REFERENCE TITLE: DOC; substance abuse programs; appropriations

 

 

 

 

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fourth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2020

 

 

 

HB 2879

 

Introduced by

Representatives Roberts: Barto, Biasiucci, Blackman, Blanc, Bolick, Bowers, Butler, Campbell, Carroll, Cobb, Cook, DeGrazia, Dunn, Engel, Epstein, Finchem, Grantham, Griffin, Kavanagh, Nutt, Osborne, Payne, Petersen, Pierce, Rivero, Rodriguez, Shope, Terán, Thorpe, Toma, Townsend, Udall, Weninger

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending Title 36, chapter 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding article 5; amending section 36-2817, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to substance abuse treatment and counseling.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Title 36, chapter 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding article 5, to read:

ARTICLE 5.  SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT

PROVIDER LOAN REPAYMENT

START_STATUTE36-281.  Substance abuse treatment provider loan repayment fund; annual report; exemption; definition

A.  The Substance abuse treatment provider loan repayment fund is established.  The department of health services shall administer the fund.  Monies in the fund are:

1.  subject to legislative appropriation.

2.  exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations.

B.  Subject to the availability of monies, The department shall use the monies in the fund to provide grants to defray a portion of the outstanding educational loan payment obligation of medical professionals who provide substance abuse treatment or counseling in correctional facilities in this state.

C.  The department shall prescribe the application and eligibility requirements for the grants.  For the purposes of this section, The department is exempt from the requirements of title 41, chapters 23 and 24.

D.  the department shall award grants In the following order of priority:

1.  Medical professionals who provide substance abuse treatment or counseling in a correctional facility operated by the state department of corrections.

2.  Medical professionals who provide substance abuse treatment or counseling in a correctional facility operated by the department of juvenile corrections.

3.  Medical professionals who provide substance abuse treatment or counseling in a county jail.

E.  A qualified grant recipient who provides an average of more than thirty hours of substance abuse treatment or counseling per week in a month is eligible to receive an award of not more than $1,500 to defray the recipient's outstanding educational loan payment obligation for that month.  A qualified grant recipient who provides an average of at least twenty hours but not more than thirty hours of substance abuse treatment or counseling per week in a month is eligible to receive an award of not more than $750 to defray the recipient's outstanding educational loan payment obligation for that month.  A qualified grant recipient is not eligible to receive an award amount that exceeds the recipient's total educational loan payment obligation for the month.

F.  On or before October 1 of each year, the department shall submit a report to the joint legislative budget committee on each grant awarded during the previous fiscal year, including:

1.  The amount of each recipient's grant.

2.  Each recipient's category of priority as prescribed by subsection D of this section.

3.  Each recipient's AVERAGE number of hours per week providing substance abuse treatment or counseling.

G.  For the purposes of this section, "medical professionals" includes licensed or certified:

1.  Clinical social workers.

2.  Therapists.

3.  Psychiatric nurse practitioners.

4.  medical doctors.

5.  Psychologists.

6.  Substance abuse counselors. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.  Subject to the requirements of article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 36-2817, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE36-2817.  Medical marijuana fund; private donations; transfers; reporting requirements

A.  The medical marijuana fund is established consisting of fees collected, civil penalties imposed and private donations received under this chapter.  The department shall administer the fund.  Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated.

B.  The director of the department may accept and spend private grants, gifts, donations, contributions and devises to assist in carrying out the provisions of this chapter.

C.  The department shall annually transfer:

1.  $2,000,000 from the medical marijuana fund to the substance abuse treatment provider loan repayment fund established by section 36‑281.

2.  $5,000,000 to the state department of corrections to provide substance abuse counseling to prisoners in the custody of the state department of corrections.  The state department of corrections shall prioritize substance abuse counseling for prisoners who receive earned release credits pursuant to section 41-1604.07, subsection B, paragraph 1.  Before spending any monies transferred to the state department of corrections pursuant to this PARAGRAPH in A fiscal year, the state department of corrections shall submit an expenditure plan for review by the joint legislative budget committee.  On or before October 1 of each year, the state department of corrections shall submit a report to the joint legislative budget committee on the outcomes achieved by the substance abuse counseling provided pursuant to this PARAGRAPH during the previous fiscal year.

3.  $1,000,000 to the state department of corrections to hire at least one employment specialist at each prison operated by the state department of corrections.  Each employment specialist shall provide services to prisoners who were convicted of drug possession and who have successfully completed substance abuse treatment to prepare the prisoners for successful reentry to society on release from prison.  On or before October 1 of each year, the state department of corrections shall submit a report to the joint legislative budget committee on the outcomes achieved by the employment services provided pursuant to this PARAGRAPH during the previous fiscal year.

4.  $125,000 to the Arizona health care cost containment system to establish a reach‑in program of coordinated care on release from prison for prisoners who were convicted of drug possession.  On or before October 1 of each year, the system shall submit a report to the joint legislative budget committee on the outcomes achieved by the reach‑in program provided pursuant to this paragraph during the previous fiscal year.

C.  D.  Monies in the medical marijuana fund do not revert to the state general fund at the end of a fiscal year. END_STATUTE

Sec. 3.  Requirements for enactment; three-fourths vote

Pursuant to article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 36-2817, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, is effective only on the affirmative vote of at least three-fourths of the members of each house of the legislature.