Arizona 57th Legislature - First Regular Session Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 1 R · 1 D cosponsors

SB 1227 — school safety; cell phone bans

Last action — DPA/SE

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 57th Legislature - First Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

194 added · 155 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent changes to Bill SB 1227 introduce a new policy that allows schools to limit the use of cell phones in classrooms as part of their safety programs. This amendment aims to create safer and more focused learning environments for students. By implementing cell phone restrictions along with other support measures like school resource officers and counselors, the bill seeks to promote better educational settings and reduce distractions.

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Previous
Latest
Fifty-seventh Legislature Judiciary First Regular Session S.B.
Senate Engrossed school safety;
1227 PROPOSED HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AMENDMENTS TO S.B.
cell phone bans State of Arizona Senate Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session SENATE BILL 1227 AN ACT AMENDING SECTIONS 15-154 AND 15-155, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES;
1227 (Reference to Senate engrossed bill) Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert:
RELATING TO SCHOOL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
"Section 1.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE) - i - S.B.
Section 41-2404, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
1227 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
41-2404.
Section 1.
Arizona criminal justice commission;
Section 15-154, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
members;
15-154.
compensation;
School safety program;
terms;
purpose;
meetings A.
program proposals;
The Arizona criminal justice commission is established consisting of the following members:
requirements;
annual report;
definitions A.
The school safety program is established within the department of education to support, promote and enhance safe and effective learning environments for all students by supporting the costs of placing school resource officers, juvenile probation officers, school counselors and school social workers on school campuses AND BY SUPPORTING THE COSTS OF IMPLEMENTING A POLICY TO LIMIT THE USE OF CELL PHONES IN SCHOOL CLASSROOMS.
A school district or charter school may apply to participate in the school safety program as provided in this section for up to three fiscal years by submitting by April 15 a program proposal to the department of education.
A school district or charter school that receives approval for a three-year program under this subsection may annually submit a modified spending plan for its approved program.
B.
A program proposal submitted by a school district or charter school for supporting the costs of placing school resource officers or juvenile probation officers, or both, on a school campus shall contain:
The attorney general or the attorney general's designee.
A detailed description of the school safety needs of the charter school or school district.
The director of the department of public safety or the director's designee.
A plan for implementing a law-related education program or a plan that demonstrates the existence of a law-related education program as a school safety prevention strategy.
The director of the state department of corrections or the director's designee.
A plan to use trained school resource officers or juvenile probation officers in the school, or both.
Sixteen members who are appointed by the governor or their designees.
If the school district or charter school has already participated in the school safety program, information on the success, compliance and implementation of the most recent grant.
Not more than eight of these members may be from the same political party.
5.
The administrative director of the courts or the director's designee.
6.
The chairperson of the board of executive clemency or the chairperson's designee.
B.
The members who are appointed pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 4 of this section shall include at least one police chief, one county attorney and one county sheriff from a county with a population of one million five hundred thousand or more persons, one police chief, one county attorney and one county sheriff from a county with a population equal to or greater than eight hundred FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY thousand persons but fewer than one million five hundred thousand persons and one police chief, one county attorney and one county sheriff from counties with a population of House Amendments to S.B.
1227 fewer than eight hundred FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY thousand persons.
The remaining members shall include one law enforcement leader, one former judge, one mayor, one member of a county board of supervisors, one public defender, one TWO victim advocate ADVOCATES and one chief probation officer.
Members who are appointed pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 4 of this section shall serve for terms of two years terminating on the convening of the first regular session of the legislature AND MAY NOT USE A DESIGNEE FOR THEIR ATTENDANCE.
A program proposal submitted by a school district or charter school for supporting the costs of placing school counselors or school social workers, or both, on a school campus shall contain:
Any appointive member who ceases to be a member of the body the member represents on the commission is deemed to have resigned.
1.
Appointments to fill a vacancy shall be made in the same manner as the original appointment.
A detailed description of the school safety needs of the charter school or school district.
2.
A plan for implementing a school guidance and counseling program that includes the following:
(a) A detailed description of the relationship between the school counselor or the SCHOOL social worker, or both, and local community resources.
(b) A plan for using school counselor and school social worker services in the school, or both.
(c) A detailed description of the methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the school guidance and counseling plan.
Show all 144 changed rows (104 more)
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Latest
- 1 - S.B.
1227 (d) Policies on confidentiality under the school guidance and counseling plan.
(e) Policies on notifying parents and other family members of issues or concerns as identified in the school guidance and counseling plan.
(f) A detailed description of the school's, school district's or charter school's referral procedures to the appropriate community entities and state agencies.
3.
If the school district or charter school has already participated in the school safety program, information on the success, compliance and implementation of the most recent approved program proposal.
The commission shall meet and organize by electing from among its membership officers as are deemed necessary or advisable.
A PROGRAM PROPOSAL SUBMITTED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL TO SUPPORT THE COSTS OF IMPLEMENTING A POLICY TO LIMIT THE USE OF CELL PHONES IN SCHOOL CLASSROOMS SHALL CONTAIN:
The commission shall meet at least once during each calendar quarter and additionally as the chairperson deems necessary, and a majority of the members constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business HOLD FOUR MEETINGS DURING EACH CALENDAR YEAR AND EACH MEMBER SHALL ATTEND AT LEAST THREE MEETINGS.
1.
ADDITIONAL MEETINGS MAY BE HELD AS DETERMINED BY THE CHAIRPERSON.
A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SCHOOL SAFETY NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL.
IF A MEMBER FAILS TO ATTEND AT LEAST THREE MEETINGS PER YEAR, THE MEMBER'S POSITION IS DEEMED VACANT BY OPERATION OF LAW.
APPOINTMENTS TO FILL A VACANCY SHALL BE MADE IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT.
A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS CONSTITUTES A QUORUM FOR THE TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS.
E.
Members of the commission are not eligible to receive compensation but are eligible for reimbursement of expenses pursuant to title 38, chapter 4, article 2.
Sec.
Repeal Section 41-2408, Arizona Revised Statutes, is repealed.
A PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTING A POLICY TO LIMIT THE USE OF CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOMS OF ONE OR MORE SCHOOL SITES, INCLUDING THE COST OF MATERIALS REQUIRED BY THE PLAN.
Sec.
Section 41-2953, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL HAS ALREADY PARTICIPATED IN THE SCHOOL SAFETY PROGRAM, INFORMATION ON THE SUCCESS, COMPLIANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MOST RECENT GRANT.
41-2953.
Joint legislative audit committee sunset powers and duties;
report by auditor general and committees of -2- House Amendments to S.B.
1227 reference;
sunset review reports;
performance audits A.
The joint legislative audit committee shall designate the chairman CHAIRPERSON of each committee of reference and shall assign agencies to the respective committees of reference according to subject matter for performance review.
B.
The auditor general shall provide to the committee a list of agencies scheduled for termination in the next sunset termination schedule, plus an estimate of the audit hours necessary to conduct a sunset review of each agency, not less than twenty months prior to BEFORE the termination date for such agencies.
Not less than nineteen months prior to such BEFORE THE termination date, the committee shall meet to review the information submitted by the auditor general, shall select which agencies are subject to sunset review by the auditor general and which agencies are subject to sunset review by the committees of reference and shall determine the priority of review by the auditor general or the committees of reference, EXCEPT THAT THE ARIZONA CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION ESTABLISHED BY SECTION 41-2404 SHALL BE SUBJECT TO SUNSET REVIEW BY THE AUDITOR GENERAL.
If the auditor general or the committees of reference are unable to complete the sunset review of a selected agency, the committee shall oversee the preparation of proposed legislation to place such THE agency in the following sunset termination schedule and is responsible for the introduction of such THE legislation.
Those agencies not selected for sunset review by the committee shall terminate pursuant to article 2 of this chapter unless otherwise continued by the legislature.
C.
The committee shall initiate the sunset review not less than seventeen months prior to BEFORE the termination date for each agency which THAT is selected pursuant to subsection B of this section and scheduled for termination pursuant to article 2 of this chapter.
The draft sunset review report shall be completed not less than eleven months prior to BEFORE the date established by article 2 of this chapter for termination.
Before such THE report is submitted, the state agency affected shall be given an opportunity to review the draft report and submit written comments or -3- House Amendments to S.B.
1227 rebuttal, which shall be included in the preliminary sunset review report.
The agency shall have not more than forty calendar days to review the draft report for comment or rebuttal.
The preliminary sunset review report shall be submitted to the governor, to each member of the committee, to the committee of reference and to the affected agency by October 1 of the year prior to BEFORE the scheduled termination date of the agency.
The committee may direct the auditor general or the committees of reference to conduct a performance audit, as defined in chapter 7, article 10.1 of this title, or a special performance audit of any agency as defined in section 41-2952.
If an agency is continued, the joint legislative audit committee may direct the auditor general or the committees of reference to conduct a follow-up review of the agency to determine how the agency has performed its statutory functions or corrected deficiencies of prior sunset review, or both.
The department of education shall review and administer the school resource officers and juvenile probation officers program proposals in cooperation with the courts, law enforcement agencies and law-related education providers awarded a contract pursuant to section 41-2534, subject to review and approval by the state board of education.
Sec.
The department of education shall use relevant crime statistics to assess the needs of each program proposal and shall visit school districts and charter schools that submit program proposals in order to verify the information contained in the program proposals.
The department of education shall contract to provide guidelines, curricula and support resources for school resource officers and juvenile probation officers to use in implementing a law-related education program.
E.
F.
The department of education shall review and administer the school counselors and school social workers program proposals in cooperation with school administrators, principals, teachers, parents and community mental health professionals.
The department of education shall use relevant school-level academic, social and emotional statistics to assess the needs of each program proposal and shall visit school districts and charter schools that submit program proposals in order to verify the information contained in the program proposals.
- 2 - S.B.
1227 F.
G.
The department of education, subject to the review and approval of the state board of education, shall distribute monies to the school districts and charter schools that are in compliance with program requirements and whose program proposals have been approved by the state board of education.
G.
H.
The department of education shall review program proposals submitted by school districts and charter schools for participation in the school safety program and shall select school sites that are eligible to receive funding based on school safety needs pursuant to this section.
The department of education may prioritize program proposals for school resource officer and juvenile probation officer grants to school districts and charter schools that have agreements to share the cost of the school resource officer or juvenile probation officer with a law enforcement agency or the courts.
H.
I.
The department of education shall evaluate the effectiveness of all the approved program proposals submitted pursuant to subsections B, and C AND D of this section within the school safety program and report on the activities of the program and the participants in the school safety program to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the governor on or before November 1 of each year and shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.
The evaluation and report shall include survey results from participating schools and data from participating schools on the impact of participating in the school safety program.
The department shall establish data guidelines for school safety program participants to follow in reporting pursuant to this subsection.
I.
J.
The school safety program established by this section shall include a school safety program guidance manual adopted by the department of education that requires a dispute resolution process to be included in the service agreement between a school district or charter school that submitted a program proposal and received a school resource officer grant from the school safety program and the law enforcement agency that provides services to the school district or charter school.
J.
K.
Any appropriations that are made to the department of education for the approved program proposals within the school safety program are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations.
All monies that are not used for an approved program proposal within the school safety program during the fiscal year for which the monies were appropriated revert to the department of education for distribution to the program in the following fiscal year.
K.
L.
Monies received by a school district or charter school under the SCHOOL SAFETY program shall be spent to implement the approved program proposals.
L.
M.
The auditor general shall include the school safety program as part of its ongoing sunset review of agencies and programs.
- 3 - S.B.
1227 M.
N.
For the purposes of this section:
1.
"Law-related education" means interactive education to equip children and youth with knowledge and skills pertaining to the law, school safety and effective citizenship.
2.
"Law-related education program" means a program designed to provide children and youth with knowledge, skills and activities pertaining to the law and legal process and to promote law-abiding behavior with the purpose of preventing children and youth from engaging in delinquency or violence and enabling them to become productive citizens.
3.
"School counselor" means a professional educator who holds a valid school counselor certificate issued by the department of education.
Repeal Section 41-3025.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, is repealed.
"School guidance and counseling program" means a counseling program that supports, promotes and enhances the academic, personal, social, emotional and career development of all students.
Sec.
Title 41, chapter 27, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-3027.09, to read:
"School resource officer" means a peace officer or a full-authority reserve peace officer who is certified by the Arizona peace officer standards and training board.
41-3027.09.
Arizona criminal justice commission;
termination July 1, 2027 A.
THE ARIZONA CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION TERMINATES ON JULY 1, 2027.
B.
SECTIONS 41-2404 AND 41-2405 AND THIS SECTION ARE REPEALED ON JANUARY 1, 2028.
Sec.
Retention of members Notwithstanding section 41-2404, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, all persons serving as members of the Arizona criminal justice commission on the effective date of this act may continue to serve until the expiration of their normal terms.
"School social worker" means a professional educator who holds a valid school social worker certificate issued by the department of education.
All subsequent appointments shall be as prescribed by statute.
7.
2.
Purpose -4- House Amendments to S.B.
Section 15-155, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
1227 Pursuant to section 41-2955, subsection B, Arizona Revised Statutes, the legislature continues the Arizona criminal justice commission to provide a cooperative exchange of information and analysis of issues relating to criminal justice and law enforcement among different public and private agencies.
15-155.
Sec.
School safety program;
8.
funding A.
Retroactivity Sections 4 and 5 of this act apply retroactively to from and after July 1, 2025." Amend title to conform QUANG H.
The department of education shall cooperate with the county school superintendent, the county sheriff and the local chief of police to allow a law enforcement agency, with the consent of the school, to assign a peace officer or a full authority FULL-AUTHORITY RESERVE PEACE OFFICER WHO IS CERTIFIED BY THE Arizona peace officer standards and training board certified reserve peace officer to participate in the school safety program in each school in the county.
NGUYEN 1227NGUYEN.docx 03/20/2025 1:40 PM C:
The cost of the peace officer is a state charge that is funded by the department of education, except for agreements to share the cost of the school resource officer pursuant to section 15-154, subsection G H.
AH 1227NGUYEN.docx 03/21/2025 10:42 AM H:
B.
NM/ls -5-
In cooperation with the department of education and the county school superintendent and with the consent of the school, the presiding judge of the juvenile court may assign juvenile probation officers to participate in the school safety program in each school in the county.
The cost of juvenile probation officers is a state charge that is funded by the department of education, except for agreements to share the cost of the juvenile probation officer pursuant to section 15-154, subsection G H.
- 4 -
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Action History

  1. DPA/SE

  2. House Second Reading

  3. House First Reading.

  4. Transmit to House

  5. PASSED

  6. DPA

  7. DP

  8. DPA

  9. Senate Second Reading

  10. Senate First Reading

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 91 not signed on · 11 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (91)

91 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 91 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Passed

Passed 16 Yea · 12 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democrat 01102
Republican 16100
Total 161202
% of votes cast 53%40%0%7%
How each member voted (30)
Member Party Vote
Analise Ortiz Democrat Nay
Brian Fernandez Democrat Nay
Catherine Miranda Democrat Nay
Denise “Mitzi” Epstein Democrat Nay
Eva Burch Democrat Not Voting
Eva Diaz Democrat Nay
Flavio Bravo Democrat Not Voting
Lauren Kuby Democrat Nay
Lela Alston Democrat Nay
Priya Sundareshan Democrat Nay
Rosanna Gabaldón Democrat Nay
Sally Ann Gonzales Democrat Nay
Theresa Hatathlie Democrat Nay
Carine Werner Republican Yea
David C. Farnsworth Republican Yea
David Gowan Republican Yea
Frank Carroll Republican Yea
Hildy Angius Republican Yea
J.D. Mesnard Republican Yea
Jake Hoffman Republican Nay
Janae Shamp Republican Yea
John Kavanagh Republican Yea
Kevin Payne Republican Yea
Mark Finchem Republican Yea
Shawnna Bolick Republican Yea
Thomas "T.J." Shope Republican Yea
Timothy "Tim" Dunn Republican Yea
Venden "Vince" Leach Republican Yea
Warren Petersen Republican Yea
Wendy Rogers Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 1227?
SB 1227 is sponsored by Brian Fernandez (Democrat) and Shawnna Bolick (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 1227?
This bill died with 57th Legislature - First Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 1227?
Track SB 1227 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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