pricing; emergency; enforcement; attorney general.

HB2301 - pricing; emergency; enforcement; attorney general.

Crime Healthcare Housing

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Cesar Aguilar, Lorena Austin, Seth Blattman, Junelle Cavero, Brian Garcia, Aaron Márquez, Mariana Sandoval, Betty J Villegas
Last action: 2026-01-21
Official status: House second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is not listed in the provided official material; only legislative passage status is confirmed.

HB2301: Price Limits During Emergencies

This law makes it illegal to charge more than a set amount for essential items during a state of emergency and sets criminal penalties for breaking this rule.

What This Bill Does

Defines 'commodity' as goods, services, materials, merchandise, supplies, equipment, resources, food, water, ice, electricity, building materials, petroleum products, medical supplies, rent, or other commerce-related items.
Bans selling necessary commodities at prices that are ten percent higher than the highest price charged during the thirty days before an emergency was declared.
Classifies knowingly and willfully charging excessive amounts for sales totaling $500 or more within 24 hours as a class 5 felony.
Classifies knowingly and willfully charging excessive amounts for sales totaling not more than $500 within 24 hours as a class 6 felony.
Allows the Attorney General to investigate violations and take action under existing trade practice laws.

Who It Names or Affects

People who sell or offer goods, services, rent properties, or provide resources during a state of emergency.
The Arizona Attorney General's office responsible for enforcement.
Individuals buying essential items necessary to preserve life, health, safety, or property.

Terms To Know

Commodity: Any item sold or traded, including goods, services, materials, merchandise, supplies, equipment, resources, food, water, ice, electricity, building materials, petroleum products, medical supplies, and rent.
State of emergency: A formal declaration defined in Arizona law section 26-301 that triggers special rules for this bill.

Limits and Unknowns

The text does not specify the exact date when this law becomes effective.
The definition of items 'necessary to preserve, protect or sustain life' is broad and may require court interpretation in specific cases.
The bill relies on a separate state statute (section 26-301) for the full meaning of 'state of emergency,' which is not included here.

Bill History

2026-01-21 House
House second read
2026-01-20 House
House Rules: None
2026-01-20 House
House Commerce: None
2026-01-20 House
House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2301 - pricing; emergency; enforcement; attorney general.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2301 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
pricing; emergency; enforcement; attorney general.

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2301

Introduced by

Representatives
Aguilar: Austin, Blattman, Cavero, Garcia, M�rquez, Sandoval, Villegas

AN
ACT

amending title 44, chapter 9, arizona
revised statutes, by adding article 27; relating to trade practices.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 44, chapter 9, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding article 27, to read:

ARTICLE 27. PRICE REGULATION

START_STATUTE
44-1383.

Definitions

In this article, unless the context otherwise
requires:

1. "Commodity" includes any
of the following:

(
a
) Goods.

(
b
) services.

(
c
) Materials.

(
d
) Merchandise.

(
e
) Supplies.

(
f
) Equipment.

(
g
) Resources.

(
h
) Any other
commerce-related item that includes any of the following:

(
i
) Food.

(
ii
) Water.

(
iii
) Ice.

(
iv
) Electricity.

(
v
) Building
materials.

(
vi
) Petroleum
products.

(
vii
) Medical
supplies.

(
viii
) Rent.

2. "State of emergency" has
the same meaning prescribed in section 26-301.
END_STATUTE

START_STATUTE
44-1383.01.

Commodity pricing; state of emergency; enforcement; attorney
general; violation; classification

A. During a state of emergency, it is
unlawful for any person to sell or offer for sale any commodity that is
necessary to preserve, protect or sustain the life, health or safety of an
individual or the individual's property at a price that is excessively higher
than the price at which the commodity was sold or offered for sale thirty days
before the state of emergency was declared.
� For the
purposes of this subsection, prices are excessively higher when prices are at
least ten percent higher than the highest price the person charged for the
commodity during the thirty-day period immediately preceding the day on
which the state of emergency was declared.

B. A person who knowingly and
wilfully violates subsection A of this section and receives a total value of at
least $500 from the sale of commodities within a twenty-four-hour
period during a state of emergency is guilty of a class 5 felony.

C. A person who knowingly and
wilfully charges excessively high prices during a state of emergency and
receives a total value of not more than $500 from the sale of commodities
within a twenty-four-hour period during a state of emergency is
guilty of a class 6 felony.

D. any violation of this article
constitutes an unlawful practice under section 44-1522.� The attorney
general may investigate and take appropriate action as prescribed by chapter
10, article 7 of this title.
END_STATUTE