school governing bodies; meetings; prayer

Plain English Breakdown

The official text specifies 'at least forty-eight hours before' but does not define if this is business days or calendar days.

HB2110: Prayer at Public School Board Meetings

This law requires Arizona public school and university boards to allow a member-led prayer before meetings if requested in advance, while banning prayers that promote one religion or force people to join.

What This Bill Does

• Requires school governing bodies to let any board member lead an opening prayer if they ask the meeting leader at least 48 hours early.
• Lists which groups count as deliberative governing bodies for schools, charter schools, career technical education districts, community colleges, public universities, and state schools for the deaf and blind.
• Prohibits prayers that try to convert people or promote one specific faith over others.
• Bans any invocation that forces observers to take part in the prayer.
• Defines an 'invocation' specifically as a prayer given at the start of these official meetings.

Who It Names or Affects

• Members of school district governing boards without student members
• Charter school governing bodies without student members
• Career technical education and community college district boards
• The Arizona Board of Regents for public universities
• Boards of directors for the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind

Terms To Know

Deliberative governing body

The official board that makes rules, manages money, and runs a school or educational institution.

Invocation

A prayer delivered to open an official meeting of a school governing body.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not say when this rule will officially start because the effective date is blank.
• It only applies if a board member asks for the prayer; it does not allow outside guests to lead prayers.
• The text notes that students may be present at meetings, but it does not change rules about student-led prayer during class.

Official Summary Text

HB2110 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

House:
ED DP 8-4-0-0

HB
2110
: school governing bodies; meetings; prayer

Sponsor:
Representative Martinez, LD 16

House
Engrossed

Overview

Mandates the
deliberative governing body of a public school or public educational
institution (deliberative governing body) allow a deliberative governing body
member to provide an invocation for a meeting.

History

A school district,
a charter school, an accommodation school and the Arizona State Schools for the
Deaf and the Blind (ASDB) may
not
discriminate against parents or students based on a religious viewpoint or religious
expression. Students in these public educational institutions may pray or
engage in religious activities or religious expression before, during and after
the school day in the same manner and to the same extent that students may
engage in nonreligious activities or expression. The state nor its political subdivisions
may require any person to participate in prayer or other religious activity (
A.R.S. � 15-110
).

Provisions

1.

Requires a deliberative
governing body to allow any member of the deliberative governing body, on
request from the member, to provide an invocation for a meeting if the member
makes the request to the presiding officer at least 48 hours before the meeting
is scheduled to begin. (Sec. 1)

2.

Lists the
entity that is the deliberative governing body of a school district, charter
school, career technical education district, community college district, public
university and ASDB. (Sec. 1)

3.

Prohibits a
deliberative governing body member from providing an invocation that:

a.

is exploited
to proselytize or advance or to disparage any faith or belief; or

b.

coerces participation
by observers of the invocation. (Sec. 1)

4.

Defines
invocation

as a prayer or invocation that is delivered to open a meeting of a
deliberative governing body. (Sec. 1)

5.

Contains a
legislative findings clause. (Sec. 2)

6.

7.

8.

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9.

Initials CH/JD���������������� HB
2110

10.

2/24/2026� Page 0 House
Engrossed

11.

12.

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Current Bill Text

HB2110 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

school governing
bodies; meetings; prayer

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2110

AN
ACT

amending title 15, chapter 1, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-120.08; relating to public
educational institutions.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 1, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-120.08, to read:

START_STATUTE
15-120.08.

Deliberative governing bodies; meetings; invocation;
prohibitions; definition

A. On request from any member of a
deliberative governing body of a public school or public educational
institution in this state, the
deliberative governing
body shall allow the member to
provide an invocation for a
meeting of the
deliberative governing body
if the member makes the request to the presiding officer of the
deliberative governing body at least forty-eight hours before the meeting
is scheduled to begin.

B. For the purposes of this section,
the
deliberative governing body of:

1. A school district is the school
district governing board
, if the school district
governing board does not have a student member.

2. A charter school is the charter
school governing body
, if the charter school governing
body does not have a student member.

3. A career technical education
district is the career technical education district governing board.

4. The Arizona state schools for the
deaf and the blind is the board of directors established by section 15-1321.

5. A community college district as
defined in section 15-1401 is the community college district governing
board.

6. A public university is the Arizona
board of regents.

C. A member of a deliberative
governing body of a public school or public educational institution in this
state may not provide an invocation that either:

1. Is exploited to proselytize or
advance any one faith or belief or to disparage any other faith or belief.

2. Coerces participation by observers
of the invocation.

D. For the purposes of this section,
"invocation" means a prayer or invocation that is delivered to open a
meeting of a deliberative governing body of a public school or public
educational institution.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Legislative findings

The legislature finds that:

1. Governing bodies of
public schools and public educational institutions are quasi-legislative,
deliberative public bodies in this state.

2. The governing body of a
public school or public educational institution is responsible for prescribing
and enforcing policies and procedures to govern the public school or public
educational institution.

3. The governing body of a
public school or public educational institution is responsible for making
decisions relating to the purchase of school sites, the management and control
of property and the management of public monies that are appropriated to the
public school or public educational institution.

4. Although students are
sometimes present at public school or public educational institution governing
body meetings for ceremonial activities, the purpose of such meetings is to
conduct the official, sometimes fractious, business of governing over the
public school or public educational institution.