social workers; documentation; dialysis centers

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information about how this change will affect patient care and the workload of social workers, leaving these points uncertain.

Social Workers and Dialysis Centers

This bill limits how often social workers at dialysis centers must document patient progress in medical records to once every three months unless Medicare or Medicaid requires more frequent documentation.

What This Bill Does

• It prohibits the Department of Health Services from requiring social workers employed by outpatient treatment centers providing dialysis services to write about a patient's progress more than once every three months, except when required by Medicare or Medicaid.

Who It Names or Affects

• Social workers who work at outpatient treatment centers providing dialysis services.
• Patients receiving dialysis treatments at these centers.

Terms To Know

Dialysis

A medical procedure that filters and purifies the blood when the kidneys are not able to do so properly.

Outpatient treatment center

A healthcare facility where patients receive treatments without staying overnight in a hospital.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if Medicare or Medicaid requires more frequent documentation.
• It is unclear how this change will affect patient care and the workload of social workers.

Official Summary Text

SB1446 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
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AS PASSED BY COW

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1446

social
workers; documentation; dialysis centers

Purpose

Prescribes documentation requirements for social workers that provide
dialysis services at an outpatient treatment center.

Background

The Department of Health Services (DHS) licenses and oversees health care
institutions in Arizona, including outpatient treatment centers. DHS must adopt
rules to establish minimum standards and requirements for constructing,
modifying and licensing health care institutions necessary to ensure the public
health safety and welfare (A.R.S. ��
36-405

and
36-406
).

An administrator of an outpatient treatment center that is authorized to
provide dialysis services must ensure that a social worker is employed by the
outpatient treatment center to meet the needs of a patient receiving dialysis
services, including: 1) conducting an initial psychological evaluation of the
patient within 30 calendar days of admission; 2) participating in reviewing the
patient's need for social work services; 3) recommending changes in treatment
based on the psychological evaluation; 4) assisting the patient and the
patient's representative in obtaining and understanding information for making
decisions about the medical services provided to the patient; 5) identifying
community agencies and resources for the patient and the patient's representative
to utilize; 6) documenting monthly notes related to the patient's progress in
the patient's medical record; and 7) conducting a follow-up psychological
evaluation of the patient at least once every 12 months after the date of
admission into the treatment center (
A.A.C.
R9-10-1018
).

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

Provisions

1.

Prohibits DHS from requiring a social
worker, who is employed by an outpatient treatment center that is authorized to
provide dialysis services, to document the progress of a patient who receives
dialysis services in the patient's medical record more frequently than on a
quarterly basis unless otherwise required by the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services to meet the needs of the patient.

2.

Becomes
effective on the general effective date.

Amendments
Adopted by Committee of the Whole

�

Specifies that DHS may not require a
social worker, who is employed by an outpatient treatment center that is
authorized to provide dialysis services, to document of the progress of a
patient who receives dialysis services in the patient�s medical record more
frequently than on a quarterly basis unless otherwise required by the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services to meet the needs of the patient.

Senate Action

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Prepared
by Senate Research

March 4,
2026

JT/HD/ci

Current Bill Text

SB1446 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

social workers;
documentation; dialysis centers

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1446

AN
ACT

Amending title 36, chapter 4, article 2, Arizona
Revised Statutes, by adding section 36-423.01; 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 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 36-423.01, to read:

START_STATUTE
36-423.01.

Outpatient treatment centers; dialysis services; social workers;
documentation

tHE DEPARTMENT MAY NOT REQUIRE A social worker
who is employed by an outpatient treatment center that is authorized to provide
dialysis services to document the progress of a patient who receives dialysis
services in the patient's medical record
MORE FREQUENTLY
THAN ON A QUARTERLY BASIS UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUIRED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE
AND medicaid SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PATIENT.
END_STATUTE