In his 2019 State of the State address, Governor Doug Ducey prioritized focusing on the “things that matter” and rejecting practices that, “seem to be a competition to pass the most new laws.” Following adjournment of the session, in total the governor signed 320 bills into law—the lowest number of bills passed by the legislature and signed into law since 2015. Over 260 of those went into effect on Aug. 27, on what’s known as the “General Effective Day,” which comes 90 days after the legislative session adjourns.
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Included in those bills are new laws to recognize out of state occupational licenses for new residents, implement new suicide prevention training in schools, and eliminate unnecessary and costly licensing requirements for those who simply blow dry and style hair.
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Below are some of the laws to know that are now in effect:
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* Arizona is the first state in the country to recognize occupational licenses for residents new to the state with House Bill 2569. As the governor put it in his State of the State address, “workers don’t lose their skills simply because they move to Arizona.”
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Arizona’s licensing boards and commissions will now be required to recognize occupational licenses granted in other states during the licensing process, which was already done for spouses of military personnel deployed to Arizona.
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In order to be eligible, the new resident must have been licensed or certified for at least one year and must be in good standing in another state. H.B. 2569 ensures public health and safety protections for jobs that require background checks or other safety requirements.
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* The Arizona Department of Health Services will now submit an annual report improving the tracking of veteran suicides in Arizona thanks to H.B. 2488.
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Veterans face a risk of suicide four times greater than non-veterans in Arizona. The new annual report will provide critical data to help Arizona understand and prevent veteran suicide.
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* The Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund has been reinstated with S.B. 1241. The program, which was defunded during the Great Recession, funds improvements to parks, outdoor recreation, open space, non-motorized trails, outdoor and environmental education and historic preservation.
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* A 21-member Study Committee on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls will be established with the passing of H.B. 2570.
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More than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime. The U.S. Department of Justice has reported that in some communities across the United States, the murder rate of indigenous women exceeds 10 times the national average.
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“The crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls is a heart-wrenching reality that tribal communities have been experiencing for far too long,” said Governor Ducey upon signing the legislation.
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The new committee will consist of members of law enforcement, Arizona’s Native American tribes, family members of the murdered and missing and additional victim advocates.
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* Senate Bill 1468 will expand suicide awareness and prevention training in public schools to support Arizona’s adolescents and teens. The legislation, also referred to as the Mitch Warnock Act, received unanimous support as it passed through the House and Senate.
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Guidance counselors, teachers, principals and other school personnel of charter and district schools who work with sixth through 12th graders will receive training in suicide prevention, to identify the warning signs of suicidal behavior in adolescents and teens and appropriate intervention and referral techniques at least once every three years.
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* Excessive and unnecessary occupational licensing requirements to blow dry hair are removed with S.B. 1401. The bill exempts people who simply blow dry, shampoo and style hair from burdensome cosmetology regulations meant for more technical salon services.
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* H.B. 2178 removes red tape for local ice cream stores and other businesses that manufacture or distribute ice cream or other milk products and sell them on-site for consumption.
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With the new law, mom and pop ice cream shops will ensure proper health and safety oversight without facing regulations meant for larger dairy manufacturers.
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* The rate of mortality for new mothers in the U.S. is the highest in the developed world, S.B. 1040 is set to improve the collection of data that will help provide new insights to prevent maternal deaths during childbirth. The legislation is named after Arianna Dodde, a healthy mother who tragically passed away after giving birth to her third child due to childbirth complications.
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In signing the legislation, Governor Ducey said, “With Arianna’s Law, our state will begin collecting and analyzing more data, so we can identify solutions and reverse that trend.”
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* S.B. 2113 requires new or renovated restrooms in public buildings to have changing stations for both infants and adults.
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Specifically, the law requires the new or renovated restrooms to include in at least one restroom in each building at least one changing station that is capable of serving both a baby and an adult and that is accessible to both men and women, provide signage at or near the entrance to the changing station indicating the location of the changing station, indicate the location of the changing station in the central building directory, if such a directory exists.
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* H.B. 2673 promotes the development of new technologies affecting the transfer and management of both commercial and residential property, creating a regulatory sandbox for property technology companies in Arizona.
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In signing this legislation, Governor Ducey said, “With this forward-thinking legislation, PropTech companies will have a place to develop and test their products — while benefiting and protecting consumers. With this bill, Arizona continues to send the message loud and clear that our state is the best place to develop cutting-edge technologies.”
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