Arizona Republicans seek to repeal mental health education law

Lawmakers want to roll back a 2021 law requiring schools to teach students about mental health, drawing opposition from advocates

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Republican state lawmakers in Arizona are proposing to repeal a 2021 law that requires schools to teach students about mental health. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Lisa Fink, argues that parents, not schools, should be responsible for students' mental health education. However, mental health advocates and some Democratic lawmakers strongly oppose the repeal, arguing that the law has helped save lives by teaching students to identify and address mental health issues.

Why it matters

The proposed repeal of the mental health education law highlights the ongoing political debate around the role of schools in addressing student mental health. Supporters of the law say it has been crucial in helping students, especially those without engaged parents, learn about and seek help for mental health challenges. Opponents argue that schools should focus on academics rather than mental health education.

The details

In 2021, the Republican-controlled Arizona legislature passed a law requiring schools to teach students about mental health. But now, just five years later, Republican lawmakers are seeking to repeal that law. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Lisa Fink, R-Glendale, claims that parents should be responsible for students' mental health education, not schools. Fink also wants to repeal a requirement to teach social-emotional learning, which she says is a way to push "critical race theory" and ideas about "systemic oppression." However, mental health advocates and some Democratic lawmakers strongly oppose the repeal, arguing that the law has helped save lives by teaching students to identify and address mental health issues.

  • In 2021, the Arizona legislature passed a law requiring mental health education in schools.
  • On February 10, 2026, the House Education Committee held a hearing on the bill to repeal the mental health education law.
  • On February 22, 2026, the Arizona House of Representatives debated the bill to repeal the mental health education law.

The players

Lisa Fink

A Republican state representative from Glendale, Arizona who is sponsoring the bill to repeal the mental health education law.

Briana Ochoa

A college student who advocated for the 2021 law requiring mental health education in Arizona schools, saying it helped her understand and address her own mental health struggles in high school.

Brian Zuckerberg

The program manager for Kids in the Corner, an anti-suicide and mental health program that provides mental health education in Arizona schools.

Francine Sumner

The founder of Kids in the Corner, an organization that teaches mental health education in Arizona schools after her teenage son died by suicide in 2017.

Quantá Crews

A Democratic state representative from Phoenix who said learning about mental health issues in middle school helped her recognize and get help for her own PTSD after a sexual assault in high school.

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What they’re saying

“It taught me that the way that I was feeling wasn't weird or wrong, that it was completely normal, and that I wasn't always going to be stuck in this hole that I felt.”

— Briana Ochoa, College student (azmirror.com)

“No child should ever feel so alone that death feels like the only option.”

— Francine Sumner, Founder, Kids in the Corner (azmirror.com)

“We go into schools every day and teachers thank us for talking to students about mental health.”

— Brian Zuckerberg, Program manager, Kids in the Corner (azmirror.com)

What’s next

The Arizona House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill to repeal the mental health education law in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

The debate over repealing Arizona's mental health education law highlights the ongoing political tensions around the role of schools in addressing student mental health. While supporters argue the law has been crucial in helping students learn to identify and seek help for mental health issues, opponents contend that schools should focus on academics rather than mental health education.