The Republican-led Arizona legislature has submitted a legislative package to Gov. Katie Hobbs that they say will further strengthen parental rights and protections for children.
Among these bills are HB 2249, which would expand on Arizona’s current parental bill of rights by requiring schools to notify and obtain written consent from parents prior to facilitating a child’s social transition of their biological gender.
Social transitioning includes the usage of preferred pronouns and provision of accommodations that align with the child’s gender identity to include access to nonbiological restrooms and locker rooms.
Additionally, SB 1095 would outlaw gender transition procedure referrals or procedures for minors, and SB 1094 would allow individuals to take a civil cause of action against physicians who perform gender reassignment surgeries on minors.
Arizona banned gender reassignment surgeries on minors in 2022, and excludes gender reassignment procedures from Medicaid coverage. SB 1095 extends that ban to medications, as in puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh (LD-3), who sponsored SB 1094, said in a press release last week that these latest bills were created in response to requests from parents.
“Arizona families have made clear that they want commonsense protections for children and stronger parental rights,” said Kavanagh. “This legislation ensures that parents remain involved in critical decisions impacting their children while protecting minors from irreversible procedures with lifelong consequences.”
State Sen. Janae Shamp (LD-29), sponsor of SB 1015, said regulation was necessary to ensure accountability for irreversible procedures, and that a lack of regulation would essentially subject children to political experimentation.
“Arizona children are not political experiments, and parents should never be cut out of life-altering decisions involving their own kids,” said Shamp. “For too long, activists have pushed radical gender ideology into medicine, education, and government while silencing common sense and ignoring the concerns of families. These bills draw a clear line.”
GOP lawmakers have had trouble codifying bills addressing the gender transition of minors under Hobbs. In accordance with the stance of the Democratic Party, Hobbs supports gender transitions for minors and typically spurns enacting statutory pressures on this modern social practice.
The governor has consistently vetoed bills which would impose restrictions on individuals who identify as transgender. Last year, Hobbs vetoed bills that would have prohibited amending birth certificates and driver’s licenses to reflect gender identity rather than biological gender.
Hobbs also issued an executive order her first year in office requiring state employee healthcare plans to cover gender transition surgeries. Every summer since taking office, Hobbs has flown the Pride flag above the American flag in honor of Pride month.
We dropped the Pride banner from the Executive Tower to kick off Pride Month. To our LGBTQ+ community: I will always stand up for your freedom to be who you are, love who you love and your right to live with dignity and respect. pic.twitter.com/ffO9InrjX0
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) June 2, 2026
Hobbs’ husband, Patrick Goodman, was formerly a counselor specializing in youth gender transitions at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
There’s also been resistance to Arizona regulation on transgenderism from the courts. In 2023, a federal court blocked Republican lawmakers’ attempt at enacting a ban on biological males who identify as females from participating in women’s and girls’ sports, the Save Women’s Sports Act. Petersen v. Doe (formerly Doe v. Horne) is pending petition with the Supreme Court.
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Arizona Senator Janae Shamp (R-LD29) has successfully advanced protections for Arizona’s children and victims of crime after Governor Katie Hobbs signed SB 1092 into law.
The new legislation eliminates a significant gap in Arizona statutes that previously permitted individuals convicted of dangerous crimes against children to petition the court for early termination of their probation. Under SB 1092, offenders convicted of these serious offenses will now be required to serve the full term of probation originally imposed by the court, with no possibility of early release.
The bill ensures that sentences handed down for crimes such as child abuse, sexual conduct with a minor, and child sex trafficking are carried out as intended, without the possibility of early termination of probation.
“Victims and families should never have to worry about whether someone who harmed a child will get a break or be released early,” stated Senator Shamp. “This law shuts down a loophole that allowed convicted child predators to ask for early termination of probation, and that is simply wrong. If you commit a dangerous crime against a child, you should serve every day of your sentence, no exceptions, no excuses, and no second chances to cut it short.”
The provisions of SB 1092 specifically state that the court may not terminate the period of probation—or intensive probation—earlier than originally imposed if the defendant was convicted of a dangerous crime against children as defined in ARS Section 13-705. This probation applies to both standard probation and intensive probation terms.
“Arizona is standing with victims and making it clear that protecting children comes before anything else,” added Shamp. “I have made it my mission to make sex offenders’ lives hell, and I won’t back down.”
The law will take effect on or after January 1, 2027.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The Arizona Senate has passed a comprehensive package of transportation bills designed to enhance roadway safety, improve mobility, reduce congestion, and support long-term economic development across the state.
The measures, which advance critical infrastructure projects in both rural and urban areas, were approved this week without raising taxes or imposing new fees on Arizona drivers.
The legislation targets high-priority corridors experiencing pressure from population growth, increased freight traffic, and tourism demand. Key components of the package include targeted safety and capacity improvements on several major routes.
SB 1062, sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers (R-LD7), appropriates $1,000,000 from the state general fund for FY26-27 to the Arizona Department of Transportation. The funding will support planning, design, construction, and right-of-way acquisition for an additional left-turn lane and related intersection improvements at the busy intersection of U.S. Route 60 and Superstition Mountain Drive in Pinal County. These enhancements aim to ease traffic flow and improve safety along this heavily traveled corridor.
SB 1063, also sponsored by Senator Rogers, allocates $11,100,000 for critical safety improvements on U.S. Route 70 between Mile Post 225 and Mile Post 301. This rural route serves commuters, freight operators, and emergency services in eastern Arizona. The project addresses longstanding roadway deficiencies to enhance travel reliability and safety for users across the region.
SB 1064, another measure sponsored by Senator Rogers, appropriates $3,000,000 from the state general fund in FY26-27 to the Arizona Department of Transportation for distribution to the City of Flagstaff. The funding will support the design and construction of improvements along U.S. Route 66 between I-40 and Milton Road. Under the bill, the Department of Transportation must enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Flagstaff by September 15, 2026, and, if executed, distribute funds to the city by November 1, 2026. The project will help modernize infrastructure along one of northern Arizona’s busiest tourism and business corridors.
“Transportation is about safety, mobility, and economic opportunity,” stated Senator Rogers. “These projects address real pressure points on our highways, keep traffic moving, and support the continued growth of communities across Arizona.”
SB 1204, sponsored by Senator Janae Shamp (R-LD29), provides $5,500,000 for planning and environmental analysis for future interchange improvements at the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and Loop 303 in the rapidly growing West Valley. The area continues to see significant residential expansion and rising freight traffic.
“The West Valley is growing at an incredible pace, and our infrastructure has to keep up,” stated Senator Shamp. “This project prepares one of our most important corridors for the traffic we know is coming, improving daily commutes while supporting job growth and regional commerce, as well as preventing traffic fatalities.”
SB 1455, sponsored by Senate Appropriations, Transportation & Technology Committee Chair David Farnsworth (R-LD10), appropriates $500,000 for surveying, design, and study work on the future extension of State Route 24 east of Ironwood Drive in the East Valley—one of Arizona’s fastest growing regions.
“As families and businesses continue moving into the East Valley, transportation planning has to look ahead, not behind,” stated Senator Farnsworth. “Extending SR 24 will strengthen regional connectivity, reduce future congestion, and ensure infrastructure keeps pace with responsible growth.”
The measures now move to the Arizona House as part of the ongoing state budgeting process.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona Senate Republicans advanced legislation last week addressing insurance coverage requirements and the use of taxpayer funds for gender transition procedures.
The legislative package includes Senate Bills 1014 and 1177. The measures passed the Arizona Senate and now move to the House for further consideration.
SB 1014, sponsored by Sen. Janae Shamp (R-LD29), would require health insurers that provide coverage for gender transition procedures to also cover gender detransition procedures. The bill also requires certain healthcare providers who perform transition procedures to provide detransition care and establishes reporting requirements related to those services.
“If insurance companies are going to profit from covering gender transition procedures, they must also take responsibility for the continuum of care – including detransition,” Shamp said in a statement.
“We are hearing more and more stories from individuals who feel misled, who regret these procedures, and who are left without support when they seek to reverse course. That is unacceptable,” she added. “This legislation ensures that patients are not abandoned and that insurers cannot pick and choose coverage based on convenience or ideology. If they’re going to cover the front end, they must cover the consequences on the back end. That’s not just policy – that’s basic fairness and accountability.”
Under the legislation, insurers would be required to submit reports to the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions detailing claims related to detransition procedures, including demographic and procedural information, while prohibiting the disclosure of personally identifiable data.
The proposal also includes provisions requiring state agencies to establish processes that allow individuals undergoing detransition to update official documents reflecting name, sex, or gender changes.
SB 1177, sponsored by Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-LD7), would prohibit the use of public funds for gender transition procedures.
The Senate Republican Caucus stated that both measures are intended to address healthcare policy and insurance practices related to gender transition and detransition services.
The bills are part of a broader set of proposals considered by the Arizona Legislature this session related to gender transition procedures and healthcare policy.
If approved by the House and signed into law, SB 1014 would become effective on January 1, 2027. If signed into law, SB 1177 would take effect on Arizona’s general effective date, typically 90 days after the Legislature adjourns for the session.
Arizona Senate lawmakers passed legislation on Monday that would explicitly prohibit the use of Sharia law in state courts, a proposal supporters say clarifies existing statutes governing the application of foreign law in judicial proceedings.
The measure, Arizona Senate Bill 1018, would amend Arizona law to specify that the definition of “foreign law” includes Sharia law, the religious legal tradition associated with Islam.
Under current Arizona law, state courts are prohibited from enforcing foreign laws when doing so would violate the U.S. Constitution, the Arizona Constitution, or state statutes.
SB 1018 would revise that framework by explicitly naming Sharia law within the statute governing the application of foreign law in state courts and by expanding the definition to include any legal system outside U.S. federal or Arizona law.
Supporters of the proposal say the measure is intended to clarify that religious or foreign legal codes cannot override constitutional protections in Arizona courts.
The legislation was introduced by State Sen. Janae Shamp (R-LD29) and passed the Senate floor in a 17-12 vote after receiving committee approval.
Opponents say the bill singles out a specific religious legal tradition and could stigmatize Muslim communities in the state. Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan (D-LD18) told AZ Capitol Times that the bill specifically referenced the practices of female genital mutilation, forced marriage, and “domestic violence or spousal abuse that is justified by cultural, religious, or family authority,” stating that they could be considered related to some followers of Islam.
She told the outlet, “So really, what this bill does is it singles out a group of people, and it singles out a religion for harassment and discrimination merely by the fact that we are talking about this.” She added, “It is targeted discrimination. It is asking for more harassment and discrimination.”
In a statement to the California Globe, Sen. Shamp said, “This bill aims to defend American rights and ensure our legal system remains clear and consistent.”
She explained, “Sharia law is a religious legal system that, in practice, has been used to justify unequal treatment of women, restrictions on free speech, and punishment for religious dissent — all of which conflict directly with the U.S. Constitution. Allowing any foreign or religious law into our courts creates dangerous ambiguity. This legislation sends a strong message: in America, the Constitution takes precedence.”
A broader national trend has seen several states pass laws limiting the use of foreign or religious legal systems in court proceedings over the past decade. Measures prohibiting the application of Sharia law or other foreign legal codes have previously been adopted in 10 other states—Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington —according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Arizona already has statutory restrictions on foreign law in judicial decisions, and critics of SB 1018 argue the proposal is largely symbolic because those protections already exist. However, Sen. Hildy Angius (R-LD2) pushed back on the objection, telling the Times, “But that’s not the point,” adding that the bill is designed to address the judicial process after the law has already been broken.
— Capitol Media Services 📢 Telling it like it is (@azcapmedia) March 4, 2026
“This amendment addresses whether any external legal system may ever be invoked to justify, excuse, or pressure conduct that violates Arizona law,” Angius said. “Clarifying legal supremacy is not redundant. It is preventative.”
She also rebuked claims that the bill targets the Islamic faith, saying, “Sharia is a legal system. This amendment does not judge faith. It clarifies authority.”
The legislation is continuing through the Arizona Legislature and would require approval by the House of Representatives before being sent to Governor Katie Hobbs for consideration, where its adoption outlook is grim. Since taking office in 2023, Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed more than 390 bills passed by the Republican-led Legislature, more than any governor in Arizona history.
