Beginning on January 1, 13 new laws went into effect in the state of Arizona. Here is an overview of the new laws in our state, including new rulings on rental home taxes, backyard chickens, abortion rights, DUI guidelines for rideshare drivers, and more. 

Minimum Wage Increase

Starting this year, the minimum wage in Arizona will increase by 35 cents. The new minimum wage rate is now $14.70 per hour, which equals to $30,576 annually. State and federal employees are exempt from the wage law and the new ruling does not apply to individuals employed by parents or siblings, which include babysitters. 

Backyard Chickens 

Cities and counties can no longer prohibit individuals from keeping chickens or other fowls in their backyard. 

According to the new Arizona law, citizens can now own up to six chickens or other fowl if they abide by the updated guidelines regarding coop enclosures being at least 20 feet away from neighbors, as well as their droppings needing to be picked up twice a week. 

The ‘Tamale Bill’ Gets An Update

This year, House Bill 2509, unofficially dubbed “The Tamale Bill,” is now a law that allows home cooks who sell food to the public to include items that require refrigeration, like tamales. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs originally vetoed House Bill 2509 in 2023 after she citied ongoing health concerns the original bill did not cover.

The current bill features requirements which include disclosing to the public of any/all pet allergens present in a home where food was prepared, providing active websites to the public to report foodborne illnesses, and more. 

Arizona Rental Tax Eliminated

Property owners in Arizona will no longer collect the residential property tax. Previously, the city of Phoenix was set at 2.3%, while Mesa’s was established at 2%. Tenants in Arizona renters will see variable differences depending on the location they rent. Property owners are still required to register their property with the county assessor to comply with landlord tenant laws. 

A First Responders Death Benefit Fund 

Arizona voters approved Proposition 311, a bill which creates a death benefit of $250,000 to the surviving spouse and children of first responders who are killed in the line of duty. If there is no spouse, the money would be equally divided amongst the children. 

In Arizona, first responders are defined as a: peace officer, firefighter, fire marshal, fire inspector, emergency medical care technician, paramedic, tribal police officer, national guard member who is on state active duty in Arizona, and a correctional officer who is employed by the Arizona Department of Corrections.  

Arizona Border and Immigration Laws Enforced

Proposition 314 makes it a misdemeanor for noncitizens to enter Arizona at anywhere other than an official port of entry. 

Additional measures within Prop 314 include: making it a class 6 felony for non-citizens to knowingly submit falsified documents when applying for government benefits, increasing the penalties for knowingly submitting falsified information to an employer, as well as increasing the penalties for selling fentanyl if the drug then causes a death. 

Port of entry locations for the state of Arizona are Fredonia, Page, St. George, Kingman, Topock, Sanders, Springerville (closed), Teec Nos Pos, Ehrenberg, Parker, San Luis, Yuma, Yuma Business 8, Lukeville (closed), Nogales, Sasabe (closed), Duncan (closed), Douglas State, Douglas Federal (closed), Douglas International, Naco (closed), and San Simon. 

Lastly, Prop 314 also gives local police the authority to arrest those who cross illegally and gives state judges’ the needed authority to order deportations. Prop 314 is based on a Texas state law (State Bill 4) that the U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing for constitutionality. 

Arizona Port of Entry Map: https://adot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=3673456d1fdf4ee09bda545995309fd3

The Dwarf Planet Receives a Big Commemoration 

House Bill 2477 officially proclaimed Pluto as the official planet for the state of Arizona. In 1906, Percival Lowell, founder of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, began the search for what would become the ninth planet in our solar system. Lowell passed away in 1916 not knowing his work would go on to result in the discovery of the planet. 

According to NASA, the term, ‘dwarf planet,’ is defined as an object that orbits the Sun, and is nearly round, but has not been able to clear its orbit of debris. The concept, ‘dwarf planet,’ was adopted to Pluto in 2006. 

The ‘Taylor Swift’ Act 

When Taylor Swift began her “Eras Tour,” fans of the singer crashed Ticketmaster’s website almost immediately. Once resellers purchased most Swift’s open seats, they increased the price with hefty prices attached. This caused her fans and fellow concertgoers to demand legislative action. 

The consumer protection law now bans resellers from selling multiple copies of one ticket, reselling tickets before they are available to the public, and not disclosing seat locations prior to the purchase. Additionally, computer bots are no longer able to purchase tickets in bulk using the same IP address or multiple emails to avoid security measures. 

Arizona DUI Laws Enforced for Rideshare Drivers

For Arizona drivers that work for Uber, Lyft, or any other rideshare companies, the legal blood alcohol limit is now 0.04 instead of 0.08. The bill passed in April of last year. 

Property Owner Refunds for Vandalism and More

The measure allows for property owners to apply for a property tax refund in certain circumstances, including if the city the property is in does not enforce the laws for: illegal camping, loitering, obstructing public thoroughfares, panhandling, public urination/defecation, public consumption of alcoholic beverages, and possession or use of illegal substances. 

The measure, House Concurrent Resolution 2023, was introduced to the Arizona House of Representatives on January 22, 2024. It passed the House on February 28 by a 31-28 vote. It passed the Senate on March 4 by a 16-12 vote.

A Life Sentence for Convicted Child Sex Traffickers 

During the November 5 election, Arizona voters voted “yes” on Proposition 313 which is now law that anyone convicted of child sex trafficking be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole or release. Prop 313 received 64% of the majority vote. 

The Right To An Abortion

The measure revised the Arizona constitution to establish that every individual has the fundamental right to abortion and that the state of Arizona may not interfere with before the point of fetal viability. 

Fetal viability is defined as the point during a pregnancy when there is a significant chance of the survival of the fetus outside of the uterus. Prop 139 passed with 61% of the majority vote, receiving over 2 million votes in support.

An Update on Tax Codes for Retirees 

Arizona Senate Bill 1358 revised the state’s income tax withholding rates regarding pension, annuity, and retirement accounts. The bill allows for Arizonans to request withholding for distributions from retirement accounts. Additionally, it establishes that distributions will be treated as wage payments for tax purposes if a withholding request is in effect at the time of payment. 

This year, the state of Arizona will commemorate its 112th year of being the 48th state to join the United States. 

Here is a recap of the November 2024 election results for U.S. Congress and the Senate for Arizona, originally published in the December 3, 2024, edition of O’odham Action News. 

U.S House of Representatives for Arizona: 

• District 1 winner: Republican David Schweikert (incumbent)
• District 2 winner: Republican Eli Crane (incumbent)
• District 3 winner: Democrat Yassamin Ansari
• District 4 winner: Democrat Greg Stanton (incumbent) 
• District 5 winner: Republican Andy Biggs (incumbent)
• District 6 winner: Republican Juan Ciscomani (incumbent) 
• District 7 winner: Democrat Raúl M. Grijalva (incumbent) 
• District 8 winner: Republican Abraham “Abe” Hamadeh
• District 9 winner: Republican Paul Gosar (incumbent) 

U.S. Senate for Arizona 
• Winner: Democrat Ruben Gallego