Rep. Chris Mathis

Maddy summaryHB 2840 amends Arizona's chiropractic licensing law to clarify and expand grounds for disciplinary action against licensed chiropractors. It directly affects all Arizona chiropractors by prohibiting specific unethical or unsafe practices, including deceptive advertising (e.g., hiding service details in price ads), improper fee splitting with other health professionals, soliciting accident victims within 15 days of injury, and misrepresenting treatment outcomes. The bill also strengthens investigation procedures, allowing the board to require medical/mental evaluations during probes and issue advisory letters for minor violations. These changes aim to protect patients by setting clearer standards for chiropractic conduct and enforcement.

Maddy summaryHB 2897 requires Arizona schools to ensure blind students receive individualized braille literacy assessments and appropriate educational services. It mandates that teachers certified to teach visually impaired students must demonstrate braille competence through specific tests or training. The bill also requires textbook publishers to provide electronic versions in standard formats for braille conversion and specifies detailed elements that must be included in each student’s personalized learning plan regarding braille instruction. These changes directly affect blind students, their educators, and textbook publishers in Arizona.

Maddy summaryHB 2890 requires Arizona employers with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers, such as modified equipment, more frequent breaks, schedule changes for prenatal visits, or assistance with manual labor, unless it causes significant difficulty for the business. Employers cannot force pregnant employees to use vacation or sick leave when accommodations are possible and must post clear notices about these requirements in employee handbooks and provide written notice to new hires, current employees, and pregnant employees within 10 days of pregnancy notification. The bill directly affects pregnant employees and their employers across Arizona, ensuring they receive specific workplace adjustments without penalty. It takes effect after the law is enacted, with written notices required within 180 days of the effective date.

Maddy summaryHB 2838 updates Arizona landlord-tenant law by changing eviction court judgments and rental agreement rules. It requires courts to calculate unpaid rent as a prorated amount (not the full period) in eviction cases, removes social security numbers from judgments, and prohibits landlords from including excessive late fees ($50 max per period), clauses forcing tenants to pay landlord attorney fees, or blocking tenants from calling emergency services. The bill also clarifies that landlords must give tenants 10 days to fix lease breaches (like false application info), but material falsification of details (e.g., income, criminal history) makes eviction immediate and unfixable. These changes directly affect tenants facing eviction and landlords drafting rental agreements.

Maddy summaryHB 2837 limits landlord fees and requires clear cost disclosures for renters in Arizona. It prohibits landlords from charging for background checks if tenants provide their own credit report, caps application fees at actual costs (banning separate fees for screening), and restricts landlords to one application fee per year. The bill also mandates landlords to disclose in writing at lease start: all rent amounts, mandatory fees (like trash or smart device upgrades), additional costs, property management details, and landlord contact information - both in the lease and in all promotional materials. These changes directly affect renters (by reducing hidden fees) and landlords (who must follow new disclosure rules).

Maddy summaryHB 2839 establishes a maximum annual rent increase limit for landlords in Arizona, directly affecting both landlords and tenants. It caps rent increases at the annual consumer price index (CPI) plus 3% of the current rent, but not exceeding a total 7% increase per year. The bill also clarifies procedures for landlords to handle tenant property or animals if a tenant dies or becomes incapacitated, requiring authorized persons to retrieve items within 20 days. These provisions aim to limit arbitrary rent hikes while standardizing property retrieval processes under Arizona law.

Maddy summaryHB 2835 requires mandatory settlement conferences for certain eviction cases in Arizona before a trial can proceed. It applies to landlords seeking eviction for unpaid rent (under ARS 33-1368(B)) or material lease violations (under ARS 33-1368(A)), mandating that both parties attend a court meeting five days after the eviction notice is served. At the conference, they must bring lease agreements, payment records, and other relevant documents; failure to attend results in dismissal (landlord) or default judgment (tenant). If unresolved, the case moves to an eviction hearing five business days after the conference, streamlining the process while requiring courts to track and report settlement outcomes.

Maddy summaryHB 2848 requires corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), or their affiliates purchasing single-family homes in Arizona to register with the Corporation Commission before buying. County recorders cannot record deeds unless the buyer provides proof of registration and the deed states the property is not the owner’s primary residence. The bill limits corporate buyers to owning no more than 5% of a county’s single-family homes (or 100 units annually in counties with over 400,000 residents), with exceptions for entities owning fewer than ten homes statewide. These rules apply to commercial investors buying homes, aiming to limit large-scale corporate ownership in residential neighborhoods.

Maddy summaryHB 2836 establishes new rights for sexual assault survivors in Arizona, directly affecting survivors, medical providers, law enforcement, and victim advocacy programs. The bill creates confidentiality for communications between survivors and trained victim advocates (requiring 30 hours of specific training), prohibits charging survivors for medical exams, and guarantees survivors the right to consult an advocate during medical exams and police interviews. It also mandates that medical facilities inform survivors of their rights before exams, ensures survivors can request gender-specific interviewers, and prohibits using sexual assault kits to prosecute survivors for unrelated minor offenses. The law aims to protect survivors' privacy and autonomy throughout medical and legal processes.

Maddy summaryHB 2827 establishes a framework for Arizona municipalities to create "municipal improvement areas" where they can use increased property tax revenue to fund public infrastructure projects. Cities must meet specific criteria (like targeting blighted areas or residential development) and secure approvals from county and school districts before designating an area. The program allows funding for projects like roads, sewers, transit systems, and public spaces over a 30-year period per area, with funds dedicated to projects outlined in a development plan. This directly affects local governments seeking to finance community improvements through property tax growth.