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REFERENCE TITLE: authorized transporters |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2026
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HB 2404 |
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Introduced by Representative Willoughby
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AN ACT
Amending sections 36-503.02 and 36-523, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to mental health services.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 36-503.02, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
36-503.02. Apprehension and transportation by authorized transporters; immunity
A. When in any section of articles 4 and 5 of this chapter, a court, a person, an evaluation agency or a mental health treatment agency is allowed to authorize, request or order the apprehension and transportation of a patient or proposed patient by a peace officer to an evaluation agency or mental health treatment agency, the court, person, evaluation agency or mental health treatment agency may authorize the apprehension and transportation by an authorized transporter if available in the city, town or county if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the patient or proposed patient may be safely apprehended and transported by an authorized transporter without the assistance of a peace officer.
B. Any person who provides a court, a person, an evaluation agency or a mental health treatment agency authorized to request or order the apprehension and transportation of a patient or proposed patient with facts and circumstances or expresses an opinion that there may be reasonable grounds to believe a patient or proposed patient may be safely apprehended and transported to an evaluation agency or mental health treatment agency by an authorized transporter without the assistance of a peace officer, the court, the person, the evaluation agency or the mental health treatment agency that authorizes the use of an authorized transporter and the authorized transporter that apprehends and transports the patient or proposed patient to an evaluation agency or mental health treatment agency pursuant to an authorization, request or order issued under this chapter are not subject to civil liability for the apprehension or transportation. This liability exclusion does not apply to a person who acts with gross negligence.
C. This chapter does not require a city, town or county to contract with an authorized transporter to provide services pursuant to this chapter instead of a peace officer. A city, town or county that enters into a contract with an authorized transporter is financially responsible for the contracted services provided pursuant to this chapter by the authorized transporter.
D. For the purposes of this chapter, an evaluation agency or mental health treatment agency authorizing the use of an authorized transporter is not financially responsible for the use of the authorized transporter.
Sec. 2. Section 36-523, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
36-523. Petition for evaluation
A. The petition for evaluation shall contain the following:
1. The name, address and interest in the case of the individual who applied for the petition.
2. The name, and address if known, of the proposed patient for whom evaluation is petitioned.
3. The present whereabouts of the proposed patient, if known.
4. A statement alleging that there is reasonable cause to believe that the proposed patient has a mental disorder and is as a result a danger to self or others, has a persistent or acute disability or a grave disability and is unwilling or unable to undergo voluntary evaluation.
5. A summary of the facts that support the allegations that the proposed patient is dangerous, has a persistent or acute disability or a grave disability and is unwilling or unable to be voluntarily evaluated, including the facts that brought the proposed patient to the screening agency's attention.
6. If the petition is filed by a prosecutor pursuant to section 13-4517, any known criminal history of the proposed patient, including whether the proposed patient has ever been found incompetent to stand trial pursuant to section 13-4510.
7. A statement of any facts and circumstances that lead the petitioner to believe that the proposed patient may be safely transported to the evaluation agency by an authorized transporter, if available in the jurisdiction, without the assistance of a peace officer.
8. The petition shall state The names and contact information of any persons known who witnessed the behavior exhibited by the proposed patient on which the petition is based. The agency may not decline to process a petition for court-ordered evaluation because no witnesses acquainted with the proposed patient have been identified.
9. Other information that the director by rule or the court by rule or order may require.
B. The petition shall request that the court issue an order requiring that the proposed patient be given an evaluation and shall advise the court of both of the following:
1. That the opinion of the petitioner is either that the proposed patient is or is not in such a condition that without immediate or continuing hospitalization the patient is likely to suffer serious physical harm or further deterioration or inflict serious physical harm on another person.
2. If the opinion of the petitioner is that the proposed patient is not in the condition described in paragraph 1 of this subsection, that the opinion of the petitioner is either that the evaluation should or should not take place on an outpatient basis.
C. For a petition filed pursuant to sections 36-520 and 36-521:
1. The petition for evaluation shall be accompanied by the application for evaluation, by the recommendation of the county attorney pursuant to section 36-521 and by a prepetition screening report, unless the documents have not been prepared under a provision of law or in accordance with an order of the court. The petition for evaluation shall also be accompanied by a copy of the application for emergency admission if one exists.
2. The petition and other forms required in a court may be filed only by the screening agency that has prepared the petition.
3. If the petition is prepared but not filed because it has been determined that the person no longer needs an evaluation, the medical director of the agency shall make a written statement of the reasons why the evaluation was determined to be no longer necessary and shall retain the petition together with the medical director's statement and the various reports annexed to the petition as required by this section.
4. If the petition is not filed because it has been determined that the person does not need an evaluation and a prosecutor filed a petition pursuant to section 13-4517, the person shall be remanded for a disposition pursuant to section 13-4517. If the person is out of custody, the court may order that the person be taken into custody for a disposition pursuant to this section.