Sen. Eva Diaz

Maddy summarySCR 1035 proposes a constitutional amendment to establish annual spending limits for Arizona school and community college districts based on 1979-80 spending adjusted for student population growth and inflation. School districts would face a limit set at 110% of the adjusted base amount, while community college districts would have individual limits based on their own historical spending. The bill defines "local revenues" broadly but excludes specific sources like bond proceeds, federal grants, tuition fees, and certain capital funds. Exceptions allowing spending above the limit would require a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers via concurrent resolution. This proposal must be approved by voters and the Governor to take effect.

Maddy summarySB 1643 establishes Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (AESA) for K-12 students, allowing parents to use state funds for educational expenses at qualified schools. It requires parents to agree to use funds only for specific approved expenses - including tuition, textbooks, tutoring, disability-related services (for eligible students), and educational technology - while prohibiting enrollment in public schools or concurrent use with school tuition organization scholarships. The bill also mandates annual education plans for students nearing age 22 to continue receiving funds, with detailed reporting requirements to the state department. This directly affects Arizona students and parents seeking alternatives to public schooling, with eligibility tied to specific educational needs.

Maddy summarySB 1641 requires teachers, student teachers, and tutoring service providers in Arizona schools to submit verified fingerprint cards for background checks. It establishes a standardized process for obtaining and renewing these fingerprints through school districts, law enforcement, or contracted entities, including specific submission instructions and digital storage requirements. The bill eliminates the need for re-fingerprinting when renewal is requested, using existing digital records for background checks unless records are lost or damaged. This directly affects educators and tutoring staff seeking or maintaining employment in Arizona public, charter, or school district programs.

Maddy summarySB 1644 requires Arizona's education department to provide parents with a clear notice outlining all legal rights they waive when enrolling their child in the state's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program. This notice must be included in application materials and posted online, informing parents about rights relinquished upon program enrollment. The bill amends existing ESA program rules to mandate this specific parental notification process before enrollment. It directly affects parents and students choosing to participate in Arizona's ESA program instead of public schools. The bill does not change ESA funding, eligibility, or other program operations - only the required disclosure about waived rights.

Maddy summarySB 1640 establishes Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) to provide state-funded education options for qualifying students. It requires parents to sign agreements committing to use funds exclusively for approved education expenses - including tuition at qualified schools, textbooks, specialized therapies for students with disabilities, tutoring, online programs, and educational technology - while prohibiting concurrent use of other scholarships. The bill restricts ESA funds from covering homeschooling expenses or public school enrollment, and mandates annual reviews for students nearing age 22 to continue eligibility. This directly affects Arizona parents and students who qualify for the program, shifting education funding from public schools to private/alternative educational choices under specific guidelines.

Maddy summarySB 1651 makes it a crime for anyone to tamper with or open containers holding early voted ballots, except when election officials are performing their official duties. Violating this law is classified as a class 1 misdemeanor. The bill directly affects individuals who might interfere with ballot containers during early voting, excluding election workers. It focuses on preventing unauthorized access to ballot receptacles to protect voting integrity.

Maddy summarySB 1594 repeals Section 34-321 of Arizona law, which previously required applicants for environmental compatibility certificates (for projects like energy facilities) to comply with certain labor agreements, such as neutrality agreements or project labor agreements. The bill removes this requirement, meaning project applicants no longer need to negotiate or enter into such labor agreements as a condition for approval. This directly affects developers of energy projects seeking environmental permits in Arizona. The repeal focuses solely on eliminating this specific labor agreement mandate from the environmental review process.

Maddy summarySB 1652 makes it a crime to threaten, intimidate, or physically obstruct election officials in Arizona while they perform their duties. The bill prohibits verbal, written, or physical threats aimed at impeding election work or retaliating against officials (Section A), using threats of force or economic harm to influence them (Section B), or blocking access to voting locations or election facilities (Section C). Violations are classified as class 1 misdemeanors (Section E), and officials can file civil lawsuits seeking restraining orders or damages without proving the threat was intended to cause fear (Section D). This bill directly affects election workers, including board members, and aims to protect them from harassment during election administration.

Maddy summaryArizona's SB 1647 establishes specific class size limits for public schools, requiring all schools to adopt policies by the 2030-2031 school year. It sets maximum average class sizes (e.g., 18 students for K-3, 25 for 9-12) and prohibits exceeding these limits, with limited exceptions for specialized classes. The bill creates a dedicated "Classroom Site Fund" to support implementation, requiring schools to use these funds primarily for class size reduction, teacher compensation (including performance-based components), and related programs like teacher development. This directly affects all Arizona public schools, K-12, by mandating smaller class sizes and linking funding to compliance.

Maddy summarySB 1638 establishes standards for Arizona public and charter schools offering online instruction. It requires new online schools to operate on probation for up to three years, demonstrating improved student academic performance before becoming permanent. The bill mandates annual reporting on key metrics like course completions, end-of-course test participation, pass rates in English and math, and student enrollment patterns. Additionally, participating schools must maintain daily logs tracking students' time spent on academic tasks for attendance calculations. These provisions directly affect Arizona online schools, their students, and school districts managing these programs.