Rep. Matt Gress

Maddy summarySB 1174 requires Arizona's Department of Child Safety (DCS) to operate a centralized hotline for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect, directly affecting children, families, and DCS workers. The bill mandates that hotline staff immediately access prior case history (within the last 60 days) for the child and siblings, and review non-reportable calls from the past three months to inform current decisions. It also requires DCS to use standardized assessment tools to evaluate abuse severity, identify criminal conduct, and assign appropriate investigative tracks. Additionally, DCS reports must now include a single, comprehensive summary of all prior hotline calls and investigations for the child within the last 60 days.

Maddy summaryHB 2482 establishes a state fund to provide grants to Arizona public school districts for maintaining existing school facilities. It requires districts to submit preventive maintenance plans to qualify and restricts funds to critical repairs (e.g., safety issues or operational disruptions), major renovations for academic spaces, system upgrades, and infrastructure - excluding new construction, aesthetic remodeling, or routine maintenance. Grants must be spent within 12 months (with extensions for complex projects), and districts must follow strict procurement rules for projects over $50,000. Accommodation schools are ineligible, and unspent funds must be returned to the state. The division prioritizes critical projects and reports monthly on fund distribution.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Arizona's Department of Child Safety (DCS) to record all interviews with children during abuse or neglect investigations via audio or video, unless equipment fails or unforeseen circumstances prevent it. It mandates specific investigator training on child safety assessments, legal rights, and evidence-informed protocols, while banning covert voice stress analysis and limiting overt use to cases with informed consent. DCS must submit written investigation reports to case management systems within 45 days and to courts 48 hours before dependency hearings. These changes directly affect DCS investigators, children in abuse/neglect cases, and families involved in child welfare proceedings.

Maddy summaryThis is a commemorative resolution (HCR 2063), not a substantive bill. It honors Yvonne Glee Lime Fedderson, founder of Childhelp and a global humanitarian dedicated to child welfare, following her death on January 23, 2026. The resolution expresses the Arizona Legislature's sympathy to her family and admirers, and directs the Secretary of State to send copies of the resolution to her family and Childhelp. It has no policy provisions or impact on legislation.

Maddy summaryHCR 2008 is a proposed constitutional amendment seeking voter approval to protect Arizona’s K-12 education funding levels until 2035-2036 and establish a statewide teacher compensation program. If approved, it would require any annual revenue increase from the state’s permanent fund above 2.5% to fund teacher pay raises, mandating that funds supplement existing pay (not replace it) and be distributed equally to eligible full-time classroom teachers meeting performance standards. The program must distinguish between high-performing and underperforming teachers, require schools to update salary schedules, and include reporting and auditing rules. This proposal does not become law until voters approve it at the next general election.

Maddy summaryHB 2315 is a technical correction to Arizona law regarding the certification of exchange teachers and professors. It updates Section 15-132 of the Arizona Revised Statutes to clarify that the state board of education may issue temporary certificates to exchange teachers and professors from foreign countries or other states whose training meets the board's rules and is equivalent to local teachers' qualifications. The bill makes no substantive change to the certification process but removes redundant language (like "local teacher or PROFESSOR") for clarity. It directly affects foreign and out-of-state exchange educators seeking temporary teaching authorization in Arizona.

Maddy summaryHB 2314 is a technical correction to Arizona law that clarifies the state's relationship with private schools. It amends Section 15-161 of the Arizona Revised Statutes to explicitly state that the state board of education and local school district boards have no authority over private schools. This change removes potential ambiguity in existing law, ensuring private schools remain outside the regulatory scope of state and district education officials. The bill does not create new rules but makes the current legal framework clearer for all parties involved.

Maddy summaryHB 2839 (Arizona) requires cities and towns to apply municipal sales taxes uniformly to all food items, prohibiting extra charges for specific foods. It exempts food manufacturing, distribution, and packaging containers from these taxes, and removes taxes on food purchased with SNAP benefits (food stamps) or low-cost food sold to eligible elderly, homeless, or disabled individuals through approved programs. The law affects local governments imposing food taxes, food businesses, and SNAP recipients by standardizing tax treatment and expanding certain exemptions. It applies retroactively to taxable periods after its effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HCR 2007) is a voter-approved measure requiring charter schools to publicly report average teacher salaries and salary increases on their websites. It establishes a "teacher pay fund" funded by state land trust distributions to mandate across-the-board salary increases for eligible teachers in all public schools, based on voter-approved funding levels. Schools must use these dedicated funds to raise base salaries uniformly for eligible teachers without reducing current salaries below 2026-2027 levels, while maintaining separate reporting to the Department of Education. The bill does not change current teacher pay but requires transparency and allocates specific state funds to support future salary increases. (Note: This is a referendum measure requiring voter approval to become law.)

Maddy summaryHB 2320 requires Arizona school districts to hire an independent, SEC-registered financial advisor before any bond election. The advisor must help the school board with bond issuance details like repayment structure, credit ratings, and hiring other professionals, while preparing required informational materials for voters. The bill prohibits these advisors from colluding on hiring other professionals or underwriting bonds they advised on. This directly affects all Arizona school districts seeking to issue bonds, mandating neutral financial guidance to ensure cost-effective borrowing. The law aims to standardize bond election processes with independent oversight.