threatening; intimidating; harassment; public officials

HB2412 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
threatening; intimidating;
harassment; public officials

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2412

Introduced by

Representative
Nguyen

AN
ACT

AMENDING SECTIONS 13-1202 AND 13-2921,
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 13-1202, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
13-1202.

Threatening or intimidating; classification; definitions

A. A person commits threatening or intimidating if
the person threatens or intimidates by word or conduct:

1. To cause physical injury to another person or
serious damage to the property of another; or

2. To cause, or in reckless disregard to causing,
serious public inconvenience
,
including
,
but not limited to,
evacuation of a building, place of assembly or
transportation facility; or

3. To cause physical injury to another person or
damage to the property of another in order to promote, further or assist in the
interests of or to cause, induce or solicit another person to participate in a
criminal street gang, a criminal syndicate or a racketeering enterprise.

B. Threatening or intimidating pursuant to
subsection A, paragraph 1 or 2
of this section
is a class
1 misdemeanor, except that it is a
:

1. Class 3 felony if the offense is
committed against a public official or public employee or a family member of a
public official or public employee.

2.
Class 6 felony if:

1.

(
a
)
The offense is
committed in retaliation for a victim's either reporting criminal activity or
being involved in an organization, other than a law enforcement agency, that is
established for the purpose of reporting or preventing criminal activity.

2.

(
b
)
The person is a
criminal street gang member.

C. Threatening or intimidating pursuant to
subsection A, paragraph 3
of this section
is a class 3
felony.

D. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Family member" has the
same meaning prescribed in section 13-2319.

2. "Public employee" has
the same meaning prescribed in section 12-820.

3. "Public official" has
the same meaning prescribed in section 41-1231.

END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Section 13-2921, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
13-2921.

Harassment; classification; definitions

A. A person commits harassment if the person
knowingly and repeatedly commits an act or acts that harass another person or
the person knowingly commits any one of the following acts in a manner that
harasses:

1. Contacts or causes a communication with another
person by verbal, electronic, mechanical, telegraphic, telephonic or written
means.

2. Continues to follow another person in or about a
public place after being asked by that person to desist.

3. Surveils or causes a person to surveil another
person.

4. Makes a false report to a law enforcement, credit
or social service agency against another person.

5. Interferes with the delivery of any public or
regulated utility to another person.

B. A person commits harassment against a public
officer

official
or
public
employee

or a family member of a public official or public employee
if
the person, with intent to harass, files a nonconsensual lien against any
public
officer

official
or
public
employee
or a family member of a public
official or public employee
that is not accompanied by an order or a
judgment from a court of competent jurisdiction authorizing the filing of the
lien or is not issued by a governmental entity or political subdivision or
agency pursuant to its statutory authority, a validly licensed utility or water
delivery company, a mechanics' lien claimant or an entity created under
covenants, conditions, restrictions or declarations affecting real property.

D.

C.
This
section does not apply to any of the following:

1. A lawful demonstration, assembly or picketing.

2. A
professional

private
investigator or peace officer who is
licensed

regulated
by this state and who is acting within the
scope of the investigator's or officer's duties in connection with any criminal
or civil investigation.

3. A certified and duly authorized process server
who is acting within the scope of the process server's duties in connection
with any judicial or administrative action or proceeding.

C.

D.
Harassment
under subsection A
of this section
is a class 1
misdemeanor
, except that it is a class 5 felony if the offense
is committed against a public official or public employee or a family member of
a public official or public employee
.

E.
Harassment under subsection
B
of this section
is a class 5 felony.

E.

f.
For
the purposes of this section
:
,

1. "Family member" has the
same meaning prescribed in section 13-2319.

2.
"Harass" means
conduct that is directed at a specific person and that would cause a reasonable
person to be seriously alarmed, annoyed, humiliated or mentally distressed and
the conduct in fact seriously alarms, annoys, humiliates or mentally distresses
the person.

3. "Public employee" has
the same meaning prescribed in section 12-820.

4. "Public official" has
the same meaning prescribed in section 41-1231.
END_STATUTE