Maddy summaryHB 2459 amends Arizona law to establish new procedures for strip searches and pat searches of prisoners in state correctional facilities. The bill requires that strip searches be conducted only by an officer of the same gender in a designated room (with limited exceptions for immediate needs), prohibits touching body parts except during hair inspections, and mandates documentation for cross-gender pat searches in emergencies. Pat searches must generally be performed by an officer of the same gender, but opposite-gender searches are permitted in emergencies if documented with officer details, prisoner information, and the reason, and conducted with a witness when possible. The law directly affects prisoners and correctional officers in Arizona Department of Corrections facilities by standardizing search protocols to address privacy concerns.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 2443 redirects unclaimed property funds (from abandoned assets like forgotten bank accounts) to Arizona's housing programs. It requires 55% of these funds to go to the state Housing Trust Fund, with at least 40% of that portion specifically for developing housing in rural areas. Additional allocations include $2 million annually to a mental health housing fund and $24.5 million yearly to an administrative fund. The bill does not directly affect individuals but changes how state funds from unclaimed property are distributed to support housing initiatives.
Maddy summaryHB 2530 establishes Arizona's Homeless Persons' Bill of Rights, guaranteeing homeless individuals equal access to public spaces (like parks and sidewalks), services, employment, and emergency care without discrimination based on housing status. It specifically prohibits criminal charges for sitting, sleeping, or lying on public property if the person is homeless and no shelter space is available. The bill also protects privacy of shelter records and ensures confidentiality under federal laws like HIPAA. These changes directly affect homeless residents across Arizona by legally safeguarding their daily activities and access to essential services.
Maddy summaryHB 2287 strengthens protections for mobile home residents in Arizona by amending landlord-tenant laws. It requires landlords to provide written disclosures about management, ownership, and service contacts before leases begin (Section 33-1432), bans excessive fees (like multiple application fees or charges for background checks), and limits rent collection (Section 33-1413.04). The bill also modifies eviction procedures, mandating a 7-day waiting period before enforcing a writ of restitution and requiring clear notice to tenants about criminal trespass penalties for remaining in mobile home spaces after eviction (Section 12-1178). These changes directly affect mobile home residents and their landlords across Arizona.
Maddy summaryHB 2461 establishes Arizona's state-run family and medical leave insurance program, providing wage replacement benefits to eligible workers. It directly affects employees who meet specific wage requirements (based on past earnings) or self-employed individuals who elect coverage, allowing them to take paid leave for qualifying reasons like childbirth, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, personal medical needs requiring hospitalization, military family exigencies, or safe leave related to domestic violence or stalking. Benefits cover up to 26 weeks for personal medical needs (e.g., childbirth recovery) or 24 weeks for other qualifying reasons, with payments starting within two weeks of a claim filing. The program, effective January 1, 2028, is administered by Arizona's Industrial Commission.
Maddy summaryHB 2458 requires Arizona prisons to provide free medical care and feminine hygiene products to female inmates, with specific exemptions for pregnant inmates from paying medical fees, prescriptions, or hygiene costs. The bill mandates that prison staff explain the consequences of refusing non-life-threatening medical treatment and document any refusal in writing, while prohibiting denial of care due to financial reasons. It explicitly exempts pregnant inmates from all medical and health service fees (including prescriptions) and ensures they receive necessary feminine hygiene products at no cost. These provisions directly affect incarcerated women in Arizona, particularly pregnant inmates, by improving access to essential healthcare services.
Maddy summaryHB 2682 repeals a provision requiring project labor agreements (like neutrality agreements or union recognition without secret ballots) for construction projects and amends environmental review rules to prohibit such agreements as conditions for project approval. It directly affects developers and contractors seeking environmental compatibility certificates for facilities like power plants or transmission lines, removing a requirement to negotiate with labor organizations during the approval process. The key mechanism eliminates mandates for project labor agreements, including neutrality agreements or release of employee information, from the environmental review standards. This bill does not change wage rates or other labor contract terms, focusing solely on streamlining project approvals by removing this specific regulatory barrier.
Maddy summaryHB 2529 repeals Arizona's "duty to retreat" requirement for self-defense. It changes the law so that people in a place where they are legally allowed to be (and not committing a crime) no longer must try to flee before using deadly force in self-defense. The bill directly affects Arizonans who may need to use force to protect themselves, removing the obligation to retreat first. This amendment clarifies that individuals can stand their ground without legal penalty if they reasonably believe deadly force is immediately necessary.
Maddy summaryHB 2358 prohibits defendants from claiming "justification" for violence based on a victim's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, including situations where the victim made an unwanted romantic advance or the parties were dating. It specifically removes these factors from the legal definition of "adequate provocation" in Arizona law. The bill directly affects criminal cases where defendants might otherwise argue such discoveries as a reason for violent acts. This is a policy change clarifying that LGBTQ+ identity cannot be used to excuse violence in court.
Maddy summaryHB 2620 requires Arizona's Department of Public Safety to create a secure online portal for federally licensed firearms dealers to verify the validity of concealed weapons permits presented by buyers. If a buyer shows a valid concealed weapons permit, dealers must check the portal before selling a firearm; if the permit is invalid, they must conduct a background check. The bill prohibits the state from collecting data on how often dealers use the portal. This affects firearms dealers and permit holders by adding a verification step during sales, with no data retention on query activity. The $300,000 appropriation funds the portal's development and maintenance.