Rep. Brian Garcia

Maddy summarySB 1789 requires Arizona pet stores and dealers to verify that dogs and cats they sell come from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-licensed breeders with no recent inspection violations, by checking the USDA's animal care information system before each order. They may also obtain animals from public pounds or nonprofit humane societies without this verification. Violations can result in civil penalties up to $5,000 per incident, with repeated offenses potentially leading to a three-year court-ordered ban on selling animals from non-licensed sources. The bill also mandates that stores display the breeder's name, USDA license number, and a link to USDA information for each animal, and maintain records for two years.

Maddy summaryHB 4007 allows Arizona municipalities to create designated "municipal improvement areas" (up to 30 years) where they redirect tax revenue growth from increased property values to fund public infrastructure projects like roads, sewers, parks, and transit. It requires areas to meet specific criteria (e.g., blighted, needing redevelopment, or suitable for housing) and mandates approval from county, school, and community college districts. The bill specifies that captured tax increments - defined as the difference between current and original property tax values - must finance approved projects outlined in a development plan, including feasibility studies and revenue sources. This directly affects cities/towns seeking to finance public improvements through local tax growth, while prohibiting areas where residential taxes exceed state limits without state fund reimbursement.

Maddy summaryHB 2949 requires large data centers (defined as facilities with at least 100 megawatts of peak demand) to directly pay for all energy costs related to their operations, including fuel, generation, and transmission. This applies to both public power entities (like municipal utilities) and public service corporations (like investor-owned utilities). The bill prohibits these data centers from passing these costs onto other utility customers, ensuring ratepayers aren’t burdened by the facilities’ energy expenses. The law aims to address cost allocation for high-energy data infrastructure without altering broader utility rate structures.

Maddy summaryHB 2964 requires Arizona health insurers to cover specific cancer-related genetic services without cost-sharing (like deductibles or copays) starting January 1, 2027. It applies to hospital service corporations, health care services organizations, and disability insurers, directly affecting subscribers, enrollees, and insureds who have a personal or family history of cancer or inherited gene mutations. The bill mandates coverage for genetic counseling, testing (including BRCA and Lynch syndrome tests), and cancer risk assessments when recommended by a health care provider following National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. This ensures access to inherited cancer risk testing without financial barriers for eligible individuals.

Maddy summarySB 1660, the "Immigration Safe Zones Act," requires Arizona's Attorney General to create policies within 60 days that limit state agency cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. These policies must protect specific public facilities - including public schools, community colleges, universities, libraries, courts, and publicly funded healthcare centers - from being used for immigration enforcement actions. The bill also mandates that state agencies remove all questions about immigration status from applications, questionnaires, or forms related to public services or education within 60 days. It defines "immigration enforcement" broadly to include federal efforts targeting individuals' presence, entry, or employment in the U.S. The law directly affects state agencies, public institutions, and residents seeking services at protected facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Arizona municipalities with over 75,000 residents to permit duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and townhomes in two specific areas by January 1, 2026: (1) all single-family zones within one mile of downtown, and (2) at least 20% of new developments over 10 acres. It prohibits local governments from discouraging these housing types through excessive rules, such as requiring more parking than single-family homes or applying commercial building codes. The bill excludes historic districts (per state law), areas without water/sewer services, airport zones, and unincorporated areas. If a municipality fails to adopt these rules by 2026, middle housing becomes allowed everywhere zoned for single-family homes.

Maddy summarySB 1606 establishes rules for small, portable solar energy devices that plug into standard home outlets. It prohibits public power entities and utilities from requiring customer approval, fees, or extra equipment for devices under 1,200 watts that connect via standard 120V outlets to offset personal electricity use. The bill defines these devices to exclude larger systems like net metering or distributed generation facilities. It also requires devices to include safety features preventing operation during power outages. This directly affects residential customers using small, plug-in solar panels, ensuring utilities cannot impose barriers to their use.

Maddy summarySB 1607 establishes Arizona's Health Care Claims Consumer Assistance Program within the Department of Insurance to help residents navigate insurance disputes. The bill requires insurers to pay double the amount of wrongfully denied claims (plus attorney fees) and imposes civil penalties of at least $25,000 per violation for repeated denials. Insurers must report denial data to the department, and the department will publicly post annual reports detailing denial rates and outcomes for each insurer. These provisions directly affect Arizona consumers with health insurance and health insurers operating in the state, aiming to increase transparency and accountability.

Maddy summaryHB 2945 establishes Arizona's first state-administered family and medical leave insurance program, effective January 1, 2029. It provides wage replacement benefits for eligible workers needing time off for reasons including childbirth/adoption, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, pregnancy recovery, military family needs, or safe leave due to domestic violence, sexual violence, abuse, or stalking. The program guarantees up to 26 weeks of benefits for pregnancy or inpatient health conditions and up to 24 weeks for other qualifying reasons, with employers required to provide at least 12 weeks of leave. Benefit payments must begin within two weeks of a claim and continue every two weeks, applying to both employees and self-employed individuals who meet the defined eligibility criteria.

Maddy summarySB 1509 amends Arizona's campaign finance reporting rules to require more detailed disclosure of contributions and expenditures. It mandates that campaign committees, political action committees (PACs), and political parties itemize all contributions over $100 from in-state individuals (including occupation and employer), out-of-state contributors, and lobbyists (who must be labeled as "lobbyist" in reports). The bill also requires detailed reporting of in-kind contributions, loans, independent expenditures, and disbursements over $250, with specific rules for payroll deduction contributions to PACs. These changes apply to all committees filing reports under Arizona law, affecting candidates, PACs, and political parties during election cycles. The bill does not change campaign contribution limits but increases transparency around donor identities and spending sources.