Bill Text: AZ SB1584 | 2025 | Fifty-seventh Legislature 1st Regular | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Public employees; merit; hiring practices

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 11-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-20 - Senate RAGE Committee action: Do Pass Amended, voting: (5-2-0-0) [SB1584 Detail]

Download: Arizona-2025-SB1584-Introduced.html

---

 

 

 

REFERENCE TITLE: public employees; merit; hiring practices

 

 

 

 

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

First Regular Session

2025

 

 

 

SB 1584

 

Introduced by

Senators Shamp: Angius, Bolick, Dunn, Farnsworth, Finchem, Gowan, Leach, Mesnard, Payne, Rogers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Act

 

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

 

 

(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_STATUTE38-452. Public employees; merit based hiring; definition

A. This state or a political subdivision of this state may not establish any policies or practices REQUIRING employees to be hired based on anything other than the merit of the employee.

B. The attorney general, a county attorney or any other person may file for DECLARATORY RELIEF, injunctive RELIEF or damages for any violation of this section. A party that PREVAILS in an action against THIS STATE or A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE is entitled to costs and reasonable attorney fees.

C. this section does not contradict any state laws or federal employment laws that prohibit discriminatory PRACTICES.

D. For the purposes of this section, "merit" means an employee's qualifications, skills, knowledge, experience and demonstrated ability to perform the essential duties of a job, as determined through objective criteria, such as education, training, work history, job performance and any relevant assessments. END_STATUTE