PREFILED    DEC 16 2025

REFERENCE TITLE: vulnerable pedestrians

 

 

 

 

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

 

 

 

HB 2064

 

Introduced by

Representative Blackman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

 

AMENDING title 28, chapter 3, article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 28-696; relating to PEDESTRIANS.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 28, chapter 3, article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 28-696, to read:

START_STATUTE28-696. Physical injury to vulnerable pedestrians; violation; classification; educational information requirements; definitions

A. A person who drives a vehicle and recklessly or negligently causes physical injury to a vulnerable pedestrian is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.  A person who is convicted of a violation of this subsection shall:

1. Pay a fine of at least $2,000.

2. Surrender to a peace officer the driver license of the person.  The judge shall forward the abstract of conviction to the department and order the department to suspend the persons driving privilege for ninety days.

3. Complete vulnerable pedestrian awareness training pursuant to this section.

4. Complete not less than one hundred hours of community service at a facility or organization that serves or aids persons who are blind or visually impaired or that trains or assists service animals.

B. A person who drives a vehicle and who recklessly or negligently causes death or serious physical injury to a vulnerable pedestrian is guilty of a class 4 felony.  A person who is convicted of a violation of this subsection shall:

1. Surrender to a peace officer the driver license of the person.  The judge shall forward the abstract of conviction to the department and order the department to suspend the person's driving privilege for one year.

2. Complete not less than two hundred hours of community service at a facility or organization that serves or aids persons who are blind or visually impaired or that trains or assists service animals.

3. Attend and successfully complete traffic survival school as provided in chapter 8, article 7.1 of this title.

C. The presumptive term imposed by subsection B of this section may be mitigated or aggravated pursuant to section 13-701, subsections C, D and E.  The Judge may consider the driver's prior driving record, level of intoxication or severity of harm caused for the purpose of determining the sentence.

D. Defensive driving school courses offered by defensive driving schools operated pursuant to chapter 8, article 7 of this title, traffic survival school operated pursuant to chapter 8, article 7.1 of this title and any driver education program approved by the department shall include educational information relating to this section to bring awareness to vulnerable pedestrians. The department shall include information relating to this section in each of the department's examination and informational and educational material.

E. Restitution awarded pursuant to section 13-603 as a result of a violation of this section shall consider:

1. Long-term care costs of the injured vulnerable pedestrian.

2. Costs of mobility aid replacement and any home modification requirements of the injured vulnerable pedestrian.

3. Emotional distress suffered by the injured vulnerable pedestrian.

4. Costs of training any injured service animal.

F. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Serious physical injury" has the same meaning prescribed in section 13-105.

2. "Service animal" has the same meaning prescribed in section 41-1491.

3. "Vulnerable pedestrian" means a pedestrian who has a physical disability or disabilities and who uses a mobility aid or aids, including a white cane or other visual aid that is used by an individual who is blind or visually impaired or a service animal. END_STATUTE