Bill
SB 1855
Expands and reorganizes funding and oversight for housing, veteran family relief, child care, and early intervention services, plus new funding and transfer of speech/audition serv
SB 1855 proposes a broad set of amendments across several human services programs, with a notable emphasis on rent-relocation support for mobile homes, veterans and military family relief, out-of-school time care, early intervention speech services, housing funding, and related administrative provisions. The bill also introduces delayed repeals for certain programs and creates new or reorganized authorities for service delivery.
1) Mobile home relocation fund (33-1476.04)
- Establishes eligibility for relocation payments when a mobile home park rent increase would exceed a defined cap (ten percent plus the change in the West CPI over the prior year).
- Requires landlord notice to affected tenants.
- Outlines a multi-step approval process for relocation contracts, including director review within 15 days and deemed approval if no action.
- Provides payment amounts: the lesser of actual moving costs or specified maximums (single-section: $22,500; multi-section: $30,000, previously $12,500/$20,000 in the text). Distance cap for relocation expenses is within 100 miles of the vacated park.
- Allows an abandonment option with a 40% of maximum moving expense payout and specific title/liens/tax clearances.
- Clarifies applicability and limits, and that this section does not apply to rent increases under a written rental agreement.
2) Military family relief fund administration (41-608.04)
- Extends the Military Family Relief Fund (and its pre- and post-9/11 subaccounts) through 2031.
- Adds advisory committees for pre- and post-9/11 subaccounts with specified membership and duties (application criteria, review, and recommendations).
- Establishes subcommittees for grant approvals capped at $3,000 per grant.
- Allows confidential executive-session reviews and restricts access to applications and evaluations.
- Sets monetary eligibility limits and types of assistance (living expenses, temporary near-hospital residence costs, and other necessities) up to $20,000 per family.
- Allows private donations and potential tax credits (43-1086), with donation allocation rules and annual audits.
3) Out-of-school time grant program (41-1970)
- Creates a program to expand before/after-school and out-of-school time care for eligible school-age children (5–18; includes kindergarteners up to 12th grade).
- Requires at least 30% of funding earmarked for rural grantees; sets criteria for eligible grantees and pupils.
- Requires annual reporting on participation, locations, and new/maintained slots.
- Establishes fund administration with up to 5% for administrative costs.
4) Speech and audition services (new 41-2023) and succession (Sec. 15)
- Beginning July 1, 2027, DES contracts with providers to deliver speech/audition services to infants/toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Transfers oversight and contracts related to these services from the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind to DES, with an MOU to prevent lapses in services.
- Ensures continued administration of funding and timelines for transferring contracts.
5) Housing trust fund (41-3955)
- Maintains the Housing Trust Fund structure, priorities for rural housing, and prioritization guidelines for four-month funding cycles.
- Requires annual reporting to the Legislature and limits administrative costs to up to 10%.
- Provides consultation requirements with local governments for construction projects.
6) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) related items (Secs. 8–12)
- Includes delayed repeal provisions (2027–2031) for certain SNAP-related funds and reporting requirements.
- Mandates enhanced eligibility evaluations using various data sources (lottery winnings, wage data, corrections, national databases) and prohibits sole reliance on self-attestation for residency.
- Requires quarterly and annual reporting on SNAP administration improvements, errors, and fraud metrics.
7) TANF drug-testing provision (Sec. 13)
- Requires screening and testing of TANF recipients where there is reasonable cause to suspect illegal controlled-substance use; positive results lead to a one-year ineligibility period.
This bill represents a wide-ranging package aimed at expanding support for housing, veteran families, child care, and early intervention services, while reorganizing and strengthening oversight and funding mechanisms.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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