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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
House: APPROP DP 15-1-2-0
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HB 4162: human services; 2026-2027
Sponsor: Representative Livingston, LD 28
House Engrossed
Overview
Contains provisions relating to human services needed to implement the FY 2027 budget.
History
The Arizona Legislature adopts a budget for each fiscal year (FY) that contains general appropriations. Article IV, Section 20, Part 2, Constitution of Arizona, requires the General Appropriations Act (feed bill) to contain only appropriations for the different state departments, state institutions, public schools and interest on public debt. Statutory changes necessary to reconcile the appropriations made in the feed bill and other changes are drafted into separate budget bills. These bills are prepared according to subject area.
Provisions
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Fund Session Law Provisions
1. Establishes the SNAP Fund as a non-appropriated fund used to house the federal share of the administrative costs of SNAP. (Sec. 10)
2. Requires the Department of Economic Security (DES) to administer the SNAP Fund. (Sec. 10)
3. Specifies that SNAP Fund monies are continuously appropriated. (Sec. 10)
4. Repeals the SNAP Fund on July 1, 2027. (Sec. 10)
SNAP Eligibility Evaluation Session Law Provisions
5. Directs DES, to determine or evaluate SNAP eligibility, to:
a. review information provided by the Arizona State Lottery Commission, Department of Gaming and review its own data pursuant to federal law to identify members of eligible households who have substantial lottery or gambling winnings, including online gambling winnings and incorporate the information into its eligibility determinations;
b. review information provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) that identifies individuals who have had a change in circumstances that may affect SNAP eligibility;
c. review its own information as the state wage information collection agency and the agency that administers unemployment insurance benefits to verify eligibility and the amount of SNAP benefits due to eligible households pursuant to federal law;
d. review information provided by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry that identifies individuals who have had a change in circumstances that may affect SNAP eligibility. (Sec. 12)
6. Requires DES, to review the following information from federal sources to assess a recipient's eligibility for SNAP:
a. earned income information, death master file information, supplemental security income information, beneficiary records, earnings information and pension information that is maintained by the U.S. Social Security Administration;
b. income and employment information that is maintained by the National Directory of New Hires database and child support enforcement data that is maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and
c. national fleeing felon information that is maintained by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (Sec. 12)
7. Directs DES to review an individual's case that is enrolled in SNAP if DES receives reliable information that indicates a change in circumstances that may affect the individual's SNAP eligibility. (Sec. 12)
8. Prohibits DES from relying solely on self-attestation to confirm residency for SNAP eligibility except in unusual circumstances as set forth in federal law. (Sec. 12)
9. Repeals the SNAP eligibility evaluation requirements on July 1, 2027. (Sec. 12)
10. Defines DES and SNAP. (Sec. 12)
11. Requires DES, by June 30, 2027, to submit a report to the President of the Senate, Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee that details its efforts to improve the quality and timeliness of eligibility determinations for SNAP, including specific goals for actions taken in and barriers faced during the reporting period. (Sec. 13)
SNAP Payment Error Rate Report Session Law Provisions
12. Requires DES to report to the President of the Senate, Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee the following:
a. on a monthly basis, the number of SNAP cases, program participants and total benefits paid to persons who are categorically eligible for SNAP pursuant to federal law;
b. within thirty days after submission of the final month of quality control reviews to the USDA, an estimate of the payment error rate for the completed federal fiscal year 2025-2026 and the number and extent of errors attributable to SNAP recipients who are categorically eligible pursuant to federal law. (Sec. 11)
13. Repeals the SNAP Payment error rate reporting requirements on July 1, 2027. (Sec. 11)
Mobile Home Relocation Fund
14. Increases the maximum payment amount that a tenant may collect from the Mobile Home Relocation Fund for relocating a mobile home to a new location due to a rent increase from:
a. a) $12,500 to $22,500, for a single-section mobile home; and
b. b) $20,000 to $30,000, for a multisection mobile home. (Sec. 2)
15. Expands the increased mobile home relocation reimbursement to people who move due to closure or because an age-restricted park is converted to all ages. (Sec. 1)
16. Removes the requirement that a mobile home be relocated within 100 miles of a vacated mobile home park to qualify for reimbursement of moving expenses and instead allows reimbursement for relocation anywhere within Arizona. (Sec. 1-3)
Military Family Relief Fund (MFRF)
17. Extends the MFRF and the MFRF tax credit for five years, until December 31, 2031. (Sec. 4, 8, 9)
18. Requires any unexpended and unencumbered monies remaining in the pre-9/11 and post-9/11 veterans' subaccounts on December 31, 2031, to be transferred for deposit in the Veterans' Donations Fund. (Sec. 2)
19. Revises the term establishes residency in this state. (Sec. 2)
Out-of-School Time Grant Program
20. Requires children participating in the Out-of-School Time Grant Program to be at least five years old and eligible for or enrolled in kindergarten. (Sec. 5)
21. Increases the maximum age for participation in the Out-of-School Time Grant Program from 12 to 18 years old. (Sec. 5)
22. Specifies that the Out-of-School Time Grant Program must reduce the cost of out-of-school time care to participating families or expand out-of-school time care at no cost to participating families. (Sec. 5)
23. Requires the Out-of-School Time Grant Program annual report to include data on the number of children newly enrolled in the out-of-school time care programs. (Sec. 5)
24. Authorizes Out-of-School grant funding for capital expansion, construction, renovation and other facility improvements that support partnerships between school districts and nonprofit providers to expand out-of-school time care opportunities in rural communities through July 1, 2027. (Sec. 16)
25. Redefines the following terms:
a. eligible grantee; and
b. eligible pupils. (Sec. 5)
Speech and Audition Services Session Law Provisions
26. Requires, beginning July 1, 2027, and subject to available appropriations, the Department of Economic Security (DES) to contract with listening and spoken language providers in Arizona to provide speech and audition services to early intervention program and services to eligible families that have infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing. (Sec. 6)
27. Requires contractors to ensure that the provided services are administered or overseen by a certified auditory-verbal educator or therapist in a natural environment, clinical setting, educational setting or virtual setting. (Sec. 6)
28. Requires DES to refer eligible families that have infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing to at least both of the following:
a. contracted listening and spoken language providers; or
b. the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. (Sec. 6)
29. Allows DES to:
a. adopt rules, policies and procedures to implement the speech and audition services requirements; and
b. use up to 10% of monies appropriated for administrative costs of the contracts. (Sec. 6)
30. Requires ASDB, by November 1, 2026, to transfer existing contracts for supplemental early childhood listening and spoken language services to DES. (Sec. 17)
31. Requires ASDB and DES to develop a memorandum of understanding that outlines the transfer of the contracts to ensure families receiving listening and spoken language services have no lapse in those services. (Sec. 17)
32. Requires ASDB to transfer the remaining balance of the FY 2027 appropriation for supplemental early childhood listening and spoken language services to DES, after all invoices have been paid to contractors. (Sec. 17)
33. Transfers all authority, powers, duties and responsibilities of ASDB relating to speech and audition services to DES. (Sec. 18)
34. Requires that, on or before November 1, 2026, all ASDB contracts relating to supplemental early childhood listening and spoken language services be transferred to DES and retain their existing status. (Sec. 15)
Miscellaneous Session Law Provisions
35. Establishes state matching monies for various federally funded programs as the first priority for awarding monies from the Housing Trust Fund during the first four months of each fiscal year. (Sec. 7)
36. Expands the required contents of DES’s SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) spending report to include data on fraud investigations, referrals for prosecution, improper payments, recovered funds, and the proportion of cases involving improper payments and ineligible recipients. (Sec. 14)
37. Repeals the DES spending report requirements on July 1, 2027. (Sec. 12)
38. Continues, as session law, DES to screen and test each adult recipient who is eligible for TANF cash benefits and who DES has reasonable cause to believe engages in the illegal use of controlled substances. (Sec. 15)
39. Continues, as session law, to deem a TANF recipient ineligible for TANF benefits for one year if the recipient tests positive for the use of a controlled substance that was not prescribed by a licensed health care provider. (Sec. 15)
40. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1, 3, 5)
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Initials AG HB 4162
6/10/2026 Page 0 House Engrossed
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