Back to Arizona

HB2589 • 2026

unlawful exposure; minors; drag show

HB2589 - unlawful exposure; minors; drag show

Children Crime Elections
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Michael Way
Last action
2026-03-10
Official status
Senate second read
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on enforcement mechanisms or penalties for accidental exposure, leaving these aspects unclear.

Unlawful Exposure of Minors to Adult-Oriented Performances

This bill makes it illegal for adults to expose minors to adult-oriented performances and classifies such actions as a class 4 felony.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines an 'adult oriented performance' as an in-person show or event that appeals to sexual interests and depicts specific sexual activities or the lewd exposure of body parts.
  • Makes it illegal for adults to allow minors under their care to view, enter, or remain at places where adult-oriented performances are happening.
  • Classifies unlawful exposure to an adult-oriented performance as a class 4 felony.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Adults who have custody or control over minors
  • Minors exposed to adult-oriented performances

Terms To Know

adult oriented performance
An in-person show or event that appeals to sexual interests and depicts specific sexual activities or the lewd exposure of body parts.
prurient interest
A strong, unhealthy curiosity about sex.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone accidentally exposes a minor to an adult-oriented performance.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced and who will enforce it.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Plain English: NM 2/9/2026 (602) 926-3848 ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FLOOR AMENDMENT EXPLANATION 57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session Majority Research Staff HB 2589: unlawful exposure; minors; drag show KOLODIN FLOOR AMENDMENT 1.

  • NM 2/9/2026 (602) 926-3848 ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FLOOR AMENDMENT EXPLANATION 57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session Majority Research Staff HB 2589: unlawful exposure; minors; drag show KOLODIN FLOOR AMENDMENT 1.
  • Revises the prohibition from a drag show performance to an adult oriented performance, and changes the definition accordingly.
  • 2.
  • Changes the culpable mental state from knowingly to intentionally.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Plain English: Fifty-seventh Legislature Judiciary and Elections Second Regular Session H.B.

  • Fifty-seventh Legislature Judiciary and Elections Second Regular Session H.B.
  • 2589 PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENTS TO H.B.
  • 2589 (Reference to House engrossed bill) The bill as proposed to be amended is reprinted as follows: 1 Section 1.
  • Title 13, chapter 35, Arizona Revised Statutes, is 2 amended by adding section 13-3508, to read: 3 13-3508.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Plain English: Fifty-seventh Legislature Judiciary and Elections Second Regular Session H.B.

  • Fifty-seventh Legislature Judiciary and Elections Second Regular Session H.B.
  • 2589 COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY AND ELECTIONS SENATE AMENDMENTS TO H.B.
  • 2589 (Reference to House engrossed bill) The bill as proposed to be amended is reprinted as follows: 1 Section 1.
  • Title 13, chapter 35, Arizona Revised Statutes, is 2 amended by adding section 13-3508, to read: 3 13-3508.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Senate second read

  2. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate Rules: None

  3. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate Judiciary and Elections: DPA

  4. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate first read

  5. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Transmitted to Senate

  6. 2026-02-25 House

    House third read passed

  7. 2026-02-23 House

    House committee of the whole

  8. 2026-02-10 House

    House minority caucus

  9. 2026-02-10 House

    House majority caucus

  10. 2026-02-09 House

    House consent calendar

  11. 2026-01-21 House

    House second read

  12. 2026-01-20 House

    House Rules: C&P

  13. 2026-01-20 House

    House Judiciary: DP

  14. 2026-01-20 House

    House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2589 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
JUDE���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� AS
PASSED BY COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR
H.B. 2589

unlawful exposure;
minors; drag show

Purpose

Establishes the
criminal classification of
unlawful exposure to an adult oriented
performance
and classifies a violation as a class 4 felony.

Background

An adult
oriented business may not be located within one-fourth of a mile of a childcare
facility, a private or public charter school, a public playground, a public
recreational facility, a residence or place of worship. An adult arcade, adult
bookstore or video store, adult cabaret, adult motion picture theater, adult
theater, escort agency or nude model studio may not remain open at any time
between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 8:00

�a.m. on Monday
through Saturday and between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on Sunday (
A.R.S. � 13-1422
).

It is unlawful
for a person, with knowledge of the character of the item, to recklessly
furnish, present, provide, make available or distribute to a minor any item
that is harmful to minors. A violation is classified as a class 4 felony.
Harmful
to

minors
is defined as any description or representation, including
performances, of nudity, sexual activity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement or
sadomasochistic abuse that, taken as a whole: 1) under the perspective of the
average adult applying contemporary standards for what is suitable for minors,
both appeals to the prurient interest and portrays the subject matter in a
patently offensive way; and 2) does not have serious literary, artistic,
political or scientific value for minors (A.R.S. ��
13-3501

and
13-3506
).

There is no
anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.

Provisions

1.

Establishes
that a person commits unlawful exposure to an adult oriented performance by
intentionally doing any of the following in or on a public property:

a)

allowing a minor under the person's custody or control to view an adult
oriented performance;

b)

allowing a minor to enter or remain in a building or part of a building
where an adult oriented performance is occurring; or

c)

performing
or allowing another person under the person's custody or control to perform an
adult oriented performance in view of a minor.

2.

Classifies
unlawful exposure to an adult oriented performance
as
a class 4 felony.

3.

Defines

adult oriented performance
as an in-person show or performance that:

a)

taken as a whole, appeals to a prurient interest in sex; and

b)

depicts
or stimulates specific sexual activities or the lewd exposure of specific
anatomical areas.

4.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by
Committee

1.

Specifies that a person commits
unlawful exposure to an adult
oriented performance
if the prohibited conduct takes place in or on a
public property.

2.

Makes technical and conforming changes.

House Action
����������������������������������������������������������
Senate
Action

JUD���������������� 2/4/26������� DP������ 6-3-0-0�������������� JUDE������������� 3/25/26����� DPA���������� 4-3-0

3
rd
Read��������� 2/25/26����������������� 31-2-7

Prepared by Senate Research

March 31, 2026

ZD/MY/ci

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB2589 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

unlawful exposure;
minors; drag show

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2589

AN
ACT

amending
title 13, chapter 35, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 13-3508;
relating to obscenity.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 13, chapter 35, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 13-3508, to read:

START_STATUTE
13-3508.

Unlawful exposure to adult oriented performances; classification;
definitions

A. A person commits unlawful exposure
to
an adult oriented performance by
intentionally doing any of the following:

1. Allowing a minor under the
person's custody or control to view
an adult oriented
performance.

2. Allowing a minor to enter or
remain in a building or part of a building WHERE
an adult
oriented performance is occurring.

3. Performing or allowing another
person under the person's custody or control to perform
an
adult oriented performance in view of a minor.

B. Unlawful exposure to
an adult oriented performance is a class 4 felony.

C. For the purposes of this section:

1. "
adult
oriented performance" means an in-person show or performance that:

(
a
)
Taken as a whole appeals to a prurient interest in sex; and

(
b
)
Depicts or simulates specific sexual activities or the lewd exposure
of specific anatomical areas.

END_STATUTE