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SB1567 • 2026

sexually explicit materials; government; prohibition

SB1567 - sexually explicit materials; government; prohibition

Children Crime Education Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Jake Hoffman
Last action
2026-03-17
Official status
House minority caucus
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text does not specify an exact effective date, only that it becomes effective on the general effective date or requires action by existing employees 'on the effective date' of the act.

SB1567: Ban on Sexually Explicit Materials in Government

This law stops government agencies and their contractors from showing minors sexually explicit materials or using public property to film such acts.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits state, city, county, and other government entities from exposing minors to sexually explicit materials.
  • Requires these government groups to stop their contractors from exposing minors to sexually explicit materials.
  • Bans the use of public facilities or property for filming or helping with sexually explicit acts.
  • Makes it a class 5 felony if someone breaks this law through criminal negligence.
  • Requires new employees and independent contractors hired by these government groups to sign a form saying they read this law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • State agencies, cities, towns, counties, and other political subdivisions of Arizona
  • Contractors working for the listed government entities
  • New employees and independent contractors hired by these government groups

Terms To Know

Sexually explicit materials
Text, pictures, sounds, or other media that show sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or ultimate sexual acts.
Ultimate sexual acts
Specific acts including vaginal or anal intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, bestiality, or sodomy.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not apply to sexually explicit materials shown in court if a minor has the legal right or duty to be there.
  • There is no expected cost impact on the state General Fund listed for this legislation.

Amendments

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

Plain English: This amendment adds a new law that bans government agencies and their contractors from exposing minors to sexually explicit materials or using public property for filming such acts.

  • Government entities at all levels cannot expose children to sexually explicit content, including text, images, or audio showing sexual conduct or arousal.
  • Contractors working with the government are also forbidden from letting minors see these types of materials.
  • Public buildings and land owned by the state cannot be used for filming or helping people perform sexually explicit acts.
  • Anyone who breaks this rule through criminal negligence could be charged with a Class 5 felony.
  • The amendment removed a section that would have required all government employees and contractors to sign a form saying they read the new law, so it is unclear if any signing requirement remains.
  • The text does not explain how officials will check for violations or what specific steps agencies must take to enforce these rules.

Plain English: This amendment adds a new law that bans government entities from exposing minors to sexually explicit materials and prohibits using public property for filming such acts.

  • Government agencies, cities, towns, counties, and their contractors are forbidden from showing or letting minors see sexually explicit materials.
  • Public buildings or land owned by the state cannot be used to film or help create scenes involving sexual acts.
  • Anyone who breaks these rules through criminal negligence will face a Class 5 felony charge.
  • The amendment removes a requirement that would have forced all new government employees and contractors to sign a form saying they read this law, so no such signature is required under the final text.
  • The exact definition of 'criminal negligence' used for determining guilt is not explained in this specific amendment text.

Plain English: This amendment creates an exception to the ban on exposing minors to sexually explicit materials when those materials are shown or discussed during a court proceeding where a minor is legally required or allowed to be present.

  • The new rule does not stop courts from showing, presenting, or talking about sexually explicit content if a child has a legal right or duty to attend that specific hearing.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-17 House

    House minority caucus

  2. 2026-03-17 House

    House majority caucus

  3. 2026-03-16 House

    House consent calendar

  4. 2026-03-03 House

    House second read

  5. 2026-03-02 House

    House Rules: C&P

  6. 2026-03-02 House

    House Government: DP

  7. 2026-03-02 House

    House first read

  8. 2026-02-24 House

    Transmitted to House

  9. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Senate third read passed

  10. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Senate committee of the whole

  11. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Senate minority caucus

  12. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Senate majority caucus

  13. 2026-02-04 Senate

    Senate second read

  14. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Senate Rules: PFC

  15. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Senate Government: DPA

  16. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1567 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
GOV������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� AS
PASSED BY COW

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR
s.b. 1567

sexually explicit
materials; government; prohibition

Purpose

Prohibits the
state or a state agency, city, town or county or any political subdivision of
the state (public entity), or their contractors, from exposing minors to
sexually explicit materials. Prohibits the use of a facility or property owned,
leased or managed by a public entity, or its contractors, for filming or
facilitating sexually explicit acts.

Background

A public school
in Arizona may not refer students to or use any sexually explicit materials in
any manner, except if: 1) the material possesses serious educational value for
minors or serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value; 2) the
public school requires written parental consent, on a per-material basis,
before referring a student to or using the material; and 3) the public school
provides students who did not receive parental consent with an alternative
assignment that does not contain sexually explicit material. S
exually
explicit materials
includes textual, visual or audio materials or materials
accessed via any other medium that depict: 1)
sexual conduct
, defined as
acts of masturbation, sexual intercourse or physical contact with a person's
clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area or buttock or the female breast; 2)
sexual
excitement
, defined as the condition of human male or female genitals when
in a state of sexual stimulation or arousal; or

3)
ultimate sexual acts
, defined as sexual intercourse, vaginal or anal,
fellatio, cunnilingus, bestiality or sodomy
(
A.R.S.
� 15-120.03
).

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

Provisions

1.

Prohibits
a public entity and its contractors
from
exposing minors to sexually explicit materials
.

2.

Prohibits a facility or property owned, leased or managed by a public
entity, or its contractors, from being used
for filming
or
facilitating sexually explicit acts.

3.

Classifies, as a class 5 felony,
a violation of
the outlined prohibition relating to sexually explicit
materials and acts.

4.

Specifies that the outlined prohibition relating to sexually explicit
materials and acts does not apply to sexually explicit materials that may be
displayed, presented or discussed in connection with a court proceeding when a
minor has a legal right or obligation to be present at the proceeding.

5.

Applies the definitions of
sexually explicit materials
,
sexual
conduct
,
sexual excitement
and
ultimate sexual acts
to the outlined
prohibition relating to sexually explicit materials and acts.

6.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by Committee

�

Requires a public entity and its contractors to sign an
acknowledgment of the law.

Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole

�

Exempts, from the outlined prohibition relating to sexually
explicit materials and acts, sexually explicit materials that may be presented
in a court proceeding when a minor has a right or obligation to be present.

Senate Action

GOV����� 2/11/26�������� DPA������ 4-3-0

Prepared by Senate Research

February 24, 2026

AN/ci

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB1567 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

sexually explicit
materials; government; prohibition

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1567

AN
ACT

amending
title 38, chapter 3, article 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 38-452;
relating to sexually explicit materials.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 38, chapter 3, article 4,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 38-452, to read:

START_STATUTE
38-452.

Sexually explicit materials; prohibition; violation;
classification; acknowledgment form; applicability; definitions

A. This
state or a state agency, city, town, county or political subdivision of this
state may not expose minors to sexually explicit materials and shall prohibit
its contractors from exposing minors to sexually explicit materials.

B. A
facility or property owned, leased or managed by a person or entity prescribed
by subsection A of this section may not be used for filming or facilitating
sexually explicit acts.

C. A
person that acts with criminal negligence in violation of this section is
guilty of a class 5 felony.

D.
This state or a state agency, city, town, county or
political SUBDIVISION of this state
shall require any individual who is
hired as an employee or independent contractor of THIS STATE OR the STATE
AGENCY, CITY, TOWN, COUNTY OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE on or after
the effective date of this section to sign a form acknowledging that the
individual has read this section on the date that the individual is hired.

E. This section does not apply to
sexually explicit materials that may be displayed, presented or discussed in
connection with a court proceeding when a minor has a legal right or obligation
to be present at the proceeding.

F. For
the purposes of this section:

1. "Sexual
conduct" means acts of masturbation, sexual intercourse or physical
contact with a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area or buttocks
or the female breast.

2. "Sexual
excitement" means the condition of human male or female genitals when in a
state of sexual stimulation or arousal.

3. "Sexually
explicit materials" includes textual, visual or audio materials or
materials accessed via any other medium that depict any of the following:

(
a
) Sexual conduct.

(
b
) Sexual excitement.

(
c
) Ultimate sexual acts.

4. "Ultimate
sexual acts" means sexual intercourse, vaginal or anal, fellatio,
cunnilingus, bestiality or sodomy.

END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Implementation

This state or a state agency, city,
town, county or political subdivision of this state shall require each
individual who is employed as an employee or independent contractor of this
state or the state agency, city, town, county or political subdivision of this
state on the effective date of this act to sign a form acknowledging that the
individual has read section 38-452, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by
this act.