House Engrossed

school governing bodies; meetings; prayer

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2110

AN ACT

amending title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-120.08; relating to public educational institutions.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-120.08, to read:

START_STATUTE15-120.08. Deliberative governing bodies; meetings; invocation; prohibitions; definition

A. On request from any member of a deliberative governing body of a public school or public educational institution in this state, the deliberative governing body shall allow the member to provide an invocation for a meeting of the deliberative governing body if the member makes the request to the presiding officer of the deliberative governing body at least forty-eight hours before the meeting is scheduled to begin.

B. For the purposes of this section, the deliberative governing body of:

1. A school district is the school district governing board, if the school district governing board does not have a student member.

2. A charter school is the charter school governing body, if the charter school governing body does not have a student member.

3. A career technical education district is the career technical education district governing board.

4. The Arizona state schools for the deaf and the blind is the board of directors established by section 15-1321.

5. A community college district as defined in section 15-1401 is the community college district governing board.

6. A public university is the Arizona board of regents.

C. A member of a deliberative governing body of a public school or public educational institution in this state may not provide an invocation that either:

1. Is exploited to proselytize or advance any one faith or belief or to disparage any other faith or belief.

2. Coerces participation by observers of the invocation.

D. For the purposes of this section, "invocation" means a prayer or invocation that is delivered to open a meeting of a deliberative governing body of a public school or public educational institution. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Legislative findings

The legislature finds that:

1. Governing bodies of public schools and public educational institutions are quasi-legislative, deliberative public bodies in this state.

2. The governing body of a public school or public educational institution is responsible for prescribing and enforcing policies and procedures to govern the public school or public educational institution.

3. The governing body of a public school or public educational institution is responsible for making decisions relating to the purchase of school sites, the management and control of property and the management of public monies that are appropriated to the public school or public educational institution.

4. Although students are sometimes present at public school or public educational institution governing body meetings for ceremonial activities, the purpose of such meetings is to conduct the official, sometimes fractious, business of governing over the public school or public educational institution.