HB 2098
Initials AG Page 1 House Engrossed
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-fifth Legislature
Second Regular Session
House: HHS DP 9-0-0-0
HB 2098: psychiatric assessment; nurse practitioners; reporting
Sponsor: Representative Cobb, LD 5
House Engrossed
Overview
Expands the list of professionals who may perform psychiatric assessments for minors to include
psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioners.
History
Statute defines a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner as a registered nurse who has
completed an adult or family psychiatric and mental nurse practitioner program and is certified by
the Arizona State Board of Nursing (A.R.S. § 36-501).
Currently, psychologists, psychiatrists or physicians can conduct outpatient or inpatient
assessments for minors and provide certain recommendations for outpatient and inpatient
treatment services. Statute provides procedures for an entity to secure inpatient psychiatric acute
care services or residential treatment services for children under their care (A.R.S. § 8-272).
An entity means the Department of Child Safety, Department of Juvenile Corrections or a child
welfare agency that has been granted legal care, custody and control of a child by order of the
juvenile court and responsible for securing inpatient psychiatric acute care services or residential
treatment services for a child. Entities include a probation department or juvenile detention center
that either recommends or is ordered by the court to provide these services for a child (A.R.S. §
8-271).
Provisions
1. Enables a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner to conduct inpatient and outpatient
assessments for minors. (Sec. 1)
2. Requires a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner to provide certain
recommendations for a child after conducting an outpatient assessment or inpatient
assessment. (Sec. 1)
3. Directs a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner to provide the inpatient assessment
to the entity within 72 hours after the child is admitted to an inpatient assessment facility.
(Sec. 1)
4. Adds psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioners to the list of health professionals an
entity can include in their motion for approval of admission for inpatient assessment with the
juvenile court. (Sec.1)
5. Specifies that if a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner performs the child's
outpatient or inpatient assessment and recommends they receive inpatient acute care
services, the entity must file the motion for inpatient psychiatric acute care services with the
juvenile court. (Sec. 1)
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note HB 2098
Initials AG Page 2 House Engrossed
6. Specifies that if a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner recommends that a child
receive inpatient psychiatric services after conducting the inpatient assessment, the entity
must file a motion for inpatient psychiatric acute care services no later than 24-hours after
receiving the inpatient assessment. (Sec. 1)
7. Defines psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner. (Sec. 1)
8. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)