substance use disorder treatment; committee, the official text

House Engrossed
Senate Bill

substance use
disorder treatment; committee

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1814

AN
ACT

Establishing the substance use disorder
treatment standards and oversight study committee.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Substance use
disorder treatment standards and oversight study committee; membership; duties;
report; delayed repeal

A. The substance use
disorder treatment standards and oversight study committee is established
consisting of the following members:

1. Two members of the
senate who are from different political parties and who are appointed by the
president of the senate. The president of the senate shall designate
one of these members to serve as cochairperson of the study committee.  One
member shall be the chairperson of the senate health and human services
committee, or its successor committee.

2. Two members of the house
of representatives who are from different political parties and who are
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. The
speaker of the house of representatives shall designate one of these members to
serve as cochairperson of the study committee.  One member shall be the
chairperson of the house of representatives health and human services
committee, or its successor committee.

3. The governor or the
governor's designee.

4. The director of the
Arizona health care cost containment system or the director's designee.

5. The director of the
department of health services or the director's designee.

6. The attorney general or
the attorney general's designee.

7. Two members who are
licensed clinical behavioral health specialists, one of
whom practices in a county with a population of less than five hundred thousand
persons, and who are appointed by the president of the senate.

8. Two physicians who are
board-certified in either addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, one
of whom practices in a county with a population of less than five hundred
thousand persons, and who provide medical care to individuals with substance
use disorder and who are appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives.

9. One member who
represents leadership from a medical society or a physician organization that
specializes in treating substance use disorder and who is appointed by the
president of the senate.

10. One member with
substance use disorder who has direct experience with navigating treatment for
substance use disorder in this state, who lives in a county with a population
of less than five hundred thousand persons and who is appointed by the speaker
of the house of representatives.

11. One
member who represents a membership-based advocacy organization that
represents health care providers who specialize in substance use disorder
treatment and who is appointed by the president of the senate.

12. One member who
represents a behavioral health accrediting organization and who is appointed by
the speaker of the house of representatives.

13. One peer recovery
support specialist who is appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives.

14. One member who
represents a county law enforcement agency and who is appointed by the
president of the senate.

B. The study committee
shall meet at the call of the cochairpersons.

C. Members of the study
committee are not eligible to receive compensation but are eligible for
reimbursement of expenses pursuant to title 38, chapter 4, article 2, Arizona
Revised Statutes.

D. The study committee
shall:

1. Conduct a comprehensive
survey and research study to assess the availability, capacity and geographic
distribution of licensed and unlicensed programs that offer substance use
disorder specialty care in this state and evaluate the economic impact,
effectiveness and value of implementing statewide minimum standards for
evidence-based care.

2. Identify gaps in access
to and implementation of evidence-based biopsychosocial treatments,
workforce capacity needs and resources necessary to support high-quality
care delivery across urban and rural settings, including medically supported
withdrawal services, medications for opioid use disorder, licensed clinical
providers, care coordination and recovery supports.

3. Review state laws, rules
and oversight structures governing substance use disorder treatment programs,
identify regulatory loopholes that allow unlicensed or nonstandard programs to
operate without sufficient clinical oversight and processes that enable fraud,
waste and abuse, and recommend statutory and administrative changes to close
these gaps and align oversight systems.

4. Establish minimum
clinical quality standards, staff scope of practice expectations, safety and
outcome reporting requirements and public transparency mechanisms to ensure
accountability, protect patients and provide families and referring providers
with clear information to support treatment decision-making.

5. Investigate funding
needs, reimbursement structures and licensed workforce models required to
implement these reforms, including strategies to build and sustain a
professional clinical workforce capable of meeting statewide treatment demand
and ensuring timely access to evidence-based care.

E. On or before December
31, 2027, the substance use disorder treatment standards and oversight study
committee shall submit a report regarding the committee's activities, findings
and recommendations, including proposed statutory and regulatory changes,
funding considerations and implementation timelines, to the governor, the
president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and
shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.

F. This section is repealed
from and after June 30, 2028.