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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
pioneers' home; miners' hospital; continuation
Purpose
Continues the Arizona Pioneers' Home and the State Hospital for Miners with Disabilities (Pioneers' Home) for eight years.
Background
The Pioneer's Home is a continuing care retirement home that provides up to 125 Arizona pioneers and disabled miners with physical, emotional and spiritual care in a homelike and compassionate environment. The Pioneer's Home's strategic priorities include: 1) providing quality care and resident services that exceed the highest and best practice standards for assisted living facilities; 2) building a culture of highly engaged employees; 3) optimizing communication and marketing to increase awareness, partnerships and admissions; 4) increasing efficiency and effectiveness of operations; and 5) ensuring its own restoration and preservation (Arizona Pioneer's Home). Current statute requires that the Pioneers' Home be maintained at or near Prescott, Arizona and that it be overseen by a Governor-appointed superintendent (A.R.S. §§ 41-921 and 41-922).
Any person who
qualifies as either a miner or a pioneer is eligible to be admitted to the
Pioneers' Home. To qualify as a pioneer, a person of good character must: 1) be
a citizen or legal resident of the U.S. for at least five years; 2) be a
resident of Arizona for at least 50 years; 3) be at least 70 years old; 4) at
the time of admission, be capable of walking, in control of their bowel and
bladder and able to bathe, clothe and feed themselves without assistance; and
5) at the time of admission, not require care in a hospital, skilled care or
intermediate care nursing home (A.R.S.
§ 41-923). To qualify as a miner a person must: 1)
have been a resident while in the occupation of mining in Arizona; 2) be a
citizen or legal resident of the U.S.; and 3) be at least 60 years old,
financially unable to support themselves or has suffered incapacitating
injuries arising from mining and in the course of mining (A.R.S.
§ 41-942).
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee of Reference (COR) held a public meeting on January 11, 2024, to review and evaluate the Pioneer's Home's response to the sunset review factors and receive public testimony. The COR recommended that the Pioneer's Home be continued for eight years until July 1, 2032 (CO33R Report). The Pioneer's Home is set to terminate on July 1, 2024, unless continued by the Legislature (A.R.S. § 41-3024.12).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Continues, retroactive to July 1, 2024, the Board until July 1, 2032.
2. Repeals the Board on January 1, 2033.
3. Contains a purpose statement.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date, with a retroactive provision as noted.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 15, 2024
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