SB 1742 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - First Regular Session

2025-2026; higher education

SB 1742 amends Arizona's higher education governance rules, primarily affecting the Arizona Board of Regents and public universities. It establishes a 145-credit-hour threshold for in-state tuition eligibility (excluding specific cases like veterans or transfer credits), requires public hearings before tuition/fee increases, and mandates annual reporting to the legislature about students exceeding the threshold. The bill also specifies how tuition revenue must be allocated - into separate subaccounts for each university - and requires public disclosure of final tuition decisions. These changes directly impact university financial operations, student fees, and admission policies for Arizona residents and veterans.

Issues: ✗ Education ✓ Veterans

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jun 2025

Committee Review

Jun 2025

Senate Passage

Jun 2025

House Passage

Jun 2025

Signed into Law

Jun 2025

Introduced Jun 16, 2025 Signed Jun 27, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Engrossed Version → Chaptered Version · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill transitions from a Senate draft to a House-approved version, adding a new scholarship fund for spouses and dependents of law enforcement officers. The primary substantive change involves redirecting a portion of surplus funds from the military veterans' scholarship program to this new law enforcement fund, while also adjusting reporting deadlines and removing a future repeal date for the new scholarship.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a new tuition scholarship program specifically for spouses and dependents of law enforcement officers, funded by a reallocation of existing surplus monies.

FISCAL

Created a new 'Spouses and Dependents of Law Enforcement Officers Tuition Scholarship Fund' to provide financial aid to eligible family members of police and correctional officers.

Changed the distribution of surplus funds from the military veterans' scholarship program; $500,000 or the remaining balance is now directed to the new law enforcement fund instead of the teachers academy fund.

TIMELINE

Removed the specific repeal date (June 30, 2027) for the new law enforcement scholarship fund, allowing it to remain active indefinitely unless repealed by future legislation.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the annual reporting deadline for the law enforcement scholarship fund from March 1, 2024, to March 1 of each year.

TECHNICAL

Corrected minor formatting errors, removed redundant text, and standardized the chapter title and bill numbering.

Introduced Version → House Engrossed Version · 8 edits · Jun 27, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amends Arizona's higher education statutes to update administrative powers of the Board of Regents, modify scholarship programs for veterinarians, teachers, and spouses of veterans/law enforcement, and adjust funding and reporting requirements. Key changes include new tuition and fee transparency rules, expanded eligibility for teacher scholarships, updated capital improvement funding limits, and retroactive application of certain provisions to June 30, 2025.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of several scholarship programs and adds new requirements for the Board of Regents regarding tuition transparency and debt reporting.

REQUIREMENT

Added new administrative powers and duties for the Board of Regents, including requirements for public hearings on tuition increases, debt reporting, and performance-based funding models.

Added new reporting requirements for the Board of Regents to submit debt and obligation reports to the joint legislative budget committee and governor's office by November 1 each year.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the Arizona Teachers Academy to include critical need areas like low-income schools, Indian reservations, and rural schools, and expanded scholarship amounts for different student levels.

Expanded the Arizona Community Colleges Promise Program to allow districts to consider socioeconomic factors and community engagement when prioritizing scholarship recipients.

FISCAL

Updated university capital improvement lease-to-own and bond fund limits from $800 million to $1.125 billion, with specific allocations for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.

Reduced the required state match for financial aid trust fund surcharges from $2 to less than $2 for fiscal year 2025-2026.

SCOPE

Added a new section creating a tuition scholarship fund for spouses and dependents of law enforcement officers, including career technical education programs.

TIMELINE

Made several scholarship and statute amendments retroactive to apply from and after June 30, 2025.

Floor votes · Senate Jun 27, 2025 · House Jun 26, 2025

How they voted

20–9

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 30

Jun 27, 2025

D Democratic13

6 Yea 7 Nay

53% Nay

R Republican17

14 Yea 2 Nay 1

82% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jun 27, 2025

Signed into law

Signed by Governor

executive

Jun 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

PASSED

upper

Jun 26, 2025

Lower · Passed

DPA

lower

Jun 26, 2025

Lower · Passed

PASSED

lower

Jun 19, 2025

Upper · Passed

PASSED

upper

Jun 19, 2025

Upper · Passed

DPA

upper

Jun 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors