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SB 1304ARIZONASession 57th-2nd-regularState Billdead

Did Not Advance

Arizona Senate Bill 1304 establishes mandatory mental health screening, treatment plans, and court-ordered evaluation procedures for incarcerated persons

Original title: mental illness; prisoners; diagnosis; treatment

Last action · January 26, 2026: Senate Second ReadingSponsors: Catherine Miranda and 9 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

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Floor Vote

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What This Bill Proposed

Arizona Senate Bill 1304 requires county jails and the State Department of Corrections to screen incoming prisoners for mental illness, ensure uninterrupted access to prescribed medications within 24 hours, and obtain court-approved treatment plans prior to prison transfer. The bill also mandates 24-hour mental health examinations for county jail prisoners exhibiting disorder symptoms and establishes formal procedures for s and court-ordered evaluations.

Why it matters

The measure directly alters medical intake protocols, treatment continuity, and evaluation timelines for individuals entering county jails and state prison facilities, involving state-funded medical oversight and court administration expenses.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

County prisoners

County prisoners are subject to mandatory 24-hour mental health examinations, intake screenings, and guaranteed uninterrupted administration of prescribed medications.

Directly affected

State Department of Corrections

The department must ensure psychiatric evaluations, manage court-approved treatment plans, identify prisoners with special medical needs, and pay all healthcare costs during sentences.

Directly affected

County sheriffs

Sheriffs are required to arrange 24-hour physician examinations, file evaluation petitions, ensure 24-hour medication continuity, and submit requests for serious mental illness determinations within seven days.

Key Facts

When a county jail prisoner exhibits mental disorder symptoms upon arrest or conviction, the sheriff must have a licensed physician examine the person within 24 hours.
Incoming county jail prisoners must be screened for prior mental illness diagnoses, current treatments, and serious mental illness designations.
The sheriff must take immediate steps to ensure prisoners continue receiving prescribed medications uninterrupted within 24 hours of arriving at the county jail.
If a prisoner is diagnosed with a mental illness but lacks a serious mental illness designation, the sheriff must submit a request for determination to the appropriate regional behavioral health authority or state department of corrections within 7 days.

Show all 8 facts

Prior to transferring a convicted prisoner into the custody of the Department of Corrections, the department's medical director must ensure the prisoner is evaluated by a psychiatrist and provided a written treatment plan addressing medications, chronic conditions, and appropriate placement.
Written treatment plans for incoming prisoners must be approved by the court and accompany the prisoner upon transfer to the Department of Corrections.
The State Department of Corrections must pay all healthcare costs incurred for a prisoner during the term of their sentence.
The act may be cited as 'Joshua's Law'.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens when a prisoner in a county jail shows signs of a mental disorder?

The sheriff must have the prisoner examined by a licensed physician within 24 hours. If the physician determines the person has a mental disorder and poses a danger to self or others or has a disability, the sheriff must file a petition for a court-ordered evaluation.

How quickly must an incoming prisoner's prescription medications be continued at the county jail?

The sheriff must take immediate steps to ensure that the prisoner continues to receive prescribed medications uninterrupted within 24 hours after arriving in the county jail.

Who must approve a prisoner's mental health treatment plan before they enter the Department of Corrections?

The written treatment plan must be evaluated by a psychiatrist and approved by the court before accompanying the prisoner to the Department of Corrections.

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · on the Senate floor.

Procedural history

2 actions

Jan 26, 2026SenateFloor
Senate Second Reading
Jan 22, 2026SenateIntroduced
Senate First Reading

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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