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HB2020 - 572R - H Ver
House Engrossed
educational
institutions; interference; disruption
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
HOUSE BILL 2020
AN
ACT
amending section 13-2911, Arizona
Revised Statutes; relating to offenses against public order.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 13-2911, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
13-2911.
Interference with or disruption of an educational institution;
violation; classification; definitions
A. A person commits interference with or disruption
of an educational institution by doing any of the following:
1. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly
interfering with or disrupting the normal operations of an educational
institution by either:
(a) Threatening to cause physical injury to any
employee or student of an educational institution or any person on the property
of an educational institution.
(b) Threatening to cause damage to any educational
institution, the property of any educational institution or the property of any
employee or student of an educational institution.
2. Intentionally or knowingly entering or remaining
on the property of any educational institution for the purpose of interfering
with the lawful use of the property or in any manner as to deny or interfere
with the lawful use of the property by others.
3. Intentionally or knowingly refusing to obey a
lawful order given pursuant to subsection C of this section.
B. To constitute a violation of this section, the
acts that are prohibited by subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section are not
required to be directed at a specific individual, a specific educational
institution or any specific property of an educational institution.
C. The chief administrative officer of an
educational institution or an officer or employee designated by the chief
administrative officer to maintain order may order a person to leave the
property of the educational institution if the officer or employee has
reasonable grounds to believe either that:
1. Any person or persons are committing any act that
interferes with or disrupts the lawful use of the property by others at the
educational institution.
2. Any person has entered on the property of an
educational institution for the purpose of committing any act that interferes
with or disrupts the lawful use of the property by others at the educational
institution.
D. The appropriate governing board of every
educational institution shall adopt rules pursuant to title 41, chapter 6 for
the maintenance of
maintaining
public
order on all property of any educational institution under its jurisdiction
that is used for educational purposes and shall provide a program for
the enforcement of
enforcing
its
rules. The rules shall govern the conduct of students, faculty and
other staff and all members of the public while on the property of the
educational institution. Penalties for
violations of
violating
the rules shall be clearly set forth and enforced.�
Penalties shall include provisions for the ejection of a violator from the
property and, in the case of a student, faculty member or other staff violator,
the violator's suspension or expulsion or any other appropriate disciplinary
action. A governing board shall amend its rules as necessary to
ensure the maintenance of public order. Any deadly weapon, dangerous
instrument or explosive that is used, displayed or possessed by a person in
violation of a rule adopted pursuant to this subsection shall be forfeited and
sold or otherwise disposed of pursuant to section 13-3105 and chapter 39
of this title.� This subsection does not do either of the following:
1. Preclude school districts from conducting
approved gun safety programs on school campuses.
2. Apply to private universities, colleges, high
schools or common schools or other private educational institutions.
E. An educational institution is not eligible to
receive any state aid or assistance unless rules are adopted in accordance with
this section.
F. This section does not prevent or limit the
authority of the governing board of any educational institution to discharge
any employee or expel, suspend or otherwise punish any student for
any violation of
violating
its rules, even
though the violation is unlawful under this chapter or is otherwise an offense.
G. This section may be enforced by any peace officer
in this state wherever and whenever a violation occurs.
H. Restitution under sections 8-341, 8-345
and 13-603 applies to any financial loss that is suffered by a person or
educational institution as a result of a violation of this section.
I. Notwithstanding section 15-341 and
subsection D of this section, the governing board of an educational institution
may not adopt or enforce any policy or rule that prohibits the lawful
possession or carrying of a deadly weapon on a public right-of-way
by a person or on or within a person's means of transportation.
J. Interference with or disruption of an educational
institution pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section is a class
1 misdemeanor unless the person is eighteen years of age or older, in
which case it is a class
6 felony. Interference with or
disruption of an educational institution pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 2
or 3 of this section is a class 1 misdemeanor.
K. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Educational institution" means, except
as otherwise provided, any university, college, community college, high school
or common school in this state.
2. "Governing board" means the body,
whether appointed or elected, that has responsibility for the maintenance and
government of an educational institution.
3. "Interference with or disruption of"
:
(
a
)
Includes
any act that might reasonably lead to the evacuation or closure of any property
of the educational institution or the
postponement
rescheduling
, cancellation or suspension of any class or other
school activity.�
For the purposes of this paragraph, an actual
evacuation, closure, postponement, cancellation or suspension is not required
for the act to be considered an interference or disruption.
(
b
) Does not
include the normal procedures that a school district or law enforcement agency
engages in and that pertain to investigating or disciplining a student.
4. "Property of an educational
institution" means all land, buildings and other facilities that are
owned, operated or controlled by the governing board of an educational
institution and that are devoted to educational purposes.
5. "Public right-of-way" means
any highway, street, road, thoroughfare, path, alley or other right-of-way
that is publicly accessible and that is established and maintained by this
state or a political subdivision of this state. Public right-of-way
does not include property of an educational institution.
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