Bill > HB2638

This bill establishes the Arizona School Mental Health Professionals Academy, a program designed to encourage students to become school psychologists, school social workers, and school counselors and to commit to working in public schools in Arizona, including schools serving primarily students with disabilities. The academy will be administered by the Arizona Board of Regents and will involve eligible postsecondary institutions (universities under the Board of Regents' jurisdiction) in developing and implementing centralized administrative processes such as recruitment, data collection, tracking service commitments, and managing a dedicated fund. The bill also creates the Arizona School Mental Health Professionals Academy Fund, which will be used to provide scholarships to students enrolled in the academy, covering up to the actual cost of tuition and fees for a maximum of three academic years, after other financial aid is applied. In return for these scholarships, students must agree to work in a public school in Arizona for one full school year for each year they receive scholarship funding, with provisions for reimbursement if this service obligation is not met, or if students do not successfully complete their academic year. The bill also mandates reporting requirements to the legislature and the governor's office regarding the academy's enrollment, financial status, and graduate employment outcomes, and includes an appropriation to the academy fund for fiscal year 2026-2027.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/84453