DPS; mental health; wellness; appropriation

Plain English Breakdown

The effectiveness and impact of the program on reducing officer burnout and suicide remain uncertain until implemented.

DPS Mental Health and Wellness Program

HB4129 establishes a statewide mental health and wellness program for Arizona's law enforcement officers within the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and appropriates $15 million from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes a statewide mental health and wellness program for Arizona's law enforcement officers, providing access to various counseling services such as confidential mental health counseling, crisis counseling, peer support counseling, family support counseling, suicide prevention training, telehealth for rural areas, and other support systems.
• Requires DPS to establish policies and procedures for the program and submit annual reports starting December 31, 2027.
• Prioritizes support for smaller agencies with fewer than 200 sworn officers.
• Allows DPS to use federal funds and grants to support the program.
• Appropriates $15 million from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027, with $5 million specifically for small agencies.

Who It Names or Affects

• Law enforcement officers across Arizona
• The Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Smaller law enforcement agencies with fewer than 200 sworn officers

Terms To Know

law enforcement agency

A municipal police department, county sheriff's office, publicly funded law enforcement department, or the Department of Public Safety.

confidentiality

The requirement that all communications and records related to the mental health program remain private and not disclosed to unauthorized individuals.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify what happens if federal funds are insufficient or unavailable.
• Does not detail how the remaining $10 million will be allocated beyond small agencies.
• The effectiveness of the program in reducing officer burnout and suicide is yet to be determined.

Official Summary Text

HB4129 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

HB4129
:
DPS; mental health; wellness; appropriation

Sponsor:
Representative Blackman, LD 7

Committee
on Public Safety & Law Enforcement

Overview

Establishes
a statewide law enforcement officer mental health and wellness program within
the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and appropriates $15 million from the
state general fund (GF) to DPS in fiscal year (FY) 2027 for the program.

History

The U.S. Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act
(LEMHWA) of 2017 directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to submit a report to
Congress on Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs mental
health practices and services that could be adopted by law enforcement
agencies. LEMHWA also expanded the use of grant funds under the Community
Oriented Policing Services program to include establishing peer mentoring
mental health and wellness pilot programs within state, local and tribal law
enforcement agencies. Additionally, LEMHWA directed DOJ to research and review
existing mental health resources, examine the mental health and wellness needs
of federal officers and ensure the privacy of officers participating in
programs under the act were being protected (
P.L. 115-113;
131 Stat. 2276
).

Provisions

Program
Establishment

1.

Directs DPS,
in consultation with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board
(AZPOST), to establish a statewide law enforcement officer mental health and
wellness program (program) that provides access to specified health and
counseling services to law enforcement officers. (Sec. 1)

2.

Mandates any
support communication provided during a support counseling session to remain
confidential. (Sec. 1)

3.

Authorizes
DPS to accept and use federal monies, grants, gifts, donations and any funding
available under the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017 for
the program. (Sec. 1)

4.

Requires DPS
to establish written policies and procedures for the program. (Sec. 1)

5.

Asserts the
confidentiality of all proceedings, records, opinions conclusions and
recommendations that arise from any aspect of the program. (Sec. 1)

6.

Prioritizes providing
support to law enforcement agencies in Arizona with 200 or fewer sworn law
enforcement officers. (Sec. 1)

7.

Directs DPS
to submit an annual report to the Legislature beginning December 31, 2027, with
the number of law enforcement officers in the program and any recommendations
regarding program improvements. (Sec. 1)

Miscellaneous

8.

Appropriates
$15 million from the state GF to DPS in FY 2027 for the program and exempts the
appropriation from lapsing. (Sec. 2)

9.

Requires $5
million of the appropriation to be used for program implementation at law
enforcement agencies with 200 or fewer sworn law enforcement officers. (Sec. 2)

10.

Defines
law
enforcement agency
to mean a municipal police department, a county
sheriff's office, a publicly funded law enforcement department and the
Department of Public Safety. (Sec. 1)

11.

Contains a
legislative intent clause. (Sec. 3)

12.

13.

14.

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15.

Initials NM/AI���������������� HB
4129

16.

2/11/2026� Page 0 Public
Safety & Law Enforcement

17.

18.

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Current Bill Text

HB4129 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
DPS; mental health; wellness;
appropriation

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 4129

Introduced by

Representative
Blackman

AN
ACT

Amending title 41, chapter 12, article 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 41-1738; appropriating monies;
relating to the department of public safety.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 41, chapter 12, article 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-1738, to read:

START_STATUTE
41-1738.

Law enforcement officer; mental health and wellness;
confidentiality; policies; annual report; definition

A. Notwithstanding any other law, the
department, in consultation with the Arizona peace officer standards and
training board, shall establish a statewide law enforcement officer mental
health and wellness program that provides access to all of the following to law
enforcement officers in this state:

1. confidential mental health
counseling.

2. Crisis counseling.

3. PEER SUPPORT COUNSELING.

4. Family support counseling.

5. Suicide prevention counseling and
training.

6. Telehealth for law ENFORCEMENT
officers in rural areas.

7. Any other support systems.

B. Any support communication pursuant
to this section shall remain confidential and may not be disclosed to any
individual who was not present at the support counseling session.

C. The department may accept and use
federal monies, grants, gifts, donations and any funding available under the
law enforcement mental health and wellness act of 2017 (P.L. 115�113; 131 STAT.
2276) for the purposes of this section.

D. The department shall establish
WRITTEN policies and procedures for the program. all proceedings, records,
opinions, conclusions and recommendations arising from any aspect of the
program pursuant to this section are confidential and privileged from
disclosure.

E. The LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER MENTAL
HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM must PRIORITIZE providing support to law
enforcement agencies in this state with two hundred or fewer sworn law
enforcement officers.

F. Beginning December 31, 2027 and
each year thereafter, the department shall submit an annual report to the
GOVERNOR, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of
representatives with the number of law enforcement officers in the program and
any RECOMMENDATIONS regarding program improvements.

G. For the PURPOSEs of this section,
"law enforcement agency" means a municipal police department, a
county sheriff's office, a publicly funded law enforcement department and the
department of public safety.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Appropriation;
department of public safety; law enforcement officer mental health and wellness
program; exemption

A. The sum of $15,000,000
is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the
department of public safety for the law enforcement officer mental health and
wellness program established pursuant to section 41-1738, Arizona Revised
Statutes, as added by this act.

B. Of the monies
appropriated pursuant to subsection A of this section, $5,000,000 shall be used
to implement the law enforcement officer mental health and wellness program
established by section 41-1738, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by
this act, for law enforcement agencies that have two hundred or fewer sworn law
enforcement officers.

C. 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.

Sec. 3.
Legislative intent

The
legislature intends to strengthen public safety, reduce officer suicide and
burnout and improve recruitment and retention, while preserving officer privacy
and ensuring fiscal responsibility in this state.