HB 2160 Summary

• Establishes the Arizona School Mental Health Professionals Academy administered by the Arizona Board of Regents to recruit and train school psychologists, school social workers, and school counselors for employment in Arizona public schools.

• Provides annual scholarships to academy students covering tuition and fees for up to three academic years (six semesters) at eligible universities, with scholarships covering the balance of costs after all other financial aid received.

• Requires students receiving full-tuition scholarships to commit to one year of service as a school psychologist, school social worker, or school counselor in an Arizona public school for each year of funding received, with proportional repayment obligations if service requirements are not met.

• Directs the Arizona Board of Regents to develop centralized administrative processes including marketing, recruitment, data collection, and distribution of funds to eligible postsecondary institutions, with annual and biannual reporting requirements to the legislature.

• Establishes the Arizona School Mental Health Professionals Academy Fund as continuously appropriated for scholarships and academy administration, with no more than 3 percent of annual fund expenditures permitted for marketing and administrative costs.