HB 2085 prohibits physicians and health professionals in Arizona from providing or referring minors under 18 for gender transition procedures, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone therapy, or surgery. The bill allows exceptions for minors with specific medical conditions, such as disorders of sex development, or for treating infections or injuries caused by prior gender transition care. It bans public funding for such procedures in state facilities, government-employed providers, or state health insurance programs. Violations may lead to professional discipline, private lawsuits for damages, or enforcement actions by the attorney general.
HB 2101 amends Arizona's water management statute to clarify and expand the director's authority for groundwater and surface water oversight. It directly affects the state's water director and agencies by authorizing them to develop management plans, investigate water resources, acquire water rights, and coordinate with other entities like the Department of Environmental Quality. Key provisions include enabling the director to form plans for groundwater conservation, collect data on water basins, contract for imported water, and collaborate with federal agencies and Mexican authorities on border water planning. The bill does not create new regulations but updates existing powers to improve water resource management coordination. This is a procedural amendment to the state's water code, not a new policy requiring funding or implementation.
HB 2097 sets a limit of six acre-feet of groundwater per acre annually for irrigation on land legally irrigated between 1975-1980 (in initial areas) or during the five years before a designated area's creation (in subsequent areas). Landowners using groundwater from non-exempt wells who exceed this limit face a $150 penalty per acre, and all users must install approved measuring devices and submit annual reports by March 31. The bill exempts correctional facilities from the six-acre-foot limit if they irrigate up to ten acres for inmate work programs producing food, provided they notify water authorities in advance.
HB 2094 allows Arizona's Department of Water Resources to review pending applications for "certificate of assured water supply" in the Phoenix Active Management Area (submitted between 2021-2023 but not yet approved). It requires municipal water providers to calculate and assign 25% of their annual excess groundwater deliveries as long-term storage credits to the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District. This assignment reduces the provider's annual replenishment tax obligation and continues as long as the land retains groundwater replenishment requirements. The bill expires December 31, 2028, and applies only to applications supported by specific historical groundwater models.
HB 2410 would make communications with artificial intelligence protected (privileged) if those same communications would have been protected had they been made to a human professional, such as a lawyer or doctor. It directly affects people seeking advice from AI tools in contexts where human professional advice would normally be confidential. The bill establishes that AI interactions would be treated identically to human professional communications under existing privilege rules. This bill is currently pending in Arizona's legislature after its first two readings and has not yet become law.
This bill amends Arizona's definition of "certified public accountant" and related terms in the state's accounting law. It primarily updates definitions for terms like "accounting services," "attest services," "accredited institution," and "discipline" without creating new requirements or affecting who can become a CPA. The changes clarify existing terminology for regulatory purposes but do not alter certification standards, scope of practice, or penalties for accountants. As a definitional amendment, it does not directly impact individuals or businesses. The bill remains in the legislative process, having undergone first and second readings.
HB 2452 requires counties in Arizona with over 125,000 residents to include specific land use designations for data centers and small modular reactors in their comprehensive plans. The bill mandates counties to identify sufficient land locations and extents for data center construction and operation, and for larger counties (over 200,000 residents) to designate land for small modular reactors. It also adds provisions for energy planning, including incentives for renewable energy use and policies to support efficient energy consumption. This bill directly affects county planning processes by requiring new land-use considerations for data centers and nuclear energy infrastructure within existing planning frameworks.
HB 2500 provides an additional $1,000,000 and 12 full-time positions from the state general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026 to the Arizona superintendent of public instruction. This funding is specifically for administering the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, which allows families to use public funds for private school tuition or educational services. The bill directly affects the superintendent's office and the ESA program's operations, adding resources to manage the existing scholarship initiative. It does not change eligibility or benefit amounts but ensures the program has dedicated staffing and funding for administration.
HB 2499 appropriates $2.6 million and 12 full-time equivalent positions from Arizona's general fund for fiscal year 2026-2027 to the Department of Education. This funding specifically supports the administration of the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, which provides state-funded scholarships to students. The bill designates this as ongoing funding intended for future years, ensuring continued operational support for the program. The measure directly affects the Department of Education (as the administrator) and the ESA program's beneficiaries.
SB 1289 requires any entity (including corporations or committees) providing election services to Arizona government entities to certify in writing that they are not receiving foreign donations, with annual updates and immediate reporting of new foreign donation information. Government entities must submit quarterly reports listing these service providers to the Secretary of State, who will post certifications online. Failure to certify accurately invalidates service agreements and may result in a class 1 misdemeanor charge or $5,000 fines per violation. The bill also allows the Attorney General and qualified voters to sue for enforcement, seeking injunctions, $1,000 daily penalties, and attorney fees for non-compliance.
SCR 1013 is a proposed Arizona constitutional amendment (requiring voter approval) that aims to prevent foreign influence in elections. It requires election service providers and ballot measure committees to certify under penalty of perjury that they aren’t receiving foreign funding, with annual updates and immediate reporting of new information. The law mandates quarterly reports to the Secretary of State and prohibits using foreign money for election administration or ballot initiatives. Violations could lead to fines, contract termination, or civil lawsuits, with enforcement handled by the Attorney General or qualified voters. This applies to organizations working on elections or ballot measures, excluding tribal nations and standard "common goods" like office supplies.
HB 2459 requires mobile home park landlords to separately meter utilities like electricity, water, and gas, charging only the utility company’s standard residential rate plus a maximum $8 administrative fee. Landlords must clearly disclose all utility charges and fees in rental agreements, including the specific administrative fee amount. The bill prevents mobile home parks from being classified as regulated water systems solely due to submetering for water conservation. This directly affects mobile home park tenants by ensuring fairer utility billing and landlords by setting clear limits on fees.
