tragedies.

6. Systemic factors contributing to
the presence of individuals with serious mental illness in correctional
settings.

7. The role of correctional
facilities as de facto mental health institutions and the importance of
empathy, professionalism and understanding toward individuals experiencing
severe mental illness.
END_STATUTE