SB 1127: duty to report; abuse; neglect - Arizona

Senate Engrossed Version (02/24/2026) → Chaptered Version · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was officially enacted into law as Chapter 143, changing its status from a proposed Senate version to a final House version approved by the Governor. The primary substantive change is the addition of a new section requiring school employees to report suspected immoral or unprofessional conduct by other staff members to law enforcement and the state board of education, while also adding protections against retaliation for those who report in good faith.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include mandatory reporting of suspected misconduct by school employees, covering both certificated and non-certificated staff, and establishing specific procedures for handling allegations against school personnel.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new duty for school employees to report suspected immoral or unprofessional conduct by other staff to law enforcement and the state board of education within three business days.

Added immunity provisions protecting individuals who report in good faith from civil damages and unlawful reprisal.

ENFORCEMENT

Established that failure to report suspected misconduct by school staff constitutes grounds for disciplinary action by the state board of education.

DEFINITION

Defined key terms including 'noncertificated person' and 'reportable offense' to clarify the scope of the new reporting requirements.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title and chapter number to reflect its final enactment status as Chapter 143.

House Engrossed Version (06/12/2026) → Senate Engrossed Version (02/24/2026) · 4 edits · Jun 12, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a House version to a Senate version, primarily changing the title and the specific statutes being amended. The Senate version narrows the scope by removing the amendment to Section 15-514, which previously mandated reporting of immoral or unprofessional conduct by school employees. Additionally, the Senate version adds a specific definition for abuse in the child safety reporting section and updates internal subsection numbering.

Scope change

The bill's scope was reduced by removing the requirement for school employees to report immoral or unprofessional conduct (previously covered under Section 15-514). The remaining text focuses solely on child abuse reporting duties.

SCOPE

The amendment to Section 15-514, which required school employees to report immoral or unprofessional conduct by staff, was removed entirely.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'abuse' in the child safety reporting section was updated to explicitly reference section 8-201.

TECHNICAL

Internal subsection lettering was renumbered (e.g., F became F.G., G became F.H.) to reflect the deletion of the school employee reporting section.

The bill title and version identifier were changed from 'House Engrossed' to 'Senate Engrossed'.

Introduced Version → House Engrossed Version (06/12/2026) · 4 edits · Jun 12, 2026

MODERATE

This bill expands the duty to report child abuse and neglect by adding a new mandatory reporting requirement for non-professionals (such as neighbors or bystanders) who have direct knowledge of abuse, while simultaneously exempting healthcare employees from this specific direct-reporting mandate to allow them to delegate reports to supervisors. It also clarifies the chain of notification between law enforcement and child safety agencies and strengthens protections against civil liability for reporters.

Scope change

The bill broadens the scope of mandatory reporters to include any person with direct knowledge of abuse, whereas previously only specific professionals and those with care/control responsibilities were explicitly required to report.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new subsection requiring any person with direct knowledge of abuse or neglect to immediately report directly to the Department of Child Safety without delegating the report to another person.

Modified the rule for healthcare employees, exempting them from the new direct-reporting mandate and allowing them to delegate the report to a designated agent if patient care requires it.

ENFORCEMENT

Added specific instructions for the Department of Child Safety to immediately notify a peace officer upon receiving a report, ensuring a reciprocal notification loop between agencies.

DEFINITION

Clarified that a report made to a school resource or safety officer does not satisfy the legal requirement to report to law enforcement or child safety authorities.

duty to report; abuse; neglect

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