Official Summary Text
SB1391 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
Assigned to
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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR
s.b. 1391
stress
management pilot program; appropriation
Purpose
Appropriates $950,000 in FY 2027 from the state General Fund (state GF) to
the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) to establish a
law enforcement stress management pilot program (pilot program) to provide
mental health and wellness training and resources and prescribes instruction
and reporting requirements for the program.
Background
AZPOST must, among other responsibilities: 1) prescribe reasonable
minimum qualifications for officers to be appointed to enforce the laws of
Arizona and its political subdivisions and certify officers in compliance with
the qualifications; 2) prescribe courses of training minimum standards for
training facilities for law enforcement officers; and 3) make inquiries to
determine whether the state and political subdivisions are adhering to the
standards of recruitment, appointment and training (
A.R.S.
� 41-1822
).
An academy that conducts AZPOST-prescribed basic training courses must
use curricula that meet minimum course requirements for basic courses of
instruction. Topics in the basic training course serving as an introduction to
law enforcement must include criminal justice systems, the history of law
enforcement, law enforcement services, supervision and management, ethics and
professionalism and stress management (
A.A.C.
R13-4-116
).
S.B. 1391 appropriates $950,000 in FY 2027 from the state GF to AZPOST.
Provisions
1.
Requires AZPOST to establish and operate a pilot program.
2.
Allows AZPOST to select one nonprofit organization based in Arizona to
develop and deliver a comprehensive and proactive mental wellness training
program and provide associated mental wellness and mental health resources for
peace officers.
3.
Stipulates
that an eligible nonprofit must:
a)
be headquartered and continuously operated in Arizona;
b)
demonstrate a minimum of five consecutive years of experience providing
proactive and preventative mental wellness, stress resiliency and suicide
prevention training specifically designed for sworn law enforcement officers;
c)
demonstrate a minimum of five consecutive years of experience providing mental
wellness and stress coaching and structured peer-support services anonymously
to peace officers and first responders;
d)
demonstrate a core mission and primary focus dedicated to the law
enforcement lifestyle's proactive mental wellness, injury-informed stress
response and suicide prevention;
e)
provide training and services that emphasize proactive preventative and
peer-supported mental wellness approaches, rather than post-incident clinical
treatment or a generalized employee assistance programming; and
f)
demonstrate the organizational capacity to provide statewide training to
all AZPOST basic academy classes and to peace officers who are employed by a
law enforcement agency in Arizona, including:
i.
providing a network of at least 15 certified instructors; and
ii.
establishing operational infrastructure to support multijurisdictional
training delivery.
4.
Requires
the pilot program to use a proactive, preventative approach to stress and
resilience using education, skills-based training and early identification and
facilitated discussion of stressors that are unique to the law enforcement
profession and its cumulative and operational impacts on:
a)
individual peace officers, including mental wellness performance,
decision-making and long-term occupational health;
b)
law enforcement officers' families, including secondary stress exposure,
relationship dynamics and family resilience;
c)
law enforcement agencies, including workforce readiness, retention,
morale and organizational health; and
d)
the
public, including community interactions, officer safety and public trust.
5.
Specifies
that the pilot program must include instruction on stress fundamentals, including:
a)
occupational stressors unique to the law enforcement profession;
b)
types of stress, including beneficial and harmful stress, hypo-stress
and hyper-stress responses; and
c)
cumulative
stress reactions, such as post-traumatic stress, post-traumatic stress injury
and post-traumatic stress growth.
6.
Specifies that the pilot program must include instruction on the use of
occupational stress empirical data, including statistical trends related to
divorce, suicide, substance abuse disorders and stress-related outcomes among
peace officers and the relationship between occupational stress exposure and
long-term wellness outcomes in law enforcement.
7.
Specifies
that the pilot program must include instruction on how stress on law
enforcement officers impacts families, including:
a)
the effects of law enforcement work on personal and family relationships;
b)
the importance of educating spouses and family members regarding
occupational stress and the manifestations of stress; and
c)
how
to provide communication strategies that support healthy relationships and
family resilience.
8.
Specifies
that the pilot program must include instruction on the association of stress
and critical incidents, including:
a)
agencies' responsibilities and best practices after critical incidents;
b)
physiological and psychological impacts of officer-involved shootings;
and
c)
other
high-risk events and post-incident recovery, including peer support
considerations and available mental wellness and mental health resources.
9.
Specifies
that the pilot program must include instruction on identification and
recognition of post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress injury,
including:
a)
cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioral indicators of
post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress injury;
b)
chronic and acute stress manifestations, acute stress disorder and
post-traumatic stress;
c)
the effects of prolonged adrenaline exposure; and
d)
risk
factors and early prevention strategies related to suicide by law enforcement
officers.
10.
Specifies that the pilot
program must include instruction on individual strategies and responsibilities,
including:
a)
personal responsibility in stress management and mental wellness;
b)
how exercise, nutrition and sleep affect stress, post-traumatic stress
and post-traumatic stress injury; and
c)
nonpharmacological
and pharmacological considerations, including appropriate referral pathways.
11.
Requires AZPOST, by January
1, 2029, to submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate and
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and provide a copy of the report
to the Secretary of State, containing:
a)
participation levels and agency representation in the pilot program;
b)
a summary of the pilot program's course content and delivery;
c)
any participation feedback and outcome measures;
d)
attendance of and retention in the pilot program and morale and wellness
indicators, if available; and
e)
recommendations
regarding continuation, expansion or modification of the pilot program.
12.
Repeals
the pilot program on July 1, 2029.
13.
Appropriates
$950,000 in FY 2027 from the state GF to AZPOST to establish and operate the
pilot program.
14.
Stipulates that the
appropriation must be used solely for costs associated with the implementation
of the pilot program, including:
a)
curriculum development, instructional design and training materials;
b)
instructor compensation, including preparation and delivery times;
c)
in-person training delivery;
d)
program administration costs incurred by AZPOST;
e)
anonymous, nonclinical stress coaching that is focused on education,
prevention, resiliency and stress-navigation related to the law enforcement
officer's lifestyle; and
f)
program
evaluation, data collection and reporting related to program outcomes and
effectiveness.
15.
Specifies that the outlined
nonclinical stress coaching includes optional referral pathways to appropriate
resources for:
a)
newly hired peace officer recruits while enrolled in a basic law
enforcement academy; and
b)
immediate
family members of peace officer recruits during the period of law enforcement
academy attendance.
16.
Exempts
the appropriation from lapsing.
17.
Becomes
effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 2, 2026
KJA/SDR/hk
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
SB1391 - 572R - S Ver
Senate Engrossed
stress management
pilot program; appropriation
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
SENATE BILL 1391
AN
ACT
establishing the law enforcement STRESS management
pilot PROGRAM; Appropriating monies.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1.
Law
enforcement stress management pilot program; establishment; operation
A. The Arizona peace
officer standards and training board shall establish and operate a law
enforcement stress management pilot program. The board may select
one nonprofit organization that is based in this state to develop and deliver a
comprehensive and proactive mental wellness training program and to provide
associated mental wellness and mental health resources for peace
officers. To be eligible, the nonprofit organization must:
1. Be headquartered and be
continuously operating in this state.
2. Demonstrate a minimum of
five consecutive years of experience providing:
(
a
) Proactive
and preventative mental wellness, stress resiliency and suicide prevention
training that is specifically designed for sworn law enforcement officers.
(
b
) Mental
wellness and stress coaching and structured peer-support services anonymously
to peace officers and first responders.
3. Demonstrate the
organizational capacity to provide statewide training to all Arizona peace
officer standards and training basic academy classes and to peace officers who
are employed by this state or any county or municipal law enforcement agency in
this state, including:
(
a
) Providing
a network of at least fifteen certified instructors.
(
b
) Establishing
operational infrastructure to support multijurisdictional training delivery.
4. Demonstrate that the
nonprofit organization's core mission and primary focus are dedicated to the
law enforcement lifestyle, specifically proactive mental wellness,
injury-informed stress response and suicide prevention.
5. Provide training and
services that emphasize proactive, preventative and peer-supported mental
wellness approaches rather than post-incident clinical treatment or a
generalized employee assistance programming.
B. The law enforcement
stress management pilot program shall use a proactive, preventative approach to
stress and resilience using education, skills-based training and early
identification and facilitated discussion of stressors that are unique to the
law enforcement profession and the law enforcement profession's cumulative and
operational impacts on:
1. Individual peace
officers, including mental wellness performance, decision-making and long-term
occupational health.
2. Law enforcement
officer's families, including secondary stress exposure, relationship dynamics
and family resilience.
3. Law enforcement
agencies, including workforce readiness, retention, morale and organizational
health.
4. The public, including
community interactions, officer safety and public trust.
C. The law enforcement
stress management pilot program must provide instruction on:
1. Stress fundamentals,
including occupational stressors unique to the law enforcement profession,
types of stress, including beneficial and harmful stress, hypo-stress and
hyper-stress responses and cumulative stress reactions, such as post-traumatic
stress, post-traumatic stress injury and post-traumatic stress growth.
2. The use of occupational
stress empirical data, including statistical trends related to divorce,
suicide, substance use disorders and stress-related outcomes among peace
officers and the relationship between occupational stress exposure and long-term
wellness outcomes in law enforcement.
3. How stress on law
enforcement officers impact families, including the effects of law enforcement
work on personal and family relationships, the importance of educating spouses
and family members regarding occupational stress and the manifestations of
stress, and how to provide communication strategies that support healthy
relationships and family resilience.
4. The association of
stress and critical incidents, including agency's responsibilities and best
practices after critical incidents, physiological and psychological impacts of
officer-involved shootings and other high-risk events and post-incident
recovery, including peer support considerations and available mental wellness
and mental health resources.
5. Identification and
recognition of post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress injury,
including cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioral indicators of
post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress injury, chronic and acute
stress manifestations, acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress, the
effects of prolonged adrenaline exposure and risk factors and early prevention
strategies related to suicide by law enforcement officers.
6. Individual strategies
and responsibilities, including personal responsibility in stress management
and mental wellness, how exercise, nutrition and sleep affect stress,
post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress injury and
nonpharmacological and pharmacological considerations, including appropriate
referral pathways.
D. On or before December
31, 2028, the Arizona peace officer standards and training board shall submit a
report to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the
house of representatives and shall provide a copy of this report to the
secretary of state that contains all of the following:
1. Participation levels and
agency representation in the pilot program.
2. A summary of the pilot
program's course content and delivery.
3. Any participant feedback
and outcome measures.
4. Attendance of and
retention in the pilot program and morale and wellness indicators, if
available.
5. Recommendations
regarding continuation, expansion or modification of the pilot program.
E. This section is repealed
from and after June 30, 2029.
Sec. 2.
Appropriation;
Arizona peace officer standards and training board; exemption
A. The sum of $950,000 is
appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the
Arizona peace officer standards and training board to establish and operate a
law enforcement stress management pilot program.
B. The appropriation made
in subsection A of this section shall be used solely for costs associated with
the implementation of the pilot program, including:
1. Curriculum development,
instructional design and training materials.
2. Instructor compensation,
including preparation and delivery times.
3. In-person training
delivery.
4. Program administration
costs incurred by the Arizona peace officer standards and training board.
5. Anonymous, nonclinical
stress coaching that is focused on education, prevention, resiliency and
stress-navigation related to the law enforcement officer's lifestyle, including
optional referral pathways to appropriate resources for:
(
a
) Newly
hired peace officer recruits while enrolled in a basic law enforcement academy.
(
b
) Immediate
family members of peace officer recruits during the period of law enforcement
academy attendance.
6. Program evaluation, data
collection and reporting related to program outcomes and effectiveness.
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, until
June 30, 2029.