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)

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