SB 1356
Initials AG Page 1 Caucus & COW
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-seventh Legislature
First Regular Session
Senate: HHS DP 7-0-0-0 |APPROP DP 8-2-0-0 | 3rd Read 21-6-3-0
House: HHS DPA 10-1-0-1
SB 1356: group home monitoring program
Sponsor: Senator Dunn, LD 25
Caucus & COW
Overview
Continues the Developmental Disabilities Group Home Monitoring Pilot Program (Program)
past the three-year pilot period until January 1, 2031, and updates Program requirements.
History
The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) oversees the Developmental
Disabilities Group Home Monitoring Program which is a pilot program that requires DES to
contract with an entity designated to operate the protection and advocacy system for persons
with developmental disabilities (designated entity) to conduct the Program. Part of the
Program requires DES to establish an expedited referral system to forward quality-of-care
complaints to the designated entity for investigation. The designated entity must monitor
group homes that serve clients with complex needs and investigate quality-of-care complaints
concerning a DES-funded group home. If the designated entity substantiates an allegation,
the information must be shared with DES, the service provider and the Independent
Oversight Committee on Persons with Developmental Disabilities (DDD-IOC).
The designated entity must report to the Governor and the Legislature on observations and
outcomes, the quality of services provided and recommendations for improvements by
January 1, 2026. The Program terminates January 1, 2027 (A.R.S. § 36-595.03).
Provisions
1. Requires, subject to available appropriations, DES to contract with the designated entity
to operate the protection and advocacy system for persons with developmental
disabilities. (Sec. 2)
2. Directs, beginning January 1, 2026, the designated entity to monitor group homes that
provide services to clients with complex needs to determine whether:
a) a client has a behavior treatment plan in place that is compliant with DES rules;
b) the client received the physical and behavioral health services as outlined by the
client's health care providers and person-centered service plan, including regular
physical activity with modification, if any;
c) the client's dietary requirements have been met, including compliance with dietary
orders from the client's health care providers;
d) the food provided in the group home met generally accepted dietary standards and
guidelines for healthy Americans in accordance with dietary guidelines of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture;
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note SB 1356
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e) the guardian of the client with complex needs and the client, if applicable, were
included in all decision-making regarding the client and were informed of any changes
to the client's regular activities or daily routine;
f) group home direct care staff demonstrate the knowledge and skills required to meet
the medical and behavioral health care needs of the client as outlined in the client's
person-centered service plan and behavior treatment plan, if applicable;
g) the client had access to and used all prescribed adaptive equipment;
h) group home direct care staff worked with the behavioral health providers serving the
client, as allowed by the client or client's guardian and as outlined in the client's
person-centered service plan and behavior treatment plan, if applicable; and
i) the group home is compliant with applicable incident reporting policies, including
documenting and reporting physical interventions and any other emergency measures
taken. (Sec. 2)
3. Requires the designated entity to complete follow-up monitoring reviews for group homes
that were monitored and identified as having significant compliance or quality of care
concerns, including notifying DES on additional follow-up to ensure that compliance
standards are met and sustained beginning January 1, 2026. (Sec. 2)
4. Directs the designated entity to compile and complete:
a) monthly reports to DES detailing monitoring results from the previous month,
including identified systemic issues and recommendations for improvements; and
b) a comprehensive annual report of all observations and outcomes during the preceding
year. (Sec. 2)
5. Directs DES to establish an expedited referral system to ensure copies of all incident
reports, quality of care complaints, investigation records and client service requests for
each group home monitored are forwarded to the designated entity for review and
analysis, by January 1, 2026. (Sec. 2)
6. Repeals the requirement that the designated entity determine whether all physical
interventions used by a group home's staff have complied with each client's behavioral
treatment plan and applicable state laws. (Sec. 2)
7. Replaces the requirement that the designated entity provide substantiated allegations in
a quality-of-care complaint to DES with a requirement that it provides any concerns
identified during a group home follow-up review. (Sec. 2)
8. Directs DES to provide the designated entity with:
a) access to all information necessary to verify service compliance;
b) a written response to all monthly reports completed by the designated entity; and
c) quarterly reports identifying the actions taken in response to identified systemic
issues and recommendations received from the designated entity. (Sec. 2)
9. Tasks DES to post the following on its website:
a) all the designated entity's monthly and annual reports;
b) all DES responses to the designated entity's monthly and annual reports;
c) all quarterly reports from DES; and
d) the monitoring tool and related instructions used by the designated entity to monitor
group homes. (Sec. 2) SB 1356
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10. Directs the designated entity, annually on December 31, to report observation and
outcomes of the Program to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House
of Representatives, Secretary of State and DDD-IOC. (Sec. 2)
11. Instructs, by January 1, 2030, the Health and Human Services Committees of the Senate
and the House of Representatives to:
a) review all reports submitted to DES, as well as the DES responses, including
observations and outcomes of the program, systemic issues identified, quality of
services and any recommendations for DES; and
b) determine whether the Program should be continued, modified or discontinued.
(Sec. 2)
12. Extends the Program's repeal date to January 1, 2031. (Sec. 4)
13. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1-2)
Amendments
Committee on Health & Human Services
1. Requires the designated entity when monitoring group homes to determine whether a
client has a behavior treatment plan in place that is compliant with DES rules and has
had a positive impact on behaviors that interfered with the ability of the client with
complex needs to live safely in the community.
2. Requires the designated entity to utilize a monitoring tool to assess whether the
prescribed criteria were satisfied.
3. Directs DES to provide the designated entity with quarterly written reports responding
to the issued identified in the designated entity's monthly reports from the previous
quarter year.
4. Changes the annual deadline that the designated entity must report its observations and
outcomes of the Program to the Governor, Legislature and the DDD Independent
Oversight Committee from December 31 to January 15.
5. Makes technical and conforming changes.