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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
pilot program; sexual abuse prevention
Purpose
Establishes the Child Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention Pilot Program (Pilot Program) in the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) until December 31, 2028.
Background
Each school operated by a school district or charter school must post, in
a clearly visible location in a public area that is readily accessible to
students, a sign that contains: 1) the phone number of the Arizona Child Abuse
Hotline; 2) instructions to call 911 for emergencies; and
3) directions for accessing the Department of Child Safety (DCS) website for
more information on reporting child abuse, neglect and exploitation (A.R.S.
§ 15-160.01).
H.B. 2992 appropriates $100,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2027 to ADE.
Provisions
1. Establishes the Pilot Program in ADE and requires ADE, by July 1, 2027, to select six public schools to participate in the Pilot Program during the 2027-2028 school year.
2. Requires ADE to consult with DCS and organizations that are operated by survivors of grooming or human trafficking in developing the Pilot Program and the curriculum.
3. Requires the Pilot Program to include, for teachers, at least four hours of in-person, evidence-based instructional modules provided by a selected organization that may include:
a) training on the prevention and identification of and responses to child sexual abuse and assault, including exploitation, grooming, grooming with the intent to exploit and technology-facilitated abuse; and
b) resources to further student, teacher and parental awareness and prevention of child sexual abuse and assault, including exploitation, grooming, grooming with the intent to exploit and technology-facilitated abuse.
4. Requires
the Pilot Program to include, for students, at least three hours of
age-appropriate,
in-person, evidence-based instruction provided by the selected organization and
age-appropriate educational materials that are designed for children in K-12
relating to child sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention, including
exploitation, grooming behaviors and grooming with the intent to exploit.
5. Allows the evidence-based instruction to include instruction in skills to recognize:
a) child sexual abuse and assault;
b) boundary violations and unwanted forms of contact;
c) grooming behaviors, including manipulation, trust building secrecy, desensitization and isolation;
d) exploitation and grooming with the intent to exploit that includes online grooming, sextortion and technology-facilitated exploitation; and
e) patterns, tactics and warning signs associated with grooming and exploitation.
6. Allows the evidence-based instruction to include instruction in strategies that:
a) promote disclosure;
b) reduce self-blame; and
c) mobilize bystanders.
7. Requires the Pilot Program to include a uniform child sexual abuse and assault response policy and reporting procedures that are based on best practices and allows the Pilot Program to include:
a) actions that victims of child sexual abuse and assault may take to obtain assistance;
b) intervention and counseling options for victims of child sexual abuse and assault;
c) access to educational resources to enable victims of child sexual abuse and assault to succeed in school; and
d) uniform procedures for reporting instances of child sexual abuse and assault to school staff members.
8. Allows ADE to contract with a provider to implement the Pilot Program if the provider demonstrates it can meet the outlined requirements.
9. Requires ADE to select one or more organizations to provide the instructional modules for teachers, students or both.
10. Requires ADE to select one or more organizations to provide the instructional modules that:
a) is organized and operated for the purpose of preventing child sexual abuse, promoting grooming awareness or preventing human trafficking; and
b) ensures that the individuals that will provide instruction to teachers and students are either qualified survivors of grooming or human trafficking or advocates that have direct expertise in child sexual abuse, grooming and human trafficking prevention.
11. Requires ADE, beginning on general effective date, to gather stakeholder input to develop a curriculum for the Pilot Program that includes scheduling stakeholder meetings.
12. Requires ADE to solicit input from representatives from:
a) DCS;
b) organizations that are organized and operated for the purpose of preventing child sexual abuse, grooming or human trafficking; and
c) survivors of child sexual abuse, grooming and human trafficking.
13. Requires ADE to select an organization to develop the curriculum for the Pilot Program, coordinate stakeholder input and ensure that the curriculum is survivor-informed, prevention-focused and appropriate for students.
14. Requires ADE to select an organization to provide the Pilot Program curriculum that meets the following:
a) is organized and operated for the purpose of preventing child sexual abuse, grooming or human trafficking; and
b) demonstrates that the organization has experience providing survivor-informed prevention education.
15. Subjects the curriculum for the Pilot Program to State Board of Education and ADE approval.
16. Prohibits a participating public school from requiring any student to participate in the Pilot Program.
17. Specifies written notification to the public school from a student's legal guardian or parent is sufficient to exempt the student from participating in the Pilot Program or from any portion of the Pilot Program that is specified.
18. Requires that each participating public school, by October 1, 2028, to submit a report to ADE and provide a copy to DCS that includes:
a) the number of students that received the evidence-based instruction through the Pilot Program and the number of hours of instruction the selected organization provided;
b) the number of teachers that completed the evidence-based instructional modules provided through the Pilot Program;
c) any testimony or comments from teachers, students or the parents of students relating to the Pilot Program; and
d) whether the school intends to continue providing instructional modules to teachers, students or both through the selected organization in subsequent school years.
19. Defines grooming and exploitation.
20. Repeals the Pilot Program on January 1, 2029.
21. Appropriates $100,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to ADE for the Pilot Program.
22. Exempts the appropriation from lapsing.
23. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
ED 2/17/26 DPA 6-5-1-0
APPROP 2/18/26 DPA 12-6-0-0
3rd Read 3/18/26 35-20-5
Prepared by Senate Research
March 27, 2026
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