artificial intelligence; statewide education program

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify a start date for the program, only that it takes effect on the general effective date.

HB2409: Getting Arizona Ready for AI Act

This law creates a free summer program in Arizona that teaches residents about digital safety and how to use artificial intelligence tools for small businesses.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes the Arizona Artificial Intelligence Program within the Department of Education.
• Requires the Office of Economic Opportunity to create course materials on AI for business and entrepreneurship, as well as a curriculum on digital hygiene and civic integrity.
• Mandates that courses include lessons on spotting misinformation, protecting personal data, understanding algorithmic bias, and learning about how technology platforms influence user behavior.
• Includes training on using AI tools for marketing, managing inventory, automating tasks, and starting or growing a small business.
• Allows public schools, universities, community colleges, private schools, and other government units to give academic credit for completing the course.

Who It Names or Affects

• Any resident of Arizona who chooses to take the summer course.
• The Arizona Department of Education, which administers the program.
• The Office of Economic Opportunity, which develops curriculum and finds volunteer instructors.
• Public schools, universities, community colleges, private schools, cities, towns, counties, state agencies, and other government units that may provide free space for classes.

Terms To Know

Digital Hygiene

Practices to stay safe online based on the monograph 'Preventing the Misuse of Digital Influence,' including protecting personal data and limiting tracking by third parties.

Algorithmic Bias

Unfair outcomes in computer systems caused by flaws or patterns in the data they use, which is a topic covered in the course curriculum.

Search Engine Manipulation Effect

A method where technology platforms change search results to influence what people see and believe, as described in the bill's required lessons on user behavior.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not state a specific date when the program will begin, only that it becomes effective on the general effective date.
• Funding is uncertain; if volunteers or free space are not available, the Department of Education may have to pay for instructors and facilities.

Official Summary Text

HB2409 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
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COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

REVISED

FACT SHEET FOR
H.B. 2409

artificial
intelligence; statewide education program

Purpose

Establishes the
Arizona Artificial Intelligence Program (Program) in the Arizona Department of
Education (ADE) to offer an Artificial Intelligence Education Course (AI
Course) each summer to Arizona residents throughout the state. Outlines
administrative requirements for the Program, including requirements on the
Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) to develop curriculum for the AI Course as
specified. Designates this legislation as the
Getting Arizona Ready for AI
Act
.

Background

The OEO
Director's statutory duties include: 1) monitoring Arizona's tax and regulatory
competitiveness by benchmarking it against competitor states and
municipalities; 2) serving as Arizona's workforce planning coordinator,
providing stewardship of the state's workforce data evaluation system and
providing economic and demographic research and analysis; 3) developing
data-informed policy and regulatory reform recommendations; and 4) providing
analytical support to the Arizona Commerce Authority in its business
recruitment, growth and retention strategies (
A.R.S.
� 41-5303
).

Artificial
intelligence
(AI) means a machine-based system that can, for a given set of
human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions
influencing real or virtual environments. AI systems use machine and
human-based inputs to: 1) perceive real and virtual environments; 2) abstract
such perceptions into models through analysis in an automated manner; and 3)
use model inference to formulate options for information or action (
15
U.S.C.

� 9401
).

The Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) fiscal note
estimates that H.B. 2409 would not have a direct impact on state General Fund
spending for public school formula costs because enrollment in the AI Course
would not affect a student's average daily membership calculation. JLBC states
that if resources are not available for the AI Course to be taught by
volunteers in spaces provided to the state free of charge as outlined, ADE may
incur operational costs to hire instructors or make space available for the
instruction of the AI Course (
JLBC Fiscal Note
).

Provisions

1.

Establishes the Program within ADE.

2.

Directs ADE to administer the Program and offer an AI Course each summer
in various locations across Arizona that is open to any Arizona resident.

3.

Requires
the AI course to include:

a)

a digital hygiene and civic integrity curriculum that is designed to
teach students how to navigate the digital world safely and with a critical
eye; and

b)

an
AI for small businesses and entrepreneurship curriculum that includes
practical,

hands-on training on how to start or grow a small business.

4.

Specifies
that the digital hygiene and civic integrity curriculum must include
instruction on:

a)

the principles of digital hygiene based on the monograph
Preventing
the Misuse of Digital Influence: The Development of Systems for Preserving and
Analyzing Potentially Harmful Online Content, and Why Such Systems are
Essential for Democracy
;

b)

the nature of algorithmic bias and the methods technology platforms use
to influence user behavior, including the search engine manipulation effect;

c)

best practices for protecting personal data and limiting online tracking
by third parties;

d)

media literacy skills to identify misinformation and content that is
generated by AI; and

e)

general
critical thinking skills.

5.

Specifies that the AI for small business and entrepreneurship curriculum
must include:

a)

an
overview of the AI tools that are currently available for small businesses;

b)

instruction
on how to use AI for marketing and customer outreach, including personalized
advertising and customer relationship management;

c)

instruction on how to use AI to improve operational efficiency,
including automating tasks, managing inventory and analyzing sales data; and

d)

an
introduction to the ethical considerations of using AI in a business context.

6.

Requires
the OEO to:

a)

develop the AI for small businesses and entrepreneurship curriculum for
the Program;

b)

identify qualified volunteer instructors for the Program from a diverse
range of backgrounds, including successful business leaders, entrepreneurs from
the technology and start-up sectors and experienced educators; and

c)

identify
facilities in various locations throughout Arizona that ADE may use to provide
the AI Course.

7.

Allows an agency, city, town, county, public university, community
college, public school, private school or other governmental budget unit of
Arizona to allow uncompensated use of its facilities by ADE to provide the AI
Course.

8.

Allows a public school, public university or a community college to
award academic credit to any individual who completes the AI course.

9.

Contains a statement of legislative findings and intent.

10.

Contains
a severability clause.

11.

Designates
this legislation as the
Getting Arizona Ready for AI Act.

12.

Becomes
effective on the general effective date.

Revisions

�

Updates the fiscal impact statement.

House Action

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Prepared by Senate Research

March 13, 2026

MH/SM/hk

Current Bill Text

HB2409 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

artificial
intelligence; statewide education program

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2409

AN
ACT

amending title 15, chapter 2, article 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-249.20; relating to the
department of education.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 2, article 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-249.20, to read:

START_STATUTE
15-249.20.

Arizona artificial intelligence education program; curriculum;
academic credit

A. The Arizona Artificial
Intelligence Education Program is established within the Department of
Education. The department shall administer the program and offer an
artificial intelligence education course each summer in various locations
throughout this state.� The course that is offered pursuant to this subsection
is open to any resident of this state and must include at least the following:

1. A digital Hygiene and Civic
Integrity curriculum that is designed to teach students how to navigate the
digital world safely and with a critical eye.� The curriculum must include
instruction on:

(
a
) The
principles of digital hygiene based on the monograph "Preventing the
Misuse of Digital Influence:� The Development of SYstems for Preserving and
Analyzing Potentially Harmful Online Content, and Why Such SYstems are
Essential for Democracy".

(
b
) The nature
of algorithmic bias and the methods used by technology platforms to influence
user behavior, including the Search Engine Manipulation Effect.

(
c
) Best
practices for protecting personal data and limiting online tracking by third
parties.

(
d
) Media
literacy skills to identify misinformation and content that is generated by artificial
intelligence.

(
e
) General
critical thinking skills.

2. An artificial Intelligence for
Small Business and Entrepreneurship curriculum that includes practical,
hands-on training on how to start or grow a small business.� The curriculum
must include:

(
a
) An overview
of the Artificial Intelligence tools that are currently available for small
businesses.

(
b
) Instruction
on how to use Artificial Intelligence for marketing and customer outreach,
including personalized advertising and customer relationship management.

(
c
) Instruction
on how to use Artificial Intelligence to improve operational efficiency,
including automating tasks, managing inventory and analyzing sales data.

(
d
) An
introduction to the ethical considerations of using Artificial Intelligence in
a business context.

B. The office of economic opportunity
shall:

1. Develop the curriculum required by
subsection A, paragraph 2 of this section.

2. Identify qualified volunteer
instructors for the program from a diverse range of backgrounds, including
successful business leaders, entrepreneurs from the TECHNOLOGY and start-up
sectors and experienced educators.

3. Identify facilities in various
locations throughout this state that the department may use to provide the
course that is offered pursuant to subsection A of this section.

C. A state agency, city, town,
county, university, community college, public school, private school or other
governmental budget unit of this state may allow uncompensated use of the
agency's, city's, town's, county's, university's, community college's, public
school's, private school's or budget unit's facilities by the department of
education to provide the course that is offered pursuant to subsection A of
this section.

D. A public school, a university
under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents or a community college
as defined in section 15-1401 may award academic credit to any individual
who completes the course that is offered pursuant to subsection A of this
section.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Legislative findings and intent

A. The legislature finds
that:

1. The rapid advancement of
artificial intelligence presents both unprecedented opportunities for economic
growth and significant challenges to individual liberty and the integrity of
our democratic processes.

2. Large technology
platforms use sophisticated tools that are driven by artificial intelligence
and that can shape the information environment and influence public opinion, a
phenomenon documented by nonpartisan researchers.

3. Providing Arizona
citizens with the knowledge to recognize and resist digital manipulation is
essential to preserving a free and fair society.

4. Equipping Arizona's
small business owners with the skills to use artificial intelligence will
foster innovation, create jobs and ensure the long-term prosperity of our
state.

B. The legislature intends
to establish a voluntary, statewide summer education program to empower all
residents of this state with the principles of digital hygiene and the
practical skills to use artificial intelligence for economic success.

Sec. 3.
Severability

If a provision of this act or its
application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does
not affect other provisions or applications of the act that can be given effect
without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of
this act are severable.

Sec. 4.
Short title

This act may be cited as the
"Getting Arizona Ready for AI Act".