manslaughter; online advice; encouragement

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific penalties for violations, leaving this detail uncertain.

Cade's Law: If You See Something Say Something

This law makes it a crime for adults to provide advice or encouragement through directed communication that leads a minor to commit suicide if the adult knows about the minor's intent.

What This Bill Does

• Adds a new part to the manslaughter law, making it illegal for someone who is at least 18 years old to intentionally provide advice or encouragement through directed communication if they know the minor intends to die by suicide and uses this advice.
• Defines 'directed communication' as any message specifically aimed at a minor, including social media posts, text messages, or other online interactions that are clearly meant for the minor who dies by suicide.

Who It Names or Affects

• Adults aged 18 and older who provide advice or encouragement to minors through directed communication if they know the minor intends to commit suicide.
• Minors who receive such advice or encouragement from adults.

Terms To Know

directed communication

Any verbal, written, or electronic communication specifically addressed to or reasonably understood to be directed at a minor who dies by suicide.

manslaughter

A crime where someone causes another person's death through reckless behavior or intentionally providing means to commit suicide with knowledge of their intent.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify the exact penalties for violating this new provision.
• It is unclear how this law will be enforced and what evidence would be needed to prove that an adult knew a minor intended to die by suicide before giving advice or encouragement.

Official Summary Text

HB2665 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
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COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
H.B. 2665

manslaughter;
online advice; encouragement

Purpose

Specifies that the
manslaughter
criminal classification applies to
a person who is at least 18 years old and who intentionally provides advice or
encouragement, through a directed communication, that a minor uses to die by
suicide with the knowledge that the minor intends to die by suicide.

Background

A person commits
manslaughter
by: 1) recklessly causing the death
of another person;

2) committing second degree murder during a sudden quarrel or heat of passion
resulting from adequate provocation by the victim; 3) intentionally providing
the physical means another person uses to die by suicide with knowledge of the
person's intent; 4) committing second degree murder while being coerced by the
use or threatened use of unlawful deadly force; and 5) knowingly or recklessly
causing the death of an unborn child through physical injury to the mother (
A.R.S.

� 13-1103
).

Manslaughter
is classified as a class 2 felony and carries a
presumptive term of imprisonment of 5 years and a maximum fine of $150,000 for
a first-time felony offender (A.R.S. ��
13-702

and
13-801
).

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

Provisions

1.

Specifies
that the
manslaughter
criminal classification applies to a person who is
at least 18 years old and who intentionally provides advice or encouragement
through directed communication that a minor uses to die by suicide with the
knowledge that the minor intends to die by suicide.

2.

Defines

directed communication
as any verbal, written or electronic
communication, including through social media posts, text messaging or other
online platforms, that is specifically addressed to, or reasonably understood
to be, directed at the minor who dies by suicide and:

a)

includes an online post, message, or other content that identifies, tags
or is otherwise specifically directed at the minor who dies by suicide; and

b)

does not include general public commentary, artistic expression or
discussion of suicide or mental health that is not specifically directed at the
minor who dies by suicide.

3.

Becomes
effective on the general effective date.

House Action

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Prepared by Senate Research

March 16, 2026

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Current Bill Text

Chapter 0060 - 572R - H Ver of HB2665

House Engrossed

manslaughter; online
advice; encouragement

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

CHAPTER 60

HOUSE BILL 2665

AN
ACT

amending section 13-1103, Arizona Revised
Statutes; relating to homicide.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section
1.
1. Section
13-1103, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
13-1103.

Manslaughter; classification; definition

A. A person commits manslaughter by doing any of the
following:

1. Recklessly causing the death of another person.

2. Committing second degree murder as prescribed in
section 13-1104, subsection A on a sudden quarrel or heat of passion
resulting from adequate provocation by the victim.

3. Intentionally providing the physical means that
another person uses to die by suicide, with the knowledge that the person
intends to die by suicide.

4. Committing second degree murder as prescribed in
section 13-1104, subsection A, paragraph 3, while being coerced to do so
by the use or threatened immediate use of unlawful deadly physical force on the
person or a third person that a reasonable person in his situation would have
been unable to resist.

5. Knowingly or recklessly causing the death of an
unborn child by any physical injury to the mother.

B. A person who is at least eighteen years of age
commits manslaughter by intentionally providing advice or encouragement
, including by a directed communication
,

that a minor uses to die by suicide with the knowledge that the minor intends
to die by suicide.

C. An offense under subsection A, paragraph 5 of
this section applies to an unborn child in the womb at any stage of its
development.� A person shall not be prosecuted under subsection A, paragraph 5
of this section if any of the following applies:

1. The person was performing an abortion for which
the consent of the pregnant woman, or a person authorized by law to act on the
pregnant woman's behalf, has been obtained or for which the consent was implied
or authorized by law.

2. The person was performing medical treatment on
the pregnant woman or the pregnant woman's unborn child.

3. The person was the unborn child's mother.

D. Manslaughter is a class 2 felony.

E. For the purposes of this section,
"directed communication":

1. Means any verbal, written or
electronic communication, including through social media posts, text messaging
or other online platforms, that is specifically addressed to or reasonably
understood to be directed at the minor who dies by suicide.

2. Includes
an online post, message or other content that identifies, tags or is otherwise
specifically directed at the minor who dies by suicide.

3. Does not
include general public commentary, artistic expression or discussion of suicide
or mental health that is not specifically directed at the minor who dies by
suicide.

END_STATUTE

Sec.
2.
2.
Short title

This act may be cited as "Cade's
Law: If You See Something Say Something".

APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR APRIL 13, 2026.

FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE APRIL 13, 2026.