AZ
Arizona House Bill HB2256

Arizona 2025 Regular Session

Arizona House Bill HB2256 Compare Versions

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1-Senate Engrossed House Bill parental alienation; testimony; prohibition (now: parenting time hearings; testimony; prohibition) (now: domestic proceedings; therapeutic intervention; prohibition) State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 HOUSE BILL 2256 AN ACT amending title 25, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 25-419; relating to judicial parenting orders. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
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3-Senate Engrossed House Bill parental alienation; testimony; prohibition
4-(now: parenting time hearings; testimony; prohibition) (now: domestic proceedings; therapeutic intervention; prohibition) State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
5-HOUSE BILL 2256
1+House Engrossed parental alienation; testimony; prohibition State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 HOUSE BILL 2256 AN ACT amending title 25, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 25-407.01; relating to legal decision-making and parenting time. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
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11+House Engrossed parental alienation; testimony; prohibition
12+State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
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1119 parental alienation; testimony; prohibition
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1729 State of Arizona
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2133 Fifty-seventh Legislature
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2745 HOUSE BILL 2256
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2955 AN ACT
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31-amending title 25, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 25-419; relating to judicial parenting orders.
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59+amending title 25, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 25-407.01; relating to legal decision-making and parenting time.
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35-Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Title 25, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 25-419, to read: START_STATUTE25-419. Therapeutic intervention; payment; prohibition; expert testimony; qualifications; definition A. Notwithstanding any OTHER law, in any legal decision-making or parenting time proceeding, a court shall not order a party to pay for any type of therapeutic intervention without the consent of the party. b. Notwithstanding any other law, in any legal decision-making or parenting time proceeding, expert testimony related to therapeutic intervention, child development, mental or physical health, domestic violence or substance abuse is admissible if both of the following apply: 1. The expert has specialized expertise in child development and substantial clinical experience with children in a therapeutic setting. 2. The expert's opinion is supported by the canons of the expert's profession, adheres to the guidelines of the expert's licensing board and does not rely on theories that are not clinically established. C. A person who offers expert testimony, conducts an investigation or evaluation or submits a report or recommendation to the court pursuant to section 25-405 or 25-406 shall meet the qualifications of subsection B of this section before offering expert testimony, conducting an investigation or evaluation or submitting a report or recommendation to theparenting time proceeding, expert testimony related to therapeutic intervention, child development, mental or physical health, domestic violence or substance abuse is admissible if both of the following apply: 1. The expert has specialized expertise in child development and substantial clinical experience with children in a therapeutic setting. 2. The expert's opinion is supported by the canons of the expert's profession, adheres to the guidelines of the expert's licensing board and does not rely on theories that are not clinically established. C. Professional PERSONNEL who conduct an investigation or evaluation or submit a report or recommendation to the court pursuant to sections 25-405 and 25-406 shall meet the qualifications of subsection B of this section before offering expert testimony, conducting an investigation or evaluation or submitting a report or recommendation to court. D. For the purposes of this section, "THERAPEUTIC intervention": 1. Means any THERAPY, treatment or counseling program designed to IMPROVE or MAINTAIN the parent-child relationship or the parent-parent relationship, or both. 2. includes court-ordered behavioral intervention.END_STATUTE
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69+ Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Title 25, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 25-407.01, to read: START_STATUTE25-407.01. Legal decision-making and parenting time hearings; parental alienation testimony; prohibition in any legal decision-making or parenting time proceeding, including a legal decision-making or parenting time modification petition filed pursuant to section 25-411, the court is prohibited from taking testimony or making findings based on TERMINOLOGY OR THEORIES THAT ARE NOT SCIENTIFICALLY SUPPORTED AND THAT DO NOT LEAD TO SPECIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT.based solely on an allegation allegations of parental alienation. B. For the purposes of this section, "parental alienation" means the psychological manipulation of a child into showing unwarranted fear, disrespect or hostility toward a parent or another family member, or both. INCLUDES: 1. alienating behaviors. 2. resist-refuse dynamics. 3. parent child contact problems. 4. rejected parent. 5. aligned Parent. 6. enmeshed Parent. 7. preferred parent. 8. alienated parent. END_STATUTE
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3771 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
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39-Section 1. Title 25, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 25-419, to read:
73+Section 1. Title 25, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 25-407.01, to read:
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41-START_STATUTE25-419. Therapeutic intervention; payment; prohibition; expert testimony; qualifications; definition
75+START_STATUTE25-407.01. Legal decision-making and parenting time hearings; parental alienation testimony; prohibition
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43-A. Notwithstanding any OTHER law, in any legal decision-making or parenting time proceeding, a court shall not order a party to pay for any type of therapeutic intervention without the consent of the party.
77+in any legal decision-making or parenting time proceeding, including a legal decision-making or parenting time modification petition filed pursuant to section 25-411, the court is prohibited from taking testimony or making findings based on TERMINOLOGY OR THEORIES THAT ARE NOT SCIENTIFICALLY SUPPORTED AND THAT DO NOT LEAD TO SPECIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT.based solely on an allegation allegations of parental alienation.
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45-b. Notwithstanding any other law, in any legal decision-making or parenting time proceeding, expert testimony related to therapeutic intervention, child development, mental or physical health, domestic violence or substance abuse is admissible if both of the following apply:
79+B. For the purposes of this section, "parental alienation" means the psychological manipulation of a child into showing unwarranted fear, disrespect or hostility toward a parent or another family member, or both. INCLUDES:
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47-1. The expert has specialized expertise in child development and substantial clinical experience with children in a therapeutic setting.
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49-2. The expert's opinion is supported by the canons of the expert's profession, adheres to the guidelines of the expert's licensing board and does not rely on theories that are not clinically established.
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51-C. A person who offers expert testimony, conducts an investigation or evaluation or submits a report or recommendation to the court pursuant to section 25-405 or 25-406 shall meet the qualifications of subsection B of this section before offering expert testimony, conducting an investigation or evaluation or submitting a report or recommendation to theparenting time proceeding, expert testimony related to therapeutic intervention, child development, mental or physical health, domestic violence or substance abuse is admissible if both of the following apply:
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53-1. The expert has specialized expertise in child development and substantial clinical experience with children in a therapeutic setting.
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55-2. The expert's opinion is supported by the canons of the expert's profession, adheres to the guidelines of the expert's licensing board and does not rely on theories that are not clinically established.
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57-C. Professional PERSONNEL who conduct an investigation or evaluation or submit a report or recommendation to the court pursuant to sections 25-405 and 25-406 shall meet the qualifications of subsection B of this section before offering expert testimony, conducting an investigation or evaluation or submitting a report or recommendation to court.
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59-D. For the purposes of this section, "THERAPEUTIC intervention":
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61-1. Means any THERAPY, treatment or counseling program designed to IMPROVE or MAINTAIN the parent-child relationship or the parent-parent relationship, or both.
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63-2. includes court-ordered behavioral intervention.END_STATUTE
95+8. alienated parent. END_STATUTE