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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
House: JUD DP 6-3-0-0 | ED DP 6-5-1-0 |
HB 2076: school safety; employee certification; policies
Sponsor: Representative Bliss, LD 1
House Engrossed
Overview
Creates the Save Our Children School Safety Program (Program) and Save Our Children School Safety Program Fund (Fund) within the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). Allows an eligible school to adopt policies to authorize employees to carry a concealed firearm on school grounds if prescribed notification, training and certification and confidentiality requirements are met.
History
A school district governing board must prescribe policies and procedures that prohibit a person from carrying or possessing a weapon on school grounds unless the person is a peace officer or has obtained specific authorization from the school administrator (A.R.S. § 15-341).
Statute details the acts that constitute a person knowingly committing misconduct involving weapons, which include possessing a deadly weapon on school grounds. However, this does not apply to the possession of a firearm in statutorily prescribed circumstances, such as possessing a firearm for use on school grounds in a program approved by the school (A.R.S. § 13-3102).
The duties of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) Board include prescribing minimum qualifications, courses of training and training facility standards for law enforcement officers (A.R.S. § 41-1822).
Provisions
Program
1. Establishes the Program within ADE to strengthen school safety through employee training, medical preparedness and crisis-response capability. (Sec. 1)
2. Authorizes ADE to adopt Program rules, policies and procedures. (Sec. 1)
3. Directs ADE, in consultation with the AZPOST Board, to maintain a list of training and certification programs that are approved by AZPOST. (Sec. 1)
4. Instructs ADE to post the training and certification programs list on its website. (Sec. 1)
5. Establishes the Fund that:
a. is administered by ADE;
b. consists of legislative appropriations, gifts, grants and other monies received for the Program; and
c. is continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing. (Sec. 1)
6. Instructs ADE to use Fund monies to provide reimbursements on a first-come, first-served basis for:
a. an eligible school that has either:
i. paid for its employees to complete a training or certification program listed by ADE; or
ii. purchased school safety equipment, medical kits or protective gear for use at school sites;
b. an employee of an eligible school who both:
i. has paid for and successfully completed a training or certification program listed by ADE; and
ii. is not reimbursed by the eligible school for training or certification program costs. (Sec. 1)
7. Requires ADE, by December 31 of each odd-numbered year, to submit a report on the Program to specified individuals and post the report on its website. (Sec. 1)
8. Details the information that must be included in the Program report. (Sec. 1)
9. Defines eligible school as any school that offers instruction in kindergarten or the 1st-12th grades. (Sec. 1)
School Policies to Carry a Concealed Firearm
10. Authorizes an eligible school to adopt written policies that allow employees to carry a concealed firearm on school grounds if the eligible school:
a. notifies local law enforcement agencies and ADE of the number of employees authorized to carry a concealed firearm on school grounds;
b. ensures that each authorized employee has a valid certification pursuant to a training and certification program listed by ADE; and
c. complies with prescribed confidentiality requirements. (Sec.1)
11. Asserts the personally identifiable information of each school employee who participates in a training or certification program listed by ADE or who is authorized to carry a concealed firearm on school grounds is confidential and may not be publicly disclosed. (Sec. 1)
12. Specifies personally identifiable information includes the employee’s name, training schedule and deployment. (Sec. 1)
13. Declares a person who violates the prescribed confidentiality requirements is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor. (Sec. 1)
14. Exempts a public school employee who has a valid certification from a program listed by ADE and who acts in good faith and consistently with the certification program from civil or criminal liability for their actions in the defense of students, employees or visitors. (Sec. 1)
15. States policies adopted by a school that authorize employees to carry a concealed firearm on school grounds constitute a school-approved program for the purposes of statute relating to misconduct involving weapons. (Sec. 1)
16. Stipulates a school administrator may authorize an employee to carry a concealed firearm on school grounds only if the eligible school and employee meet the prescribed notification, training and certification and confidentiality requirements. (Sec. 2)
Uniform Standards for Training and Certification
17. Instructs the AZPOST Board, in consultation with ADE, to establish uniform standards for training and certification programs for which a school or school employee may be reimbursed from the Fund. (Sec. 3)
18. Details the uniform standards for initial certification must include at least:
a. 4 hours of training on state law use-of-force justification provided by specified individuals;
b. 24 hours of firearms, marksmanship, judgment and decision-making training provided by specified individuals;
c. 4 hours of tactical emergency casualty care training provided by specified individuals; and
d. 8 hours of scenario-based training that demonstrates competency in decision-making, weapons handling and medical intervention. (Sec. 3)
19. Requires the uniform standards for annual recertification to include an AZPOST Board-prescribed firearms qualification course. (Sec. 3)
20. Instructs the AZPOST Board to:
a. accept applications for training and certification programs to be included on the list maintained by ADE;
b. approve an application for a training and certification program that meets or exceeds the uniform standards for training and certification; and
c. monitor approved training and certification programs to ensure each program satisfies the uniform standards for training and certification. (Sec. 3)
21. Requires AZPOST to remove a program provider from the list of training and certification maintained by ADE if:
a. the program falls below the uniform standards for training and certification; and
b. the program provider fails to correct the deficiencies. (Sec. 3)
Miscellaneous
22. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 2, 3)
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Initials CH HB 2076
2/24/2026 Page 0 House Engrossed
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