13 new laws in Arizona that could affect you

Dinosaur declared; egg expirations extended

Hundreds of new Arizona laws took effect Aug. 3, from mandatory school recess to penalties for fake service animals.

The state Legislature passed 369 bills during their 116-day session, which ended May 3. Gov. Doug Ducey signed 346 of those laws and vetoed 23.

Most bills are small changes to existing state statutes that don’t impact the public, but some could have a significant effect.

Here are 13 new laws that could affect Arizonans’ daily lives:

1. Who gets embryos in a divorce

Senate Bill 1393 dictates which party in a divorce will have rights to frozen embryos. The parent who would “allow the in vitro embryos to develop to birth” would be awarded the rights; the other parent would not have to pay childsupport for a resulting child.

2. Notice of data breaches required

House Bill 2154 requires a business or entity that owns confidential consumer data, such as bank or medical records, to notify people if their data is breached. Affected individuals and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office must be notified within 45 days if a breach is found.

State law previously contained no clear notification deadline. The new law also covers more types of personal data, including e-mail account passwords.

3. Fake service animals targeted

HB 2588 makes it illegal to misrepresent a pet as a service animal. Violators could be subject to a $250 fine.

But the Americans with Disabilities Act limits what questions businesses can ask about service animals. They can’t ask about someone’s disability, or demand proof of an animal’s training.

4. Breaking leases for assault victims

HB 2651 allows victims of sexual assault and rape to break apartment leases without paying termination fees, which can total thousands of dollars.

Victims’ advocates say attackers are often familiar with where their victims live, which can intimidate victims into not reporting crimes for fear of retaliation.

5. Egg expiration dates extended

HB 2464 extends the expiration date that can be listed on some eggs at the grocery store. Current Arizona law requires eggs to have a “sell by” date of 24 days after they were inspected by egg dealers.

The bill extends that by three weeks for eggs labeled Grade A, the secondhighest grade. Grade A eggs could have a “best by” date that’s 45 days after inspection. Expiration dates won’t change for Grade AA eggs, which are what most people buy.

6. Recess for students mandated

SB 1083 requires Arizona schools to provide at least two recess periods per day for students in kindergarten through third grade, starting this school year.

The requirement expands to include students in fourth and fifth grades starting in August 2019.

Many parents have lobbied the state Legislature to mandate recess time because schools for the most part have cut back on breaks in favor of more classroom instruction.

7. Student concussions must be disclosed

HB 2088 requires school districts to notify a student’s parent or guardian if officials suspect the student sustained a concussion during a game or athletic activity. School officials are also required to notify parents if their child is being harassed, threatened or intimidated at school.

8. Soda taxes outlawed

HB 2484 requires local governments in Arizona to tax all food items equally. That effectively prohibits cities, towns and counties from imposing extra taxes on soda or sugary drinks, as some liberal cities in other states have done.

9. Non-English contracts voided

HB 2083 makes the English-language version of all insurance agreements the legally binding form, even if a customer receives the contract in another language that contains conflicting wording.

10. ‘God enriches’ can be posted in classrooms

SB 1289 allows teachers and school administrators to post the state motto, “Ditat Deus,” or its English translation from Latin, “God enriches,” in classrooms.

It adds to the list of national or historical phrases allowed to be read or posted in Arizona schools. That list already includes the national motto, but the bill clarifies that the motto is “In God We Trust.”

11. Photo radar tickets limited

SB 1110 requires that law enforcement review evidence from photo-radar cameras before a ticket can be issued. The bill makes it a crime for photo-enforcement companies (which operate speed and red-light cameras in many Arizona cities) to decide whether a driver will be cited.

12. No child marriage under 16

HB 2006 prohibits marriage for children under the age of 16. Arizona currently has no minimum age for marriage.

The bill would still allow children ages 16 and 17 to marry someone no more than three years older than them with a parent’s consent, or if they are legally emancipated from their parents.

13. Arizona gets a state dinosaur

Senate Bill 1517 designates the Sonorasaurus as Arizona’s official state dinosaur. The species — discovered in southern Arizona — lived about 100 million years ago and is estimated to have stood more than three stories tall.

It got its name because amateur fossil-hunters found the only known Sonorasaurus specimen in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert in 1994.