Sen. Carine Werner

Maddy summaryThis bill allows trained school staff to administer epinephrine auto-injectors to students or adults showing signs of a severe allergic reaction during school hours or school events. Schools must stock at least two juvenile and two adult doses of epinephrine auto-injectors, obtain medical standing orders from qualified providers, and establish clear emergency protocols. It provides legal immunity for school personnel acting in good faith under these provisions, except in cases of gross negligence. The law applies to all Arizona public and charter schools.

Maddy summarySB 1727 requires Arizona medical schools (under the Board of Regents) to publicly post clear admissions details - including qualifications, fees, deadlines, and interview dates - on their websites and in promotional materials. It mandates that these schools offer interviews to all in-state applicants who meet admission standards and pay fees, and gives priority consideration in the first interview round to Arizona residents meeting those standards. The University of Arizona School of Medicine must additionally prioritize applicants committed to practicing in medically underserved areas. Schools must annually report applicant statistics and compliance efforts to the Board of Regents. This bill directly affects Arizona medical schools and prospective in-state medical students seeking admission.

Maddy summarySB 1604 amends Arizona law to ensure time spent in a licensed secure health facility by defendants found incompetent to stand trial counts toward their criminal sentence for the original charges. It directly affects defendants in Arizona who are deemed incompetent and committed to such facilities under Section 13-4521. Key provisions require courts to credit all time served in these facilities against the sentence for the underlying offense (Section 13-712), limit commitment periods to the presumptive sentence for the original charge (Section 13-4521), and mandate specific hearings to determine dangerousness within 120 days (Section 13-4521). The bill streamlines how custody time is calculated for this population, ensuring it reduces the total prison time they would otherwise serve. This law was signed by the governor in May 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1443 establishes a "parental bill of rights" in Arizona law, directly affecting parents of minor children and government entities like schools, healthcare providers, and child welfare agencies. It codifies specific parental rights - including control over education, health care decisions, access to medical records, and notification of suspected child-related incidents - and prohibits government interference without meeting a strict legal standard. The bill adds a new provision allowing parents to sue for compensatory damages of at least $2,500 per violation if government entities unlawfully interfere with these rights. Despite passing the legislature in April 2025, it was vetoed by the Governor on May 2, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryThis Arizona legislative memorial requests Congress eliminate Vision Zero as a condition for federal transportation funding. It argues that Vision Zero policies - requiring lower speed limits, narrower roads, and reduced vehicle capacity - have increased traffic fatalities in cities like Denver and Portland while hindering emergency response and economic efficiency. The memorial seeks to redirect federal funding toward engineering-based transportation solutions that prioritize safety without restricting mobility or road capacity. (Note: This is a memorial, not a binding bill, and expresses Arizona's position on federal funding conditions.)

Maddy summarySB 1441 would require school board elections in Arizona to be nonpartisan by removing political party designations from ballots for school district governing board candidates. The bill would amend election statutes to place school board candidates in a "Nonpartisan Ballot" section, listing their names without party labels or partisan titles. This change would directly affect all Arizona school districts and candidates running for school board positions by eliminating party affiliations from the ballot. The bill passed the legislature in April 2025 but was vetoed by the governor, so it did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 1437 requires school employees (including teachers, substitute teachers, and administrators) to immediately report suspected child abuse, neglect, or physical injury of minors they reasonably believe occurred. It expands mandatory reporting duties to cover school personnel who develop such reasonable beliefs during their employment, while maintaining exemptions for clergy confessions and accidental playground injuries during school hours. The law mandates immediate electronic or phone reports containing specific details (minor’s identity, nature of harm, etc.) to child safety authorities, and allows school staff to take photographs or arrange forensic interviews during investigations. It also clarifies that school administrators must report only if they believe a required reporter hasn’t already done so, and specifies that medical records must be shared confidentially with investigators upon written request.

Maddy summaryArizona's SB 1495 requires the state's National Guard to stay within Arizona unless Congress formally declares war or takes specific action under the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 15) to call the Guard for specific purposes like enforcing federal law or repelling invasion. The bill defines "active duty combat" as participating in armed conflict, performing hazardous duties related to conflict abroad, or using "instrumentality of war." It mandates the governor to ensure compliance with these requirements before deploying the Guard. This bill directly affects Arizona's National Guard deployment decisions and the governor's authority to release troops. The measure is procedural, focusing on constitutional requirements for Guard mobilization.

Maddy summarySB 1623 allocates $10 million from Arizona’s state general fund and $18.77 million in expenditure authority for fiscal year 2025-2026 to support graduate medical education programs. This funding directly assists hospitals and medical training programs across Arizona by covering both direct and indirect costs of residency training, including start-up expenses for new programs. The bill ensures state funds supplement, but do not replace, existing voluntary payments from local governments to hospitals running these programs. It also exempts these appropriations from standard budget lapse rules under Arizona law.

Maddy summarySB 1442 allocates $25 million from Arizona's state general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026 to fund new or retrofitted secure behavioral health residential facilities. It directly affects licensed facilities serving two specific populations: individuals with serious mental illness who are chronically treatment-resistant (court-ordered under A.R.S. § 36-550.09) or those committed via court order (A.R.S. § 13-4521). Funds must be used solely for facility construction or retrofitting, with recipients required to measure clinical outcomes, independent living skills, program participation, and physical health metrics. Facilities must report these results annually to state leadership, and the appropriation is exempt from standard funding lapsing rules. The bill requires a request for proposals by January 2026, prioritizing facilities that can open within 12 months and meet geographic needs.