Governor Signs Legislation to Prevent Dangerous, Seriously Mentally Ill Individuals from Being Released into Arizona Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                         

Monday, May 5, 2025

Governor Signs Legislation to Prevent Dangerous, Seriously Mentally Ill Individuals

From Being Released into Arizona Communities

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Senator Hildy Angius is protecting the safety of Arizonans and providing services to individuals who the court deems dangerous, severely mentally ill, and incompetent to stand trial, with legislation just signed into law.

SB 1604, sponsored by Senator Angius, addresses a significant gap in the state's legal and mental health framework. Current law establishes two pathways in which a severely mentally ill individually can be involuntarily committed to a state licensed Secure Residential Behavioral Health Facility (SBERF). However, our laws failed to ensure the two populations were placed in an appropriate setting where their safety and the safety of the public were best served, until now. SB 1604 requires individuals committed to an SBERF to be housed in separate facilities if they are committed civilly through Title 36, or criminally through the Title 13 process. The separation of individuals is necessary for safety, and for Medicaid reimbursement purposes for Title 36 population providers.

"Arizonans deserve to live in an environment where their safety is not compromised, including those citizens who are severely mentally ill," said Senator Angius. "With the current lack of facilities for severely mentally ill individuals, mental health professionals and law enforcement agencies are left with limited options, often resorting to temporary solutions that fail to adequately address the issue at hand. This new law will ensure that individuals who need intensive mental health care are placed in facilities equipped to address their needs. I commend Senate Republicans for working together on this issue. The missing piece to the equation is funding, which is currently proposed in SB 1442 from Senator Werner, to provide the necessary resources to build SBERFs. I'm hopeful this request will be included in the state budget.  I want to extend a 'thank you' to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the Senate and House for recognizing the value of this legislation and providing the support that led the governor to sign the bill into law."

SB 1604 takes effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns.

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov