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Arizona Developmental Disabilities Waiver and Appropriations Act

This bill establishes a Parents as Paid Caregivers Program that allows parents of minor children with disabilities to be paid for providing certain direct care services, with specific restrictions and oversight. The program will be implemented under a federal Medicaid demonstration waiver, with parents eligible to provide attendant care and habilitation services between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm, limited to 40 hours per week per child. Parents must be state residents for at least six months and can only be employed by a single agency. The bill requires the implementation of an electronic visit verification system to track services, and parents cannot bill for services like housekeeping or when the child is not present. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and Department of Economic Security must provide quarterly reports on program utilization, including enrollment growth, emergency visits, and approved care hours. The bill also adds new requirements for state agencies reporting on federal grant funding, mandates legislative approval for certain Medicaid waiver changes, and includes a special audit of the program to be conducted by the Auditor General by August 1, 2026. Additionally, the bill appropriates over $522 million from various funding sources to support the program and related administrative costs, with an emergency clause making it immediately operative.1