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HB4106 - 572R - I Ver
REFERENCE TITLE:
one Arizona fellowship program
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
HB 4106
Introduced by
Representatives
M�rquez: Gress
AN
ACT
amending title 15, Arizona Revised
Statutes, by adding chapter 20; appropriating monies; relating to education.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 15, Arizona Revised Statutes,
is amended by adding chapter 20, to read:
CHAPTER 20
ONE ARIZONA service FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
START_STATUTE
15-2501.
Definitions
In this chapter, unless the context otherwise
requires:
1. "Education expense"
means:
(
a
) Tuition or
student fees at an institution of higher education that participates in the
federal student assistance programs under title iv of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 United States Code section 1070 et seq.)
(
b
) Repayment
of a student loan.
(
c
) other costs
of attending an institution of higher education as determined by the
institution of higher education for a degree or certificate program, including:
(
i
) books.
(
ii
) supplies.
(
iii
) transportation.
(
iv
) room and
board.
2. "Eligible recipient"
means an individual who both:
(
a
) is a
resident of this state.
(
b
) successfully
completes a fellowship under the program established by this chapter.
3. "Federal requirements for the
AmeriCorps program" means:
(
a
) Relevant
provisions of:
(
i
) the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 United States Code sections
12501 through 12681).
(
ii
) the
Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 United States Code sections 4950
through 5066).
(
iii
) the
Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 (31 United States Code
sections 6301 through 6308).
(
iv
) The
ameriCorps program (45 code of federal regulations sections 1206.1-1 through
1206.1-11 and sections 2522.200 through 2522.250).
(
b
) any terms
and conditions associated with the AmeriCorps program federal grant funding.
4. "Institution of higher
education" means a public institution of higher education.
5. "Participant" means an
individual to whom all of the following apply:
(
a
) is at least
seventeen years of age.
(
b
) has
received a high school diploma or its equivalent.
(
c
) Is matched
by the program with a qualified partner organization to participate in a
program fellowship.
6. "Program" means the One
Arizona Service Fellowship Program established by this chapter.
7. "Qualified partner
organization" means a nonprofit organization or government entity that
does all of the following:
(
a
) agrees to
supervise a participant for the total number of hours outlined in an agreement
with the governor's office of youth, faith and family.
(
b
) Agrees to
provide the governor's office of youth, faith and family with a matching
stipend amount.
(
c
) provides a
valuable service to the community, as determined by the governor's office of
youth, faith and family.
8. "Supervise" means the
act of overseeing the work of a participant, including some component of
in-person interaction.
9. "Third-party
administrator" means an entity that:
(
a
) enters into
an agreement with the governor's office of youth, faith and family.
(
b
) is a
nonprofit organization or a subsidiary or affiliate of an institution of higher
education.
(
c
) has
experience managing programs and monies.
(
d
) operates
under the direction of the governor's office of youth, faith and family for the
purposes of the program.
10. "Tuition award" means
an amount of monies to be used for an education expense.
END_STATUTE
START_STATUTE
15-2502.
One Arizona service fellowship program; administration; duties;
powers; rulemaking
A. The One Arizona Service Fellowship
Program is established to provide meaningful service opportunities to young
adults in this state to:
1. Prepare young adults for
additional educational, training and career opportunities.
2. address high priority needs within
this state.
3. provide stipends to participants
and tuition awards to eligible recipients pursuant to this chapter.
B. Subject to legislative
appropriation, the governor's office of youth, faith and family shall
administer the program as described in this chapter.
C. Except as otherwise provided in an
agreement authorized by section 15-2506, paragraph 2, the governor's office of
youth, faith and family:
1. shall create and maintain a list
of high priority policy needs in this state for which program service
opportunities can provide the most value to this state.
2. Shall receive applications from
potential participants.
3. Shall match participants to
qualified partner organizations for participation in the program.
4. Shall approve potential qualified
partner organizations to participate in the program.
5. Shall prioritize the placement of
participants with qualified partner organizations that address the high
priority policy needs identified under paragraph 1 of this subsection.
6. shall create and maintain, or
contract with a third party to create and maintain, an online portal that:
(
a
) provides
information about the program, including required qualifications for
participation, tuition awards and stipends.
(
b
) lists all
service opportunities with qualified partner organizations that are available
through the program.
(
c
) allows
potential participants to apply for placement with qualified partner
organizations.
7. Shall determine the metrics of
success of the program, including metrics relating to whether an eligible
recipient:
(
i
) matriculates
at an institution of higher education after completing a One Arizona Service
Fellowship.
(
ii
) Graduates
from, or otherwise completes a program at, an institution of higher education.
8. Shall measure the success of the
program according to the metrics determined under this Subsection.
9. Shall coordinate with institutions
of higher education to:
(
i
) connect
eligible recipients with additional educational, training, certification and
apprenticeship opportunities.
(
ii
) Explore
options to award eligible recipients with academic credit for completing a One
Arizona Service Fellowship, in addition to stipends and tuition awards.
10. May solicit private donations to
supplement the program, including to offset a matching amount that is required
of a qualified partner organization as described in section 15-2503, Subsection
C.
11. Shall ensure that the program
complies with federal requirements for the AmeriCorps program administered by
the governor's office of youth, faith and family.
D. The governor's office of youth,
faith and family may make rules to implement this chapter.
END_STATUTE
START_STATUTE
15-2503.
Agreements; participants; qualified partner organizations
A. Before a participant begins
providing service through the program, the governor's office of youth, faith
and family or third-party administrator shall enter into an agreement with the
participant that outlines the mutual expectations of the program and the
participant. The agreement shall detail the requirements of the
participant, including:
1. the total number of hours of
service required under the agreement.
2. the exact stipend amount promised
to the participant in consideration of service as described in section 15-2504.
3. the exact tuition award amount
promised to the participant on successful completion of a fellowship, as
described in section 15-2505.
4. qualifications for and acceptable
uses of the tuition award, as described in section 15-2505.
5. the circumstances under which the
agreement may be amended, including for participant hardship or compelling
personal circumstance.
B. Before a qualified partner
organization accepts service from a participant, the governor's office of
youth, faith and family or third-party administrator shall enter into an
agreement with the qualified partner organization that outlines the mutual
expectations of the program and qualified partner organization, including the
exact amount of matching monies that the qualified partner organization must
provide to the governor's office of youth, faith and family to contribute to a
participant's stipend.� A qualified partner organization shall agree to
contribute at least $5 per hour to a participant's stipend.
C. The agreement described in
Subsection A of this section may include a provision that the program is
reducing the qualified partner organization's matching monies requirement due
to the receipt of private donations as described in section 15-2504, subsection
C, paragraph 2, subdivision (
b
).
END_STATUTE
START_STATUTE
15-2504.
Stipends
A. The governor's office of youth,
faith and family may issue, and a participant may receive, a stipend for
participating in the program.
b. The governor's office of youth,
faith and family or third-party administrator shall establish the exact stipend
for a participant on a case-by-case basis in an agreement described in section
15-2503 based on:
1. available program monies.
2. any matching monies provided by
either:
(
a
) the
qualified partner organization with which the participant is paired.
(
b
) private
donations to the program.
C. The governor's office of youth,
faith and family or third-party administrator shall:
1. Contribute $5 per hour of the
stipend, up to $8,500 for the term of the agreement, from state monies.
2. Supplement the remaining balance
of a participant's exact stipend from nonstate monies, including:
(
a
) matching
monies provided to the governor's office of youth, faith and family by a
qualified partner organization.
(
b
) Private
donations to the program.
3. Prioritize a participant's
placement with a qualified partner organization based on the amount of matching
monies that the qualified partner organization proposes to provide to the
governor's office of youth, faith and family, with preference going to
qualified partner organizations that offer to provide a larger stipend.
4. Disburse the stipend to a
participant in installments at least every three months.
END_STATUTE
START_STATUTE
15-2505.
Tuition awards
A. The governor's office of youth,
faith and family shall:
1. Provide a tuition award to each
eligible recipient on the successful completion of a fellowship.
2. Establish the exact tuition award
for each eligible recipient on a case-by-case basis in an agreement described
in section 15-2503 based on federal requirements for the AmeriCorps program,
including:
(
a
) a maximum
tuition award for one thousand seven hundred hours of service during a one-year
period.
(
b
) a reduced
tuition award for a reduced number of hours of service during a one-year
period.
B. An eligible recipient may use a
tuition award:
1. for any eligible education
expense.
2. over a seven-year period beginning
the day on which the eligible recipient receives the tuition award.
3. Subject to the requirements of
subsection C of this section.
C. If the program uses state monies
to supplement a tuition award:
1. the governor's office of youth,
faith and family or third-party administrator shall detail that information in
an agreement described in section 15-2503.
2. an eligible recipient may use the
state-funded portion of the tuition award only after the eligible
recipient has exhausted any scholarship or education grant monies or other
financial aid.
END_STATUTE
START_STATUTE
15-2506.
Governor's office of youth, faith and family; staff; third-party
administrators
The governor's office of youth, faith and
family:
1. shall provide staff to implement
the program.
2. May enter into an agreement with
one or more third-party administrators to administer and implement the program,
including by fulfilling one or more of the responsibilities described in
section 15-2503.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 2.
Appropriation;
governor's office of youth, faith and family; one Arizona fellowship service
program
The sum of $_____________________ is
appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the
governor's office of youth, faith and family to implement the one Arizona
fellowship service program established by title 15, chapter 20, Arizona Revised
Statutes, as added by this act.