Senate health committee hears clozapine access, rural dialysis and a slate of health bills; several measures given due‑pass recommendations

The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services met February 18, 2025, in Phoenix and heard testimony on a broad set of health‑policy bills, including a detailed public presentation and family testimony on a proposal to expand access to clozapine for people with treatment‑resistant schizophrenia. Lawmakers also voted to send a number of bills forward with due‑pass recommendations, including measures on rural dialysis funding, provider credentialing timelines, workforce rate increases for services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, foster‑care reforms, and other items.

Advocates and family members urged action on a bill to improve access to clozapine, a generic antipsychotic used for treatment‑resistant schizophrenia. Rachel Strife, co‑founder of Arizona Mad Moms, told the committee, “Clozapine is the only medication FDA approved for treatment‑resistant schizophrenia.” She and multiple family members described barriers they said patients face: onerous weekly laboratory monitoring, lack of finger‑stick monitoring devices, insufficient provider training, and insurer or plan practices that discourage clozapine use. The sponsor said the draft language would require insurers and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS, also called ACCESS in testimony) to reimburse or otherwise cover specified services and monitoring for members prescribed clozapine and to establish provider‑identification and outreach mechanisms for low‑use prescribers.

Why it matters: Testimony framed clozapine as a high‑value, sometimes life‑saving therapy for people with severe psychosis and elevated suicide risk; families and clinicians urged changes to reduce logistic and financial barriers. The committee heard from clinicians, patients and multiple family members who described large personal benefits when clozapine is available and practical barriers when it is not.

Other major items considered and outcomes

- Rural dialysis: Senator Toffley presented SB 15‑75, a request to appropriate $3,000,000 from the State General Fund in FY2026 to help Sage Memorial Hospital (Ganado) complete and operate an outpatient hemodialysis unit. Kenneth Anime, chief medical officer at Sage Memorial Hospital, said the unit would serve an area with long travel times and a high prevalence of diabetes and estimated the center would serve “a minimum of 200 patients” and more than “31,000 dialysis treatment sessions per year.” The committee gave SB 15‑75 a due‑pass recommendation (6 ayes, 0 no, 1 not voting).

- Provider credentialing and claims timing: SB 12‑91 (sponsor: Senator Angus) was discussed at length by hospitals, behavioral health providers and insurers. Damien Johnson (director of government relations, Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association) said the bill sets enforceable timelines (credentialing concluded within 60 calendar days and loading into billing systems within 30 days of a completed application) and provides retroactive payment for services performed while credentialing proceeded. The committee adopted an amendment and gave the bill a due‑pass recommendation (6 ayes, 0 no, 1 not voting).

- Home‑and‑community services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: SB 13‑02 would appropriate state and Medicaid expenditure authority funding to increase reimbursement rates for home‑and‑community‑based services and room‑and‑board for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sponsors and provider advocates described a workforce crisis, high vacancy and turnover rates, and the need for sustained rate increases to recruit and retain direct support professionals. The committee gave SB 13‑02 a due‑pass recommendation (6 ayes, 0 no, 1 not voting).

- Foster care and congregate care reform: SB 13‑33 would require the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to set minimum numbers of licensed foster homes by region, strengthen recruitment and require child‑specific plans for children in congregate care. Multiple speakers with lived experience urged the committee to reduce reliance on congregate care and to require individualized placement plans. DCS testified it would partner on implementation. The bill received a due‑pass recommendation (7 ayes, 0 no).

- Secure placements and forensic population: SB 16‑04 (sponsor: Senator Angus) addresses placement for persons found dangerous and incompetent to stand trial, directing custody placement to state hospital supervised secure facilities where appropriate and separating certain Title 13 and Title 36 populations. The bill and an amendment drew extended debate about capacity at the Arizona State Hospital (ASH), whether private licensed secure facilities exist statewide, and civil‑rights concerns raised by advocates. The committee adopted an amendment and gave SB 16‑04 a due‑pass recommendation as amended (7 ayes, 0 no).

- Continued monitoring of DDD group homes: SB 13‑56 would continue and make permanent the Developmental Disabilities Group Home Monitoring Program that Disability Rights Arizona (DRA) currently operates as a pilot. DRA and family members described monitoring results that prompted training and follow‑up by DES/DDD, and the bill received a due‑pass recommendation (7 ayes, 0 no).

- Traditional healing services and AHCCCS: SB 16‑71 would add traditional healing services to the list of services covered by AHCCCS and by Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS). Tribal leaders, traditional healers, clinicians and tribal health administrators described the work that produced a CMS demonstration waiver and asked the committee to support provider reimbursement options for tribal and IHS facilities. The committee gave SB 16‑71 a due‑pass recommendation (7 ayes, 0 no).

- Research appropriations and other items: The committee also advanced a range of other items, including SB 14‑60 (a $10 million appropriation to study MDMA‑assisted therapy for PTSD under specified trial conditions), SB 17‑11 (an obesity‑treatment study committee), SB 16‑13 (ALTCS/long‑term care rate increases), and bills about massage‑therapy board continuation and transitional housing licensing. Several bills were amended in committee before being passed out.

Votes at a glance (committee action taken in hearing)

- SB 15‑75 (Sage Memorial dialysis appropriation): due‑pass recommendation; recorded roll call: 6 ayes, 0 no, 1 not voting. - SB 12‑91 (provider credentialing timelines; amendment adopted): due‑pass recommendation; recorded roll call: 6 ayes, 0 no, 1 not voting. - SB 13‑02 (HCBS/DD provider rate increases): due‑pass recommendation; recorded roll call: 6 ayes, 0 no, 1 not voting. - SB 13‑33 (foster/congregate care reforms): due‑pass recommendation; roll call: 7 ayes, 0 no. - SB 16‑04 (secure facility placement for certain forensic patients; amendment adopted): due‑pass as amended; roll call: 7 ayes, 0 no. - SB 16‑56 (Board of Massage Therapy continuation and study committee; amendment adopted): due‑pass recommendation; roll call: 7 ayes, 0 no. - SB 16‑13 (ALTCS/long‑term care rate adjustments): due‑pass recommendation; roll call: 7 ayes, 0 no. - SB 16‑71 (traditional healing services added to AHCCCS/ALTCS services): due‑pass recommendation; roll call: 7 ayes, 0 no. - SB 13‑56 (DDD group home monitoring continuation): due‑pass recommendation; roll call: 7 ayes, 0 no. - SB 14‑60 (MDMA/PTSD research grant authorization): due‑pass recommendation; roll call: 6 ayes, 0 no, 1 not voting. - SB 15‑32 (outpatient behavioral health fee schedule increase request): due‑pass recommendation; recorded: 5 ayes, 0 no, 2 not voting. - SB 15‑37 (licensing framework for transitional housing programs): due‑pass recommendation; recorded: 5 ayes, 0 no, 2 not voting. - SB 15‑55 (Psilocybin advisory board, amended to advisory functions only): due‑pass recommendation as amended; recorded: 5 ayes, 0 no, 2 not voting. - SJR/Other measures (grandparent placement, ambulance CON modification, patient‑rights language): the committee voted to move several additional measures forward by recorded roll calls noted on the transcript; see actions below for counts and motions.

Discussion highlights and follow‑up directions

- Clozapine access: Committee members and the sponsor flagged further drafting needs; proponents offered to work with AHCCCS/ACCESS and insurers on operational language for monitoring, pharmacy coverage for emergency supplies, and use of finger‑stick ANC testing to reduce lab barriers. Families asked for timelines and for follow‑up reporting on insurer responses and implementation pilots.

- Provider credentialing: Stakeholders (hospitals, dentists, behavioral health providers, insurers) said they would continue stakeholder negotiations on operational details—especially how to handle incomplete applications and retroactive payments—and provide written materials to the committee.

- Secure forensic placements: Multiple members asked DHS and proponents to clarify capacity, funding and implementation steps so that the bill does not return patients to institutions without an operational plan and funding. DHS officials said ASH is at functional capacity and outlined implementation concerns; sponsors agreed to continue stakeholder work.

Ending note: The committee moved a large package of health‑policy bills forward and recorded votes on a majority of the items on the agenda. Several bills were amended in committee and sponsors pledged continued technical work with agency staff and providers to resolve open implementation issues before floor consideration.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this summary are identified in committee records and in the hearing transcript. All direct quotations in this article are taken from the committee's hearing transcript and attributed to the named speakers below.