Bill would require owners of Arizona behavioral health facilities to hold fingerprint clearance cards

A new section 36-411.02 would require fingerprint clearance cards and citizenship or lawful permanent residence as a condition of licensure for certain behavioral health facilities. It covers outpatient treatment centers that provide only behavioral health services, behavioral health inpatient and residential facilities, counseling facilities, substance abuse transitional facilities, and behavioral health specialized transitional facilities. For a nonprofit facility with no owner, the requirement applies to each applicant, each licensee, and the principal officer or executive director. The card must be issued under section 41-1758.07 (a level I card). It would apply beginning January 1, 2027.

Sections 41-619.51, 41-1758, 41-1758.01, and 41-1758.07 are amended to add section 36-411.02 to the lists of people fingerprinted. It covers people required to be fingerprinted under these sections, the fingerprinting division of the Department of Public Safety, and the board of fingerprinting. A person who must register as a sex offender or has been convicted of or is awaiting trial on listed serious offenses cannot get a level I card. A person with listed lesser offenses may petition the board of fingerprinting for a good cause exception. The licensee or contract provider pays for fingerprint checks and may charge those costs to the people fingerprinted.