public schools; teachers; lunch breaks

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the bill passed both chambers but lists no effective date yet.

SB1595: Public School Teacher Lunch Breaks

This law requires Arizona public schools to give full-time certificated teachers a daily lunch break of at least thirty minutes that does not include work duties.

What This Bill Does

• Requires each public school in the state to provide full-time certificated teachers with a daily lunch break of at least thirty consecutive minutes.
• States that the lunch break must happen during the teacher's regular workday and cannot be part of planning time or noninstructional periods.
• Prohibits schools from increasing a teacher's total work hours just to provide this required lunch break.
• Bans assigning any official duties, such as supervision or instruction, to teachers during their scheduled lunch break.

Who It Names or Affects

• Public schools in Arizona
• Certificated full-time teachers employed by public schools, including those hired through third-party contractors

Terms To Know

certificated teacher

A teacher who holds an official state license or certificate to teach.

noninstructional time

Time during the school day that is not used for teaching students, such as planning periods.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify an effective date in this text.
• The exception for emergency personnel shortages allows assigning duties once per week but only requires the assignment to be temporary without defining a maximum length of time beyond that frequency.
• The bill defines requirements for the break itself but does not detail penalties if schools fail to follow these rules.

Official Summary Text

SB1595 - public schools; teachers; lunch breaks

Current Bill Text

SB1595 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
public schools; teachers; lunch breaks

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1595

Introduced by

Senator
Alston: Representatives Connolly, Sandoval

AN
ACT

amending title 15, chapter 5, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-501.02; relating to school
employees.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 5, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-501.02, to read:

START_STATUTE
15-501.02.

Teachers; lunch break; requirements; exception

A. Each public school in this state
shall provide each certificated teacher who is a full-time employee of
the public school, including indirect employment through a third-party
contractor, with a daily lunch break that meets all of the following
requirements:

1. Is at least thirty consecutive
minutes.

2. Is not included in any daily
planning period or noninstructional time.

3. Is scheduled during the teacher's
regular workday.

B. A public school may not:

1. Increase the hours of work for a
teacher's regular workday because the public school provides lunch breaks
pursuant to this section.

2. Assign, request or otherwise
require that a teacher perform any official duties, including any supervisory
or instructional duty, during the lunch break that the public school provides
to the teacher pursuant to this section.

C. Notwithstanding subsection B,
paragraph 2 of this section, if a public school has an emergency personnel
shortage, the public school may assign official duties to a certificated
teacher during the teacher's lunch break for not more than one day per week.�
An assignment pursuant to this subsection must be temporary.
END_STATUTE