justification; criminal offenses
HB 2559 amends Arizona's criminal code to clarify when a "justification defense" (like claiming self-defense) is unavailable. It specifically states that if someone recklessly injures or kills an innocent third person while using force they believe is justified, that justification defense cannot be used in a prosecution for the reckless injury or killing. The bill directly affects individuals who claim they were justified in using force but accidentally harm an innocent bystander. It removes this defense for reckless harm to third parties while keeping justification available for other criminal offenses under the law. The change focuses on holding individuals accountable for reckless actions during otherwise justified force.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House Passage
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 28, 2025
Last action Mar 10, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced Version
→
House Engrossed Version
·
3 edits
·
Feb 27, 2025
MINOR
The bill was formatted and reorganized from an introduced version to a house engrossed version, with minor text corrections and formatting adjustments. The substantive legal content regarding justification defenses in criminal cases remains unchanged.
TECHNICAL
Removed introductory page headers and formatting elements, replacing them with standard engrossed bill formatting including proper title placement and section numbering.
Corrected minor text inconsistencies such as capitalization in 'criminal offense' and removed placeholder text like 'START_STATUTE' and 'END_STATUTE' markers.
Added standard engrossed version headers including 'House Engrossed' designation and proper legislative session identification.
Floor votes · House Feb 27, 2025
How they voted
55–2
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 60
Feb 27, 2025
D
Democratic27
96% Yea
R
Republican33
87% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
9
Key actions
3
Committee
1
Feb 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
PASSED
lower
Feb 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
DP
lower
Feb 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
DP
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Lupe Contreras
DDemocratic
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