Inside Arizona’s 2025 Legislative Session: Wins, Setbacks, and What’s Ahead for 2026

The first regular session of the 57th Arizona State Legislature ran from January 13 to June 27, 2025, lasting a total of 166 days. This year brought some of the largest investments in childcare since the Great Recession, as well as important victories for rural voters and our environment, and tough battles on immigration and housing.

At Rural Arizona Action, our political team worked hard to defend democracy, protect our water, push for housing solutions, and support working families across the state. None of this would have been possible without the collaboration of our partners at Creosote, whose expertise and advocacy strengthened our impact throughout the session.

The Numbers

• 265 bills signed into law by the Governor

• 174 vetoes (the highest amount in state history)

• 31 bills we testified on (our highest number yet!)

• 140+ bills and referrals we signed in through the Request to Speak (RTS) system

Key Wins for Arizonans

Historic Child Care Funding:

• $49.9 million in state funds and $81 million in federal funding to expand access to child care, cutting the waitlist by 50%

• $3 million for after-school and summer care

• $3.5 million for child care provider coaching

Housing and homelessness support:

• $11.5 million for coordinated homeless services

• $4 million for eviction prevention

• $4 million for emergency housing

• $2 million for the Homes for Heroes veteran program

• $5 million in federal funding for first-time homebuyer assistance

Water and environmental protections:

• $9 million for the Water Quality Fee Fund

• $15 million for the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund

• $2 million for toxic mining/smelter cleanup

• $1 million for the State Parks Heritage Fund

Bills Rural Arizona Action and Partners Helped Stop

Thanks to community advocacy and partnerships, we successfully opposed several harmful bills, including:

Immigration:

• SB1164 – Would have required local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws (vetoed)

• SB1268 – Would have allowed hospitals to share patient immigration status with ICE (vetoed)

Democracy & Voting:

• HCR2013 – Early ballots; deadlines; foreign money. This would have essentially ended the Active Early Voting List. (failed on the floor)

• HCR2002 – Voting centers; precinct voting. This would have eliminated vote centers and in-person early voting. (never brought to a vote)

• HB2703 – Early voting; tabulation; ballot deadline. This would have ended early ballot drop-offs before Election Day. (vetoed)

Environment & Water:

• SB1520 – Rural groundwater; basin management areas. This was a weak and inadequate rural groundwater management system. (never brought to a vote)

Bills We Supported That Became Law:

• HB2127 – Requires property owners to disclose hazardous waste contamination to buyers and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality

• HB2390 – Adds Justices of the Peace to the list of officials eligible for online petition signatures

  
  

Setbacks This Session

Not every fight went our way. Here are some harmful bills that passed and an Act that we hoped would pass, but failed.

• HB2201 – Shields utility companies from liability if they cause wildfires

• HB2709 – Allocates up to $1 billion in taxpayer funds to renovate Chase Field for the Arizona Diamondbacks

• The Starter Homes Act – Aimed to expand affordable housing by limiting city restrictions on lot sizes, setbacks, and home designs. It failed without a vote due to legislative disagreements and opposition from city governments.

Looking Ahead to 2026

We expect some vetoed bills, especially on immigration, to return next session. Proposals to restrict vote centers and ballot drop boxes are also likely to resurface. We may see another push for rural groundwater management reforms and a revival of the Starter Homes Act, but these will require broad stakeholder agreement.

Our commitment remains the same: to protect and expand opportunities for Arizonans, defend democratic access, and ensure that our communities have the resources they need to thrive.

We couldn’t do this without you.

Stay informed, stay engaged, and join us as we prepare for the 2026 session. Together, we can keep making progress for Arizona.