HB 2956 Arizona House · 57th Legislature - First Regular Session

K-12 education; 2025-2026

HB 2956, a vetoed Arizona bill (2025), requires all public high schools (grades 9-12) to provide and maintain accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on campus and at all school-sponsored athletic events, including practices and competitions. The law mandates AEDs be in unlocked, easily retrievable locations, tested per manufacturer guidelines, and available during school hours and events. It also allows schools to accept donations for AED costs. The bill was vetoed by the Governor on June 25, 2025, and is not law. (Note: Section 2 of the bill details charter school funding rules, but the primary policy change relates to AED requirements for high school athletics.)

Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jun 2025

Committee Review

Jun 2025

House Passage

Jun 2025

Senate Passage

Jun 2025

Vetoed

Jun 2025

Introduced Jun 11, 2025 Vetoed Jun 25, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → House Engrossed Version · 8 edits · Jun 25, 2025

MODERATE

This bill updates Arizona's K-12 education laws to improve safety, financial transparency, and teacher retention. The most significant change is updating the deadline for high school AED requirements from 2025 to 2026, while adding clearer location standards for these devices. The bill also increases charter school funding amounts, creates a new ninth-grade on-track grant program, and establishes a comprehensive teacher retention study with public reporting requirements.

Scope change

The bill applies to all public schools in Arizona with grades 9-12 for AED requirements, all charter schools for funding and reporting provisions, and all school districts for financial transparency and teacher retention reporting.

TIMELINE

Extended the deadline for high schools to provide automated external defibrillators from August 1, 2025 to August 1, 2026.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that AED locations be clearly marked and easily accessible, and must comply with nationally recognized emergency cardiovascular care guidelines.

Requires the Department of Education to conduct annual comprehensive studies on teacher retention rates and publish interactive dashboards with results.

Mandates that school districts prominently display average teacher salaries and salary increases on their websites.

FISCAL

Increased charter school additional assistance funding from $2,090.10 to $2,131.90 for preschool through grade 8, and from $2,435.97 to $2,484.69 for grades 9-12.

Created a new ninth-grade on-track grant program providing at least $150 per eligible student to help students complete credits needed to graduate in four years.

DEFINITION

Updated base support level amounts for fiscal year 2025-2026 to $5,113.26 per student.

ENFORCEMENT

Established a truth-in-taxation hearing process when proposed property tax rates exceed computed rates, requiring public notice and two-thirds legislative approval.

Floor votes · House Jun 13, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jun 25, 2025

Vetoed

Vetoed by Governor

executive

Jun 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

PASSED

upper

Jun 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

PASSED

lower

Jun 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

DPA

lower

Jun 12, 2025

Lower · Passed

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors