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Chapter 0018 - 572R - S Ver of SB1216
Senate Engrossed
traumatic event
counseling
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
CHAPTER 18
SENATE BILL 1216
AN
ACT
Amending section 38-672, Arizona Revised
Statutes; Repealing Laws 2016, chapter 240, section 2, as amended by laws 2022,
chapter 377, section 2; Repealing laws 2018, chapter 259, section 3, as amended
by laws 2022, chapter 377, section 3; relating to traumatic event counseling.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 38-672, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
38-672.
Traumatic event counseling for public safety employees; report;
exceptions; definitions
A. Notwithstanding any other law, this state or a
political subdivision of this state shall establish a program to provide public
safety employees who are exposed to any one of the following events while in
the course of duty up to twelve visits of licensed counseling, which may be
provided through telehealth, paid for by the employer:
1. Visually or audibly witnessing the death or
maiming or visually or audibly witnessing the immediate aftermath of such a
death or maiming of one or more human beings.
2. Responding to or being directly involved in a
criminal investigation of an offense involving a dangerous crime against
children as defined in section 13-705.
3. Requiring rescue in the line of duty where one's
life was endangered.
B. Payment by the employer for licensed counseling
pursuant to this section does not create a presumption that a claim is
compensable under section 23-1043.01, subsection B.
C. For each program established pursuant to this
section, this state and each political subdivision of this state shall compile
the following data:
1. The total number of public safety employees who
have participated in the program.
2. The average number of visits per public safety
employee.
3. The average number of months that a public safety
employee participated in the program.
4. The average number of days that a public safety
employee who participated in the program missed work.
5. The total number of public safety employees who
participated in the program and who subsequently filed a workers' compensation
claim and the number of those claims that were approved and the number of those
claims that were denied.
6. For each employer, the total amount of work
missed by public safety employees who participated in the program and how
missed work was provided for by the employer or through employee benefits.
D. On or before September 1 of each year, this state
and each political subdivision of this state shall submit the data collected
pursuant to subsection C of this section to the department of administration.�
On or before October 1 of each year, the department of administration shall
compile the data into a report and submit the report to the governor, the
president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the
chairperson of the senate health and human services committee, or its successor
committee, the chairperson of the house of representatives health and human
services committee, or its successor committee, the chairperson of the senate
military affairs, public safety and border security committee, or its successor
committee, and the chairperson of the house of representatives military affairs
and public safety committee, or its successor committee, and shall provide a
copy of this report to the secretary of state.� Subsection C of this section
and this subsection do not authorize this state or a political subdivision of
this state to compile and report data that is protected under the health
insurance portability and accountability act of 1996 (P.L. 104-191; 110
Stat. 1936).
E. This section does not apply to a state employer
that provides a program to its public safety employees that is characterized by
all of the following:
1. The program is paid for by the employer.
2. The program provides licensed counseling for any
issue. For licensed counseling related to trauma experienced while
in the line of duty, the licensed counseling is provided on the request of the
public safety employee and is in person.
3. Before July 1, 2017, the program offers at least
six visits per year.
4. On or after July 1, 2017, the program offers at
least twelve visits per year.
F. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Licensed counseling" means counseling
provided by a licensed mental health professional.
2. "Licensed mental health professional"
means a licensed individual who specializes in trauma and crisis, who uses
evidence-based treatment options and who is one of the following:
(a) A psychiatrist who is licensed pursuant to title
32, chapter 13 or 17.
(b) A psychologist who is licensed pursuant to title
32, chapter 19.1.
(c) A mental health professional who is licensed
pursuant to title 32, chapter 33 and who holds either a master's or
doctoral degree related to the mental health profession.
(d) A mental health nurse practitioner or a
psychiatric clinical nurse specialist who is licensed pursuant to title 32,
chapter 15.
(e) A physician assistant who is licensed pursuant
to title 32, chapter 25.
3. "Public safety employee":
(a) Means:
(i) Except as prescribed in subdivision
(b)
(
c
)
of this
paragraph, an individual who is a member of the public safety personnel
retirement system or the corrections officer retirement plan.
(ii) Except as prescribed in subdivision
(b)
(
c
)
of this
paragraph, a probation officer, surveillance officer or juvenile detention
officer who is employed by this state or a political subdivision of this state.
(iii) Except as prescribed in subdivision
(b)
(
c
)
of this
paragraph, a 911 dispatcher in a primary or secondary public safety answering
point.
(
b
) Includes a
crime scene technician and digital forensics TECHNICIAN.
(b)
(
c
)
Does not include peace officers or firefighters.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 2.
Repeal
A. Laws 2016, chapter 240,
section 2, as amended by Laws 2022, chapter 377, section 2, is repealed.
B. Laws 2018, chapter 259,
section 3, as amended by Laws 2022, chapter 377, section 3, is repealed.
APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR APRIL 7, 2026.
FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE APRIL 7, 2026.