Rep. Selina Bliss

Maddy summaryHB 2023 updates Arizona's rules for how cities adopt and amend their comprehensive land use plans (called "general plans"), specifically for municipalities near military airports. It requires cities with territory in high-noise or accident zones around military facilities to ensure new land use plans are compatible with military operations, making this a statewide concern. Key provisions include mandating public participation procedures (like written comments and multiple public hearings in larger cities), requiring cities to consult military airports and other agencies before adopting plans, and demanding 60-day notice to military airports for plans affecting their zones. This directly affects cities near military installations, ensuring their planning considers military operations alongside community input. The bill does not change land use outcomes but sets new procedural requirements for plan adoption.

Maddy summarySB 1334 amends Arizona election law to clarify how counties designate polling places and establish emergency voting centers. It allows county election officials to combine precincts, create voting centers (where voters can cast ballots at any location in the county), and set up emergency voting centers during elections if approved by a recorded vote of the board of supervisors. Emergency centers require specific location/hours notices, permit voter registration updates at the site, and allow temporary location changes if centers become unavailable. The bill also requires counties to notify voters 33 days in advance for polling place changes and specifies that schools may deny polling place requests only for valid reasons like lack of space or safety concerns.

Maddy summaryHB 2930 creates a state fund to help county sheriffs' departments and municipal police departments purchase ballistic shields that protect against high-powered firearms. Law enforcement agencies receiving funds must contribute a 50% match from their own resources. The bill appropriates $2 million from the state general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026, with the funds continuously available to avoid expiration under standard appropriation rules. This directly affects local law enforcement agencies that employ certified peace officers in Arizona.

Maddy summaryHB 2582 creates new penalties for individuals or entities submitting healthcare claims under Arizona's health insurance (Title 11) or Medicaid (Title 36) programs who fail to maintain required financial records. It requires these parties to keep records detailing services provided or payment calculations for at least five years, and to report if such records are destroyed. Violating these requirements results in a class 1 misdemeanor (for failing to maintain records) or class 2 misdemeanor (for failing to report destruction). The bill directly affects healthcare providers, insurers, and others submitting claims under these specific state programs. This is a procedural bill establishing clear record-keeping standards and enforcement for financial transparency in healthcare billing.

Maddy summaryHB 2208 requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to reimburse pharmacies at or above the actual cost paid by the pharmacy for prescription drugs or devices, rather than using lower, negotiated rates. It mandates PBMs to pay professional dispensing fees at the state’s approved medical assistance rate and establishes a 7-business-day appeal process for pharmacies disputing underpayment. Pharmacies that win an appeal must be reimbursed for actual costs, allowed to rebill claims, and have the corrected rate applied to similarly situated pharmacies. The law applies to new or renewed contracts after December 31, 2025, and excludes health insurance coverage managed by the Department of Administration.

Maddy summaryHCM 2016 is a symbolic resolution (not a binding bill) passed by the Arizona House of Representatives. It urges the U.S. Congress to support the Palo Verde Generating Station, Arizona's largest nuclear power plant, highlighting its role as a major clean energy source (supplying 70% of Arizona's carbon-free energy), economic contributor ($2.3 billion annual impact), and employer (2,000+ full-time workers). The resolution cites the plant's use of recycled water, lower costs compared to solar, and public support for nuclear energy (56% in a 2024 survey) to make its case. It does not create new policy but requests congressional recognition and support for the facility.

Maddy summaryHB 2825 increases funding for Arizona's Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery by $394,700 (from $1,394,300 to $1,789,000) for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The bill allocates five additional full-time equivalent positions to the board specifically for hiring more investigators and licensing personnel. These staff additions will prioritize handling investigations into osteopathic practitioners and processing license applications. The bill directly affects the board's operations and its ability to manage licensing and oversight duties.

Maddy summaryArizona municipalities with populations over 75,000 must allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on single-family residential lots by January 1, 2025. The law requires at least one attached and one detached ADU per lot, with larger parcels (1+ acres) needing one affordable ADU for households earning ≤80% of area median income. Municipalities cannot ban separate rentals, require design matching, impose extra fees, or restrict ADUs more strictly than single-family homes. Failure to adopt compliant regulations by the deadline means ADUs become universally permitted without restrictions on all residential lots in that municipality.

Maddy summaryHB 2717 requires businesses constructing solar or wind energy projects to compensate agricultural lessees when the project reduces the size of their leased agricultural operation. It directly affects lessees of state or federal lands used for agriculture, as defined in the bill. The law mandates compensation for lost profits, conservation measure value, reduced operation value, relocation costs, and mitigation expenses, with lessees needing to provide credible evidence of these costs. The bill aims to protect agricultural operations by ensuring financial redress for land-use impacts from energy projects.

Maddy summaryHB 2784 grants residents in Arizona nursing care facilities or assisted living facilities (where care is partially or fully paid by public funds) the right to install electronic monitoring devices in their rooms. Residents or their legally authorized representatives must provide the facility with a written notice detailing the device type, recording preferences (audio/video), and specific times when monitoring should pause (e.g., during medical procedures, bathing, or private visits). The bill requires facilities to allow this monitoring after proper notice and specifies that the notice must include all terms chosen by the resident or representative. This law directly affects residents seeking greater privacy and oversight in their living spaces while ensuring facilities follow clear, written protocols.