Maddy summarySB 1451 establishes Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to provide funding for eligible students' education. Parents must agree to use funds only for specific education-related expenses - including tuition at qualifying schools, textbooks, tutoring, vocational training, college tuition, and approved assistive technologies - while agreeing not to enroll in public schools or accept concurrent scholarships. The bill explicitly allows funds to cover postsecondary education costs at eligible colleges and universities, expanding previous uses beyond K-12. It requires parental agreements outlining permitted expenses and prohibits homeschooling filings while ensuring funds cannot cover non-educational items like entertainment devices.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 1468 amends Arizona's corporate tax rules to change how businesses apportion income for state taxation. It revises Section 43-1139 to provide multiple formulas for calculating taxable income, gradually shifting from weighted property/payroll/sales factors toward using only the sales factor for most businesses after 2016. Section 43-1147 updates rules for taxing service sales, requiring businesses to increasingly base taxation on where the market is located rather than where work is performed, fully transitioning to market-based rules after 2025. These changes directly affect corporations operating in Arizona, particularly service providers and air commerce businesses (which face specific apportionment rules under Section 43-1139B). The bill establishes a phased transition across multiple tax years, with the most significant shift occurring in 2016-2025 when businesses can choose the sales-factor-only method.
Maddy summarySB 1361 (Arizona) establishes a "bill of rights" for victims of peace officer violence and their families. It guarantees direct access to unredacted evidence (like body camera footage and incident reports) within 72 hours, free language assistance, protection from intimidation during investigations, and the right to review materials before public release. The bill requires municipalities to create independent victim advocates who connect families with services and ensures victims are notified before public details are shared. It also mandates that police reports refer to victims as "victims" (not suspects) and prohibits releasing misleading information about incidents. This bill directly affects individuals injured or killed in police interactions and their families.
Maddy summaryHB 2690 repeals Arizona Revised Statutes §15-120.02, which previously addressed team designations in relation to biological sex. The bill directly affects how athletic teams or similar groups in Arizona may be designated based on biological sex, removing the existing statutory requirement. Key provisions involve eliminating this specific legal provision without creating new rules or requirements. As a procedural repeal bill, it does not establish new policy but removes an existing statute, with the bill currently in early legislative stages (House First/Second Reading, January 2025).
Maddy summaryThis resolution (HR 2002) declares gun violence a public health crisis in Arizona. It cites Arizona's 2020 firearm death toll of 1,265, 2022 data showing firearms as the top cause of death for teens aged 15-17, and statistics linking gun access to increased suicides and homicides. The resolution makes no new laws or funding provisions - it is a symbolic declaration by Arizona's House of Representatives. It focuses on acknowledging the severity of gun violence as a public health issue, based on state-specific data.
Maddy summaryThis bill (HB 2348) requires Arizona health insurers - covering hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, health care services organizations, and disability insurers - to provide coverage for behavioral health services (including mental health and substance use disorder treatment) starting January 1, 2026. It mandates insurers to arrange out-of-network coverage with negotiated rates when in-network providers aren’t available within specific timeframes: 30 days for routine care, 7 days for residential care, and 24 hours for emergencies. Crucially, patients cannot pay more than their standard in-network copay, coinsurance, or deductible for these services. Insurers must also document and report out-of-network payments to the state within 20 days of request.
Maddy summaryHCR 2034 would require background checks for most private firearm transfers in Arizona by mandating that non-dealer sellers or buyers use a licensed firearms dealer to process the transaction. This applies to all private sales not covered by specific exceptions (like law enforcement transfers, gunsmith repairs, or family gifts). The dealer must conduct a background check under federal and state law before completing the sale or returning the firearm to the seller if prohibited. Violating this rule would be a class 5 felony. The bill requires voter approval to become law.
Maddy summaryArizona's HB 2528 changes the state's marriage law to set 16 as the minimum age for marriage. It allows 16- and 17-year-olds to marry only if they have an emancipation order from a court or parental/guardian consent, and their partner is no more than three years older. The bill prohibits marriage for anyone under 16 and requires clerks of court to deny marriage licenses to minors under 18 who don't meet these specific conditions. This directly affects minors aged 16-17 seeking marriage, their parents/guardians, and court clerks issuing licenses.
Maddy summaryHB 2496 modifies Arizona's licensing rules by prohibiting state agencies from requiring applicants to provide citizenship or alien status documentation when applying for a professional license. It also mandates that agencies accept a federal tax identification number in place of a Social Security number for licensing purposes. This applies to all licenses issued by state or local agencies for businesses or services (like CPAs, contractors, or healthcare providers). The bill directly affects individuals seeking professional licenses who may lack traditional citizenship documentation, such as immigrants or non-citizens. The key change replaces prior requirements in Section 41-1080 with these new documentation standards.
Maddy summaryHB 2591 appropriates $500,000 from Arizona's state general fund for the Arizona Commission of African-American Affairs' operating expenses during fiscal year 2025-2026. This procedural bill provides direct funding to the commission for its administrative costs. It does not establish new policies or affect specific groups beyond the commission's operational needs. The bill is currently in early legislative stages, having undergone House first and second readings.