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SB1322 • 2026

price regulation; abnormal market disruptions

SB1322 - price regulation; abnormal market disruptions

Energy
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Analise Ortiz, Flavio Bravo, Eva Diaz, Rosanna Gabaldón, Theresa Hatathlie, Lauren Kuby, Kiana Sears, Priya Sundareshan, Sarah Liguori
Last action
2026-01-27
Official status
Senate second read
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not explicitly mention a private right of action for buyers, but it is implied in the official summary and digest.

Price Regulation During Market Disruptions

This bill sets rules to prevent businesses from charging excessively high prices for essential goods and services during abnormal market disruptions.

What This Bill Does

  • Sets a limit on how much prices can increase for essential items like food, water, medicine, and energy during abnormal market disruptions.
  • Defines an 'abnormal disruption of the market' as situations such as natural disasters or emergencies declared by the governor.
  • Makes it illegal to sell goods at more than 15% above their price before a disruption unless costs have increased by at least 10%. Violators can face fines and legal action.
  • Gives the state's attorney general power to enforce these rules and take legal action against violators.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Businesses selling essential items like food, water, medicine, and energy
  • Consumers buying these essential items during market disruptions

Terms To Know

Abnormal disruption of the market
A situation caused by events such as natural disasters or emergencies that disrupts normal business operations.
Unconscionable pricing
Prices that are considered unfair and unreasonable, especially during times when there is a shortage or disruption in the market.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if businesses can prove their costs increased by at least 10%.
  • Local governments may still create stricter rules about pricing than this state law allows.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Senate second read

  2. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Senate Rules: None

  3. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency: None

  4. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1322 - price regulation; abnormal market disruptions

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB1322 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
price regulation; abnormal market disruptions

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1322

Introduced by

Senators
Ortiz: Bravo, Diaz, Gabald�n, Hatathlie, Kuby, Sears, Sundareshan;�
Representative Liguori

AN
ACT

amending title 44, chapter 9, arizona
revised statutes, by adding article 27; relating to trade practices.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 44, chapter 9, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding article 27, to read:

ARTICLE 27. PRICE REGULATION

START_STATUTE
44-1383.

Abnormal disruption of the market; excess pricing; prohibition;
definitions

A. During an abnormal disruption of
the market for goods and services that are necessary for the health, safety and
welfare of consumers, a person within the chain of distribution of the goods
and services may not sell or offer to sell the goods and services for a price
that is fifteen percent or more than the price at which the goods and services
were sold or offered for sale by the person sixty days before the abnormal
disruption of the market.� Goods and services that are sold for a price that is
fifteen percent or more is presumed to be unconscionable, and A person may
rebut the presumption on a showing that the cost of the goods and services
increased by at least ten percent to the seller.

B. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Abnormal disruption of the
market":

(
a
) Means any
change in the market, whether actual or imminently threatened, that results
from any of the following:

(
i
) The
weather.

(
ii
) An act of
nature.

(
iii
) A failure
or shortage of electric power or other source of energy.

(
iv
) A strike.

(
v
) Civil
disorder.

(
vi
) War.

(
vii
) Military
action.

(
viii
) A
national or local emergency.

(
ix
) Any other
cause of an abnormal disruption of the market that causes the governor to
declare a state of emergency.

(
b
) Includes:

(
i
) The
governor declaring a state of emergency pursuant to section 26-321.

(
ii
) A
determination by the director of the department of health services that
consumer prices for food and energy have increased by at least ten percent
above the reported consumer price index for food and energy during the previous
thirty-day period.

2. "Goods and services":

(
a
) includes
any of the following:

(
i
) Food.

(
ii
) Water.

(
iii
) Diapers.

(
iv
) Feminine
Hygiene products.

(
v
) Prescription
drugs.

(
vi
) Electricity.

(
vii
) Natural
gas.

(
viii
) Propane.

(
ix
) Gasoline.

(
x
) Telephone
and broadband service.

(
b
) Does not
include luxury items.

3. "Person WITHIN the chain of
distribution" includes a manufacturer, supplier, wholesaler, distributor
or retail seller of goods or services.
END_STATUTE

START_STATUTE
44-1383.01.

Enforcement; attorney general; violations; classification; treble
damages

A. The attorney general shall enforce
this article.

B. A person who intentionally
violates this article is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.

C. Except as provided in subsection B
of this section, a person who violates this article is guilty of a class 2
misdemeanor.

D. The attorney general may bring an
action in a court of competent jurisdiction to seek an injunction that
prohibits a person from continuing or engaging in the practice that is in
violation of this article.

E. The court may order a person who
violates this article to pay treble damages to any person injured by a
violation.

F. If a person in violation of this
article holds a license to conduct business in this state, the attorney general
shall forward information regarding the violation to the appropriate licensing
board or regulatory agency for review and action as authorized by law.

G. Each violation of this article and
each day on which the violation occurs or continues is a separate offense.
END_STATUTE

START_STATUTE
44-1383.02.

Private right of action; violation; civil penalties

A. A buyer who purchases goods and
services as defined in section 44-1383 from a seller who is found in
violation of this article has a private right of action.

B. A seller who violates this article
may be liable in a private right of action to the buyer for:

1. Not more than $10,000 for each
violation.

2. Not more than $25,000 for each
violation if the buyer is at least sixty years of age.
END_STATUTE

START_STATUTE
44-1383.03.

Preemption

This article does not prevent a city, town or
county from enacting ordinances that prohibit excessive pricing or from
imposing penalties in excess of those provided in this article.
END_STATUTE