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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
human services; 2023-2024.
Purpose
Makes statutory and session law changes relating to human services necessary to implement the FY 2024 state budget.
Background
The Arizona Constitution prohibits substantive law from being included in the general appropriations, capital outlay appropriations and supplemental appropriations bills. However, it is often necessary to make statutory and session law changes to effectuate the budget. Thus, separate bills called budget reconciliation bills (BRBs) are introduced to enact these provisions. Because BRBs contain substantive law changes, the Arizona Constitution provides that they become effective on the general effective date, unless an emergency clause is enacted.
S.B. 1728 contains the budget reconciliation provisions for changes relating to human services.
Provisions
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
1. Continues to require the Department of Economic Security (DES), during FY 2024, to screen and test each adult recipient who:
a) is eligible for TANF cash benefits; and
b) DES has reasonable cause to believe engages in the illegal use of controlled substances.
2. Continues to render any TANF recipient who tests positive for the use of a controlled substance that was not prescribed for the recipient by a licensed health care provider as ineligible to receive TANF benefits for a period of one year.
Homeless Shelter and Services Fund
3. Establishes the Homeless Shelter and Services Fund, administered by the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH), and consisting of:
a) legislative appropriations;
b) other monies directed to be deposited in the Homeless Shelter and Services Fund; and
c) investment earnings on monies in the Homeless Shelter and Services Fund.
4. Requires ADOH, in FYs 2024 through FY 2027, to use monies in the Homeless Shelter and Services Fund to award grants to counties, cities, towns, Indian tribes and nonprofit organizations for programs that provide shelter and services to unsheltered persons who are experiencing homelessness.
5. Requires ADOH, by December 31 of each fiscal year, to submit a report describing all grants awarded in that year to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
6. Specifies that monies in the Homeless Shelter and Services Fund are continuously appropriated.
7. Exempts the appropriated Homeless Shelter and Services Fund monies from lapsing.
8. Repeals the Homeless Shelter and Services Fund on October 1, 2027.
Extended Foster Care Comprehensive Service Model
9. Establishes the Extended Foster Care Comprehensive Service Model Fund (Model Fund), consisting of legislative appropriations.
10. Requires the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to:
a) administer the Model Fund; and
b) within 10 days after the general effective date, prepare a scope of work for FY 2024 for an Extended Foster Care Comprehensive Service Model (Model) that includes supportive services and required case management provided by contracted community providers for young adults who participate in the extended foster care program.
11. Requires the Model scope of work to include:
a) weekly engagement with each young adult;
b) life skills training;
c) mental and physical health and well-being;
d) relational permanency;
e) education and enrollment assistance;
f) assistance with accessing safe housing attainment and stability for young adults;
g) career and employment planning and readiness; and
h) assistance with accessing transportation services for young adults.
12. Requires the Model to include extended foster care success coaches for young adults in the extended foster care program.
13. Prohibits each extended foster care success coach from having a caseload of more than 20 young adults.
14. Requires the extended foster care success coaching program to:
a) be based on a practice that is youth driven;
b) promote permanent connections;
c) support the development of an educational foundation and skill set that enables young adults to gain and maintain employment to support their financial needs;
d) ensure that young adults reside in safe, stable and secure housing;
e) link young adults to appropriate services that address physical and behavioral health needs;
f) build skills for developing personal agency;
g) ensure that young adults have the cognitive and social-emotional competencies essential to survival;
h) operate from an evidence-based framework;
i) ensure that the young adults served are aware of their rights to normalcy;
j) assist young adults to advocate with caregivers to experience activities and opportunities that meet individual interests;
k) support caregivers in identifying root causes of behaviors that present barriers to transition and provide opportunities that assist young adults in healing and addressing underlying trauma;
l) develop feedback that allows young adults to communicate their needs and satisfaction with provided services and that allows a young adult to request a different extended foster care success coach;
m) deliver interventions that are tailored to each young adult's strengths and experiences; and
n) contract with a public university to evaluate the effectiveness of the vendor's delivery of the extended foster care success coaching program.
15. Requires DCS to supervise and monitor the success of the extended foster care success coaching program.
16. Requires each extended foster care success coach to:
a) successfully complete a DCS-administered foster care success coach training program;
b) possess a bachelor's or associate's degree or have equivalent credits equal to an associate's degree;
c) be at least 21 years of age;
d) exhibit the belief that all young adults have the capacity to be successful in life; and
e) have experience working with youth or young adults who are 14 through 26 years of age and who are involved in systems of care, which may include foster care, juvenile justice, or runaway and homeless youth programs.
17. Requires an extended foster care success coach's degree or credits to be in the fields of social work, psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy, behavioral health or education.
18. Allows, in lieu of a degree or credits, an extended foster care success coach to possess skills acquired through alternative routes such as relevant job training, community college attendance, military service or an apprenticeship.
19. Requires DCS to:
a) solicit agencies to administer the Model within 30 days after the general effective date and select an agency within 90 days after the effective date;
b) implement the Model within 150 days after the effective date; and
c) to adopt rules to implement the Model, the administration of the Model Fund and the extended foster care success coaching program.
20. Requires DCS to establish an Extended Foster Care Quality Review Committee (Review Committee) within DCS consisting of DCS staff members.
21. Requires the Review Committee to confirm that a young adult who participates in extended foster care:
a) meets eligibility criteria;
b) has connections to a permanent family and supportive adults who are actively involved in the young adult's life;
c) has a person-centered case and transition plan that supports the young adult's identified goals and future planning; and
d) is acquiring individualized skills to develop the tools that are needed to thrive outside of the foster care program.
22. Requires DCS, within 150 days after the general effective date, to submit a report on the developed Model to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC), the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and the House of Representatives Health and Human Services Committee.
23. Requires the report to include data and statistics on:
a) the support and services to be offered by the Model;
b) the extended foster care program's eligibility requirements;
c) the young adult's program responsibilities;
d) case and transition planning opportunities;
e) health insurance coverage for young adults in the extended foster care program;
f) educational opportunities for young adults in the extended foster care program;
g) opportunities for mentors through the extended foster care program;
h) transportation services for young adults in the extended foster care program, including obtaining a driver license; and
i) housing, including semi-supervised living arrangements if such arrangements best meet the young adult's needs.
24. Requires DCS to provide to JLBC a quarterly report that includes:
a) the number of young adults served in the Model;
b) the young adult's participation in regular reviews with extended foster care staff; and
c) other performance measures as updated by the Review Committee and as determined by the chairperson of JLBC.
25. Defines young adult as a person who is between 17.5 and 21 years of age and who participates or will participate in the extended foster care program.
26. Specifies that the Model Fund monies are continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing.
Miscellaneous
29. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
May 8, 2023
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