SB 1461

Senate Engrossed
allied health care
  workforce; appropriation
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
SENATE BILL 1461
AN
ACT
Appropriating monies to the arizona
health care cost containment system.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section [1.]1. Appropriation; Arizona health care cost containment system;
allied health care workforce development program; definition
A. The sum of $5,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in
fiscal year 2026-2027 to the Arizona health care cost containment system to
establish an allied health care workforce development program to develop the
allied health care workforce in this state.
B. The Arizona health care
cost containment system shall distribute the monies to a nonprofit organization
that meets all of the following:
1. Is solely dedicated to
training allied health care workers through direct programs and education
partners.
2. Has established
partnerships with employers, education institutions and public agencies.
3. Has graduated at least
seven thousand students before the effective date of this section.
4. Has maintained an active
presence in at least eight states.
5. Is able to demonstrate
the capacity to graduate a minimum of one thousand students through the allied
health care workforce development program established pursuant to subsection A
of this section.
C. For the purposes of this
section, "allied health care worker" means an individual who
contributes to the delivery of health or related services in roles that are
distinct from physicians and registered nurses and that typically require
specialized training beyond a high school diploma but less than a bachelor's
degree.