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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
licensed health aides; rules
Purpose
Requires the Arizona State Board of Nursing (AZBN) to adopt rules to implement the prescribed scope of practice for licensed health aides.
Background
A licensed health aide is a person who: 1) is licensed by the AZBN to provide or assist in providing nursing-related services, as prescribed, under the Arizona Long-term Care System (ALTCS); 2) is the parent, guardian or family member, by affinity or consanguinity, of an ALTCS member and provides licensed health aide services consistent with the member's plan of care, only to that member; 3) has the same scope of practice as a licensed nursing assistant and may provide medication administration, tracheostomy, enteral care and routine ventilator care and therapy as well as any other tasks approved by the AZBN by rule; and 4) may provide outlined care under the supervision and direction of a licensed nursing staff member. A licensed health aide may provide home health agency services that include intermittent health maintenance, continued treatment or monitoring of a health condition and supportive care for activities of daily living that are provided within the ALTCS member's residence (A.R.S. §§ 32-1601 and 36-2939).
The AZBN's
duties include: 1) approving regulated training and educational programs;
2) establishing approval and reapproval processes by rule for nursing and
nursing assistant training programs; 3) publishing and distributing copies of
AZBN rules; 4) adopting rules to establish competency standards for obtaining
and maintaining a license; 5) determining and administering appropriate
disciplinary action against all regulated parties who are found guilty of
violating statute or rules adopted by the AZBN; and 6) performing functions
necessary to carry out the prescribed requirements of the nursing assistant and
nurse aide training and competency evaluation program (A.R.S.
§ 32-1606).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the AZBN, by October 1, 2026, to adopt rules to implement the scope of practice for licensed health aides as prescribed.
2. Specifies that the rules must address at least the following:
a) updated standards for licensed health aide training programs, including curriculum and training and eligibility requirements for licensed health aides, including specific requirements for licensed health aides to perform routine ventilator care;
b) an attestation process to ensure that a patient is suitable for licensed health aide-level care based on the patient's acuity;
c) an updated definition of family member;
d) standards of conduct specific for licensed health aides that take into consideration the circumstances of caring for a family member;
e) a discipline process for a licensed health aide who acts outside of the standards of conduct, including providing care outside of the licensed health aide's trained competencies related to the health care needs of the individual patient for whom the licensed health aide provides care;
f) a process to collect aggregated annual data on the use of and outcomes associated with licensed health aides in Arizona that protects the private health information of licensed health aide patients; and
g) a definition of routine ventilator care.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
HHS 2/16/26 DPA 12-0-0-0
3rd Read 2/26/26 43-10-7
Prepared by Senate Research
March 16, 2026
MM/SDR/hk