The Arizona Legislature has adjourned for the summer, but several new laws will go into effect soon, most on August 3rd. Here’s a sampling of some of the new laws:
Kid’s Play: Recess for students mandated
Senate Bill 1083 requires Arizona schools provide at least two recess periods per day for students in kindergarten through third grade starting next school year.
Can’t Tax Pop: Soda taxes outlawed
House Bill 2484 requires local governments in Arizona to tax all food items equally. That effectively prohibits cities, towns, and counties from imposing extra taxes on soda or sugary drinks, as some cities in other states have done.
New car-registration fee added
HB 2166 created a new vehicle-registration charge that will be levied on every motorist who registers their car in Arizona.
The fee will cost an estimated $18 to $24 per year, with the amount set by Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona motorists will pay the fee starting Jan. 1, 2019.
Fake service animals:
House Bill 2588 makes it illegal to misrepresent a pet as a service animal. Violators could be subject to a $250 fine.
However, the Americans with Disabilities Act limits what questions businesses can ask about service animals. They can’t ask about someone’s disability or demand proof of an animal’s training.
SB 1080, approved last year, prohibits minors from using a phone while driving for their first six months on the road with both a learner’s permit and a driver’s license. This law went into effect July 2018
The Arizona legislature failed to pass a comprehensive distracted driving law. Attempts to pass such a bill have failed for the past 13 years.
Here’s one of the strangest laws in Arizona that we found: It’s unlawful in Arizona to refuse someone a glass of water.
