Rep. Lisa Fink’s bill to remove state mental‑health instruction receives committee backing after emotional testimony
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Summary
The Senate Education Committee voted 4–3 to give House Bill 2093 a "due pass" after hours of questions and public testimony, including a student plea and parents who said mental‑health education saved lives. The bill would repeal the SBE requirement that health education include mental‑health instruction and sunset that requirement on Jan. 1, 2037.
The Arizona Senate Education Committee on March 24 advanced House Bill 2093, which would remove the State Board of Education requirement that health education include mental‑health instruction and would repeal that statutory requirement on Jan. 1, 2037.
Representative Lisa Fink, sponsor of HB 2093, told the committee the bill is intended to return schools to academics and place mental‑health intervention primarily in the hands of parents. "Social emotional learning is not neutral instruction," Fink said, asserting that some providers promote "transformative SEL as a lever for equity and social justice" and that programs rely on sensitive surveys that should be "under the purview of parents" (Representative Lisa Fink).
Students and mental‑health program leaders strongly urged the committee to reject the bill. Alejandro Beltran, a freshman at Desert View High School, told senators that mental‑health education "saves lives" and urged them to oppose HB 2,093, saying the measure would "limit students from getting meaningful information and eliminate it in the future" (Alejandro Beltran). Francine Sumner, founder and CEO of Kid in the Corner and a parent who lost a son to suicide, said the bill would remove parental choice in practice because "if schools or districts decide not to offer a mental health education at all, then parents who want their children to learn those life saving skills have no option through their school" (Francine Sumner).
Brian Zuckerberg, program manager for Kid in the Corner, disputed claims that the statute mandates therapy, SEL or critical race theory. "This bill has nothing to do with treatment," he said, adding that the statute places mental‑health education within physical health instruction and does not require licensed therapists. "There is nothing in this that teaches SEL. There is nothing in this that teaches critical race theory. These are scare tactics," Zuckerberg said (Brian Zuckerberg).
Senators questioned the sponsor on whether mental‑health instruction supports student safety and whether schools should play a role when families cannot provide services. Several senators who opposed the bill explained their votes by noting the link between mental‑health supports and school safety. Senator Diaz, explaining his vote, said it is "ironic" to consider removing mental‑health instruction while also discussing bills aimed at school safety and voted no (Senator Diaz).
The committee recorded a 4–3 vote to give HB 2093 a due‑pass recommendation to the full Senate. Several senators said they will continue to press for clarifying amendments if the bill proceeds.
What happens next: HB 2093 will be placed on the Senate calendar for further consideration. Committee members indicated they expect follow‑up conversations about the bill’s scope and statutory language.
