Policy Perspective - May 2025 Arizona Policy Update
Two executive leaders have been busy using their power of the pen.
One hundred days have passed since the Trump administration took office for the second time, and 100 days have passed since the Arizona State Legislature started its 2025 session.
In Arizona, Governor Hobbs has signed 93 bills into law – along with vetoing 53 bills so far. President Trump signed over 140 executive orders, setting a record for the most executive orders signed by any president in this timeframe.
Recent local disability-related bills Gov. Hobbs signed into law
HP 2173 – Prohibits a “health professional regulatory board” or “licensing authority” from including any question on an application for a license, permit, certificate, or endorsement that requests information about whether an applicant has sought mental health assistance or received a mental health diagnosis or treatment.
SB 1106 – Dubbed “Ava’s Law,” it removes exclusions of public liability for a public entity if an employee commits a felony, except if the victim was a minor or a student with a disability and the public entity was negligent in conducting a background check on the employee or failed to secure a fingerprint clearance, or the public entity was statutorily required to report the employee to law enforcement, and failed to do so. Begins January 1, 2028.
SB 1333 – Requires a group foster home to develop a specific process and criteria if that home is to take in children who have medication requirements. Defines how the Arizona Department of Child Safety must manage treatment for a “medically complex child.”
SB 1437- Requires any person who reasonably suspects a minor has been subjected to reportable behavior* by a school employee or school-associated person to immediately report or cause a report to be made to law enforcement.
Vetoed by Governor:
HB 2375 - The bill would have required a home school district to begin the evaluation or provide the parent notice of refusal to conduct the evaluation within 15 calendar days if a child's parent submits a request between May 1 and August 15. The current rule allows 15 school days. Gov. Hobbs stated she vetoed the bill because it fails to recognize the realities of district staffing during summer break and provides no financial support for adequate implementation. Additionally, the governor is concerned about the quality of the evaluation due to the lack of classroom observation.
Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) Funding Debacle
In case you hadn’t heard, state legislators and Gov. Hobbs have been negotiating since January on a supplemental funding bill to allocate $122 million to DDD to get it through the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
With just seven days to go before DDD would run out of money and thousands of individuals left without critical care to live independently and thrive, HB 2945 was passed with bipartisan support and sent to the Governor’s office.
The Parents as Paid Caregivers program (PPCG) was at the forefront of the discussion in the original funding bill. PPCG trains parents and then pays them to provide in-home care (Habilitation and/or Attendant Care) for their own children. Early versions of the supplemental funding bill called for drastic cuts in the approved hours for parents to provide paid care for their children.
State Representatives Nancy Gutierrez (D-Tucson) and Julie Willoughby (R-Chandler) brought their respective caucuses together over the course of several months and worked with disability advocates to put forth amendments to ensure that the reduction in hours and other compromises were made on a bipartisan level. The bill was signed by the Governor on April 24, with an official ceremony on April 30.
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In other state news, AHCCCS Director Carmen Heredia and state Department of Health Services Director Jennie Cunico resigned on Thursday, May 1. Both have held these roles in the Hobbs administration since its earliest days in 2023, yet neither had so far been confirmed by the Senate. Their resignations were submitted after it became clear the Senate’s Committee on Director Nominations (a committee that, coincidentally, only came into existence in – wait for it – 2023) was not going to recommend them for approval by the full Senate.
Federal Business:
Calls to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education have begun to appear on mainstream platforms, with members of Congress openly advocating for its elimination. This move would be detrimental to millions of students across the country, especially those with disabilities. While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) would remain law, without federal oversight, there would be few mechanisms to ensure states follow it. (Check out our blog post for more details).
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In Washington, D.C., budget reconciliation is ongoing. Medicaid cuts are still being discussed in Congress, with potentially devastating effects on the disability community, aging Americans, and millions of others who rely upon the vast array of safety net programs funded through the Medicaid system. There are still opportunities to prevent the worst of these impacts, however, so keep advocating - it’s working. Contact your US Senators and Representatives to let them know why Medicaid supports and services are important to you and your community.
What would you do in your first 100 days in office? Email me at [email protected] and let me know.
*Despite unclear language in the bill, we looked up how Arizona Revised Statutes defines “reportable behavior”. A laundry list of offenses were listed among the various cross-referenced statutes, including abuse, neglect, secretly recording a child, child sex trafficking, unlawful mutilation, furnishing unlawful items to minors, and sexual exploitation of children. Also, anything in ARS Title 14, which includes laws protecting vulnerable Arizona adults with disabilities.
