Yuma, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey is working with the Arizona Legislature to strip all licensing and regulatory responsibilities from the board that oversees the leadership of nursing care and assisted living facilities.
The move follows an investigation by the Arizona Republic that detailed how the Board of Examiners of Nursing Care Institution Administrators and Assisted Living Facility Managers granted a license to an individual convicted of a felony for fraud, failed to investigate complaints in a timely manner, and did not provide accurate information to the public.
Governor Ducey’s call for greater accountability coincides with his veto of Senate Bill 1282, which would have reauthorized the board for eight years, until July 2029.
In a sharply worded veto letter, the Governor asked the Board’s responsibilities be transferred to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
“I look forward to working with the Legislature to transfer all licensing and regulation of nursing care institution administrators and assisted living facility managers to the Arizona Department of Health Services,” the Governor said in the letter. “It’s time for accountability and new leadership to supervise these facilities. Our seniors—these are our grandmothers and grandfathers—deserve nothing less.”