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SB1247 • 2026

assisted living centers; occupants

SB1247 - (NOW: assisted living; occupants)

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Warren Petersen
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Chapter 14
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text states this act becomes effective immediately upon signature due to an emergency clause, but does not specify a future date if the emergency clause were removed.

SB1247: Rules for Guests in Assisted Living Facilities

This law allows people who do not need care services to live with residents in assisted living centers or homes if the facility permits it, without facing extra state rules.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows individuals who do not receive supervisory, personal, or directed care services to live with a resident if the facility permits it.
  • Permits these individuals to stay either in the same unit as the resident or in any other unit within the building.
  • Prohibits the Department of Health Services from placing requirements on these individuals that residents do not have to follow.
  • Stops the state from requiring these individuals to create a service plan or receive care services.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Individuals who live with residents in assisted living centers but do not need care services themselves.
  • Residents of assisted living centers and homes who wish to have someone stay with them.
  • Assisted living center owners or operators who decide whether to allow these arrangements.

Terms To Know

Assisted Living Center
A facility that provides care services and has rooms for eleven or more residents.
Assisted Living Home
An assisted living facility, such as an adult foster care home, with ten or fewer resident rooms.
Service Plan
A plan required by the state for individuals receiving supervisory, personal, or directed care services.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies if the assisted living center or home chooses to allow this type of occupancy.
  • This rule does not apply to individuals who do receive supervisory, personal, or directed care services.
  • The text does not specify how facilities must handle safety checks for these additional occupants.

Amendments

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

Plain English: This amendment expands the rules to allow people who do not need care services to live with residents in both assisted living centers and assisted living homes.

  • Allows individuals without a need for supervisory, personal, or directed care to live with a resident in an assisted living home, which was previously only allowed in assisted living centers.
  • Permits these non-resident guests to stay either in the same unit as the resident or in any other unit within the facility.
  • Prohibits the state department from requiring these individuals to have a service plan or receive care services.
  • Adds an emergency clause so that this law takes effect immediately upon approval.
  • The amendment does not explain how facilities will verify if someone truly needs no care services before allowing them to live there.
  • It is unclear what specific rules or fees the facility itself might still charge for these additional occupants, as the text only limits state requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-31 Senate

    Governor signed

  2. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Transmitted to Senate

  3. 2026-03-30 House

    House third read passed

  4. 2026-03-03 House

    House minority caucus

  5. 2026-03-03 House

    House majority caucus

  6. 2026-03-03 House

    House consent calendar

  7. 2026-02-24 House

    House second read

  8. 2026-02-23 House

    House Rules: C&P

  9. 2026-02-23 House

    House Health & Human Services: DP

  10. 2026-02-23 House

    House first read

  11. 2026-02-17 House

    Transmitted to House

  12. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Senate third read passed

  13. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Senate committee of the whole

  14. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Senate minority caucus

  15. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Senate majority caucus

  16. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Senate consent calendar

  17. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Senate second read

  18. 2026-01-21 Senate

    Senate Rules: PFC

  19. 2026-01-21 Senate

    Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency: DP

  20. 2026-01-21 Senate

    Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1247 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
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PASSED BY COW

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1247

assisted
living centers; occupants

(
NOW:

assisted living; occupants
)

Purpose

An emergency measure that outlines occupancy requirements for individuals
living with a resident in an assisted living center or home and who do not receive
supervisory, personal or directed care services.

Background

The Department of Health Services (DHS) licenses and oversees health care
institutions in Arizona, including enforcement of relevant statutes, rules and
regulations to ensure public health, safety and welfare. DHS must: 1) review
and approve plans and specifications for health care institution construction
or modification; 2) have access to books, records, accounts and other necessary
health care institution information; and 3) require as a condition of licensure
that nursing care institutions and assisted living facilities make vaccinations
for influenza and pneumonia available to residents on a yearly basis.
Additionally, DHS may: 1) inspect every part of a health care institution to
ensure compliance with standard medical practice; 2) conduct investigations of
health care institution conditions and problems with noncompliance; and 3)
develop facility manuals and guides to health care institutions and the general
public. A person must not establish, conduct or maintain a health care
institution or any subclass of a health care institution in Arizona unless that
person holds a current and valid license issued by DHS (A.R.S. ��
36-406

and
36-407
).

Health care institutions
are every place, institution, building or
agency, whether organized for profit or not, that provides facilities with
medical services, nursing services, behavioral health services, health
screening services, other health-related services, supervisory care services,
personal care services or directed care services and includes home health
agencies.
Assisted living centers
are an assisted living facility that
provides resident rooms or residential units to eleven or more residents.
Assisted
living facilities
are residential care institutions, including adult foster
care homes, that provide or contract to provide supervisory, personal or
directed care services on a continuous basis.
Assisted living homes
are
assisted living facilities that provide resident rooms to ten or fewer
residents (
A.R.S.
� 36-401
).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund
associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1.

Allows
an individual that does not receive supervisory, personal, or directed care
services, if allowed by an assisted living center or home, to live with a
resident in the assisted living center or home:

a)

in the resident's unit; or

b)

in any other unit within the assisted living center or home.

2.

Prohibits
DHS from the following:

a)

placing any requirement on the individual that a resident would not need
to comply; or

b)

requiring
the individual to have a service plan or to receive supervisory, personal or
directed care services.

3.

Becomes
effective on signature of the Governor, if the emergency clause is adopted.

Amendments Adopted by
Committee of the Whole

1.

Allows an individual who does not receive supervisory, personal care or
directed care services to live with a resident in an assisted living center or
home, rather than only an assisted living center.

2.

Adds an emergency clause.

Senate Action

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Prepared by Senate Research

February 17, 2026

JT/HD/ci

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Chapter 0014 - 572R - S Ver of SB1247

Senate Engrossed

assisted
living centers; occupants

(now: assisted
living; occupants)

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

CHAPTER 14

SENATE BILL 1247

AN
ACT

Amending title 36, chapter 4, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 36-407.04; relating to health
care institutions.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 36, chapter 4, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 36-407.04, to read:

START_STATUTE
36-407.04.

Assisted living centers; assisted living homes; occupants;
prohibitions

Notwithstanding section 36-407, subsection
A and if allowed by an assisted living center
or an
assisted living home, an individual who does not receive supervisory care
services, personal care services or directed care services may live with a
resident in the assisted living center
or assisted living
home in the resident's unit or may live in any other unit within the assisted
living center
or assisted living home.� The department
may not:

1. place any requirement on that
individual with which a resident would not need to comply.

2. Require that individual to have a
service plan or to receive supervisory care services, personal care services or
directed care services.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Emergency

This act is an emergency measure that
is necessary to preserve the public peace, health or safety and is operative
immediately as provided by law.

APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR APRIL 6, 2026.

FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE APRIL 6, 2026.