Dozens of changes to Arizona law will take effect on Sept. 12, ranging from higher fines for texting while driving to added restrictions on personal drones.
The Legislature introduced more than 2,100 pieces of legislation this session, a new record for Arizona. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed 151 bills and signed 264. Most signed bills become law 90 days after the Legislature ends its work for the session, which happened in mid-June this year after a late-night partisan battle over education issues.
Other bills from this year were passed with emergency clauses, which allows them to take effect immediately after being signed by the governor. Those include a bill from March repealing Arizona’s César Chavez Day and a bill that allows businesses
to round costs to the nearest 5 cents in light of pennies no longer being minted.
HOAs can no longer ban most shade structures
House Bill 2342 stops homeowner associations from barring the use or installation of shade structures, allowing only "reasonable rules" to dictate their size and placement.
The law protects Arizona homeowners' right to put up umbrellas, awnings, gazebos and canopies on their property. HOAs will still be allowed to restrict the size and location of shade structures as long as the restrictions don't interfere with the structures' functionality or unreasonably increase the costs for the homeowner. Height and setback requirements cannot be more restrictive than existing zoning ordinances in the area.
Increased fines for texting while driving
House Bill 2109 hikes distracted driving fines for repeat offenders.
The penalty for someone using their cell phone while driving ranges from $75 to $149 for first-time offenders in Arizona. A ticket for a second offense will now be raised to $400, instead of ranging from $150 to $250. There is also an additional $150 fine if an accident caused by distracted driving involves a motorcycle.
Disrupting religious service could result in felony
House Bill 4117 criminalizes interfering with a religious service by blocking the entrance or exit to a place of worship or engaging in disorderly conduct to disrupt a service.
The law does not apply to law enforcement or peaceful picketers.
A person could be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor if they're found to be intentionally disrupting a service. That charge is escalated to a Class 6 felony if a person was previously convicted of disrupting a religious service, made threats during the disruption or acted as part of a group to block people from entering or exiting.
Fentanyl sentencing to be increased in more cases
House Bill 2132 requires a person face more jail time for selling more than 100 grams of fentanyl.
Under Arizona law, a person who intends to sell a narcotic drug can be charged with a Class 2 felony. A first-time offender can face a minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a maximum sentence of 15 years. Five years will now be added if the person was previously convicted of possessing more than 100 grams of fentanyl. Before, the threshold was 200 grams.
Drone restrictions added near concerts, sporting events
Senate Bill 1160 makes it illegal to knowingly fly a drone within a mile of a ticketed entertainment event unless the person qualifies for an exemption. Someone found violating the law could be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor. People flying a drone in their own property for personal use and those who receive written consent from the event host will still be allowed to fly them.
Venue employees and utility company employees conducting official business are still allowed to fly drones near events.
Cade's Law looks to prevent encouraging suicide
House Bill 2665, also known as Cade's Law: If You See Something Say Something, expands the state's manslaughter classification to include encouraging a minor to commit suicide.
The law is named after Cade Keller, a 16-year-old Arizonan who died by suicide in 2022 after sharing online that he planned to take his own life.
Under the new law, any adult who intentionally gives advice or encouragement to a minor to die by suicide that results in the minor's death could be charged with manslaughter. That includes all verbal or online communication. Manslaughter is considered a Class 2 felony in Arizona.
The law does not apply to general public commentary, artistic expression or discussion of suicide or mental health that "is not specifically directed" at a child who dies by suicide.
Required labeling of lab-grown meat
House Bill 2762 requires food manufacturers to identify food made with cultivated cells as such on its packaging, including lab-grown meat. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines food made with cultured animal cells as food processed by taking a "small number of cells from living animals and growing them in a controlled environment."
Lab-grown meat is not yet available for purchase in American grocery stores. But several states have already placed restrictions and bans on the products. A ban on lab-grown meat was previously proposed in the Legislature but failed in the House.
The law is named after the late Arizona cattleman Andy Groseta, who served as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Helen Rummel covers state politics and higher education for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at hrummel@azcentral.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @helenrummel.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New Arizona laws take effect Sept. 12. Here's how they'll affect you
