Official Summary Text
SB1814 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
Assigned to
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PASSED BY HOUSE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR
s.b. 1814
substance
use disorder treatment; committee
Purpose
Establishes the
Substance Use Disorder Treatment Standards and Oversight Study Committee (Study
Committee) to assess substance use disorder specialty care programs and governance,
identify gaps in access and implementation, establish standards and investigate
funding needs to implement recommended reforms. Outlines Study Committee membership,
duties and reporting requirements.
Background
Drug addiction,
or substance use disorder, is a chronic disease in which a person compulsively
seeks and uses drugs despite harmful consequences. Repeated drug use changes
the brain, making it more difficult to resist cravings. Like other chronic
illnesses, addiction treatment must be ongoing and adapted to fit the person's
needs. Combining medications with behavioral therapy is the most effective
approach to addiction treatment (
SAMHSA
).
The Substance
Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services Block Grant (SUBG) is allocated
to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) for the purpose of
planning, implementing and evaluating substance use disorder services
throughout Arizona. The SUBG provides for prevention, treatment and recovery
services and may be used to provide early intervention services for diseases in
high-risk individuals who use substances. SUBG funds are used to ensure access
to treatment and support services for uninsured and underinsured individuals
and prescribes priority populations to be served. SUBG funds for treatment and
recovery services are primarily allocated from ACCCHS to regional behavioral
health authorities for the implementation of services (
AHCCCS
).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state
General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1.
Establishes
the Study Committee consisting of:
a)
two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate from
different political parties, including the Chairperson of the Senate Health and
Human Services Committee or its successor committee, with one chosen to serve
as Cochairperson;
b)
two members of the House of Representatives (House) appointed by the
Speaker of the House from different political parties, including the
Chairperson of the House Health and Human Services Committee or its successor
committee, with one chosen to serve as Cochairperson;
c)
the Governor or the Governor's designee;
d)
the Director of AHCCCS or the Director's designee;
e)
the Director of the Department of Health Services or the Director's
designee;
f)
the Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee;
g)
two licensed clinical behavioral health specialists appointed by the
President of the Senate, including one who practices in a county with a
population of fewer than 500,000 persons;
h)
two physicians appointed by the Speaker of the House who are
board-certified in either addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry and provide
medical care to individuals with substance use disorders, including one who practices
in a county with a population of fewer than 500,000 persons;
i)
one representative of a medical society or physician organization that
specializes in treating substance use disorders, appointed by the President of
the Senate;
j)
one member with a substance use disorder who has direct experience with
navigating treatment in Arizona, appointed by the Speaker of the House and
lives in a county with a population of fewer than 500,000 persons;
k)
one member of a membership-based advocacy organization that represents
health care providers who specialize in substance use disorder treatment,
appointed by the President of the Senate;
l)
one representative of a behavioral health accrediting organization, appointed
by the Speaker of the House;
m)
one
peer recovery support specialist, appointed by the Speaker of the House; and
n)
one representative
of a county law enforcement agency, appointed by the President of the Senate.
2.
Requires the Study Committee to meet at the call of the Cochairpersons.
3.
Specifies that members of the Study Committee are not eligible to
receive compensation but are eligible for reimbursement of expenses.
4.
Requires
the Study Committee to:
a)
conduct a comprehensive survey and research study to assess the
availability, capacity and geographic distribution of licensed and unlicensed
programs that offer substance use disorder specialty care in Arizona and
evaluate the economic impact, effectiveness and value of implementing statewide
minimum standards for evidence-based care;
b)
identify gaps in access to and implementation of evidence-based
biopsychosocial treatments, workforce capacity needs and resources necessary to
support high-quality care delivery across urban and rural settings, including
medically supported withdrawal services, medications for opioid use disorder,
licensed clinical providers, care coordination and recovery supports;
c)
review state laws, rules and oversight structures governing substance
use disorder treatment programs, identify regulatory loopholes that allow
unlicensed or nonstandard programs to operate without sufficient clinical
oversight and processes that enable fraud, waste and abuse, and recommend
statutory and administrative changes to close the gaps and align oversight
systems;
d)
establish minimum clinical quality standards, staff scope of practice
expectations, safety and outcome reporting requirements and public transparency
mechanisms to ensure accountability, protect patients and provide families and
referring providers with clear information to support treatment
decision-making; and
e)
investigate
funding needs, reimbursement structures and licensed workforce models required
to implement the reforms, including strategies to build and sustain a
professional clinical workforce capable of meeting statewide treatment demand
and ensuring timely access to evidence-based care.
5.
Requires the Study Committee, by December 31, 2027, to submit a report
regarding its activities, findings and recommendations, including proposed
statutory and regulatory changes, funding considerations and implementation
timelines, to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
House, and provide a copy to the Secretary of State.
6.
Repeals the Study Committee on July 1, 2028.
7.
Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by the
House of Representatives
�
Replaces the
Director of the Joint
Legislative Budget Committee, or the Director's designee, on the Study
Committee with a member appointed by the President of the Senate who represents
a county law enforcement agency
.
Senate Action
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House
Action
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Prepared by Senate Research
April 28, 2026
MM/SDR/hk
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
Chapter 0189 - 572R - H Ver of SB1814
House Engrossed
Senate Bill
substance use
disorder treatment; committee
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
CHAPTER 189
SENATE BILL 1814
AN
ACT
Establishing the substance use disorder treatment
standards and oversight study committee.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1.
Substance use
disorder treatment standards and oversight study committee; membership; duties;
report; delayed repeal
A. The substance use
disorder treatment standards and oversight study committee is established
consisting of the following members:
1. Two members of the
senate who are from different political parties and who are appointed by the
president of the senate. The president of the senate shall designate
one of these members to serve as cochairperson of the study committee.� One
member shall be the chairperson of the senate health and human services
committee, or its successor committee.
2. Two members of the house
of representatives who are from different political parties and who are
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. The
speaker of the house of representatives shall designate one of these members to
serve as cochairperson of the study committee.� One member shall be the
chairperson of the house of representatives health and human services
committee, or its successor committee.
3. The governor or the
governor's designee.
4. The director of the
Arizona health care cost containment system or the director's designee.
5. The director of the
department of health services or the director's designee.
6. The attorney general or
the attorney general's designee.
7. Two members who are
licensed clinical behavioral health specialists
, one of
whom practices in a county with a population of less than five hundred thousand
persons,
and who are appointed by the president of the senate.
8. Two physicians who are
board-certified in either addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, one
of whom practices in a county with a population of less than five hundred
thousand persons, and who provide medical care to individuals with substance
use disorder and who are appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives.
9. One member who
represents leadership from a medical society or a physician organization that
specializes in treating substance use disorder and who is appointed by the
president of the senate.
10. One member with
substance use disorder who has direct experience with navigating treatment for
substance use disorder in this state, who lives in a county with a population
of less than five hundred thousand persons and who is appointed by the speaker
of the house of representatives.
11. One
member who represents a membership-based advocacy organization that
represents health care providers who specialize in substance use disorder
treatment and who is appointed by the president of the senate.
12. One member who
represents a behavioral health accrediting organization and who is appointed by
the speaker of the house of representatives.
13. One peer recovery
support specialist who is appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives.
14. One member who
represents a county law enforcement agency and who is appointed by the
president of the senate.
B. The study committee
shall meet at the call of the cochairpersons.
C. Members of the study
committee are not eligible to receive compensation but are eligible for
reimbursement of expenses pursuant to title 38, chapter 4, article 2, Arizona
Revised Statutes.
D. The study committee
shall:
1. Conduct a comprehensive
survey and research study to assess the availability, capacity and geographic
distribution of licensed and unlicensed programs that offer substance use
disorder specialty care in this state and evaluate the economic impact,
effectiveness and value of implementing statewide minimum standards for
evidence-based care.
2. Identify gaps in access
to and implementation of evidence-based biopsychosocial treatments,
workforce capacity needs and resources necessary to support high-quality
care delivery across urban and rural settings, including medically supported
withdrawal services, medications for opioid use disorder, licensed clinical
providers, care coordination and recovery supports.
3. Review state laws, rules
and oversight structures governing substance use disorder treatment programs,
identify regulatory loopholes that allow unlicensed or nonstandard programs to
operate without sufficient clinical oversight and processes that enable fraud,
waste and abuse, and recommend statutory and administrative changes to close
these gaps and align oversight systems.
4. Establish minimum
clinical quality standards, staff scope of practice expectations, safety and
outcome reporting requirements and public transparency mechanisms to ensure
accountability, protect patients and provide families and referring providers
with clear information to support treatment decision-making.
5. Investigate funding
needs, reimbursement structures and licensed workforce models required to
implement these reforms, including strategies to build and sustain a
professional clinical workforce capable of meeting statewide treatment demand
and ensuring timely access to evidence-based care.
E. On or before December
31, 2027, the substance use disorder treatment standards and oversight study
committee shall submit a report regarding the committee's activities, findings
and recommendations, including proposed statutory and regulatory changes,
funding considerations and implementation timelines, 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.
F. This section is repealed
from and after June 30, 2028.
APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR JUNE 19, 2026.
FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 22, 2026.