HB 2806 Arizona House · 57th Legislature - Second Regular Session

lawful presence; public programs; verification

HB 2806 requires new Arizona voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship - such as a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization documents - when registering. County recorders must verify voter addresses and citizenship information by sending notices; if voters don’t update details within 35 days, their registration becomes inactive. Existing voters as of the bill’s effective date are exempt from resubmitting citizenship proof unless they move to a different county. Counties may destroy citizenship documentation after two years.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 22, 2026 Last action Mar 16, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → House Engrossed Version (02/26/2026) · 6 edits · Feb 26, 2026

MODERATE

This bill amends three Arizona statutes to require proof of U.S. citizenship or documented qualified alien status for voter registration, driver's licenses, and public benefits. It introduces new verification methods, including a mandatory use of federal immigration databases, and establishes strict penalties for issuing licenses or benefits to individuals without verified legal presence.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of eligibility requirements to explicitly include verification of lawful presence for driver's licenses and public assistance programs, in addition to existing voter registration rules.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for county recorders to reject voter registration applications lacking satisfactory evidence of U.S. citizenship or verified qualified alien status.

Added a prohibition on issuing driver's licenses to individuals who cannot submit proof that their presence in the U.S. is authorized under federal law.

Added requirements for public benefit administrators to verify citizenship or qualified alien status using the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a new exemption allowing individuals registered before the amendment's effective date to avoid resubmitting citizenship evidence unless they move counties.

TIMELINE

Added a deadline of December 31, 2026, for agencies to submit a memorandum of understanding to use the SAVE program and established annual reporting requirements to the Auditor General.

DEFINITION

Added a specific definition for 'qualified alien' referencing federal immigration codes to determine eligibility for public benefits.

Floor votes · House Feb 26, 2026

How they voted

31–22

Passed · 7 other

Total votes 60

Feb 26, 2026

D Democratic27

22 Nay 5

81% Nay

R Republican33

31 Yea 2

93% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 16, 2026

Upper · Passed

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

PASSED

lower

Feb 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

lower

1 primary · 7 co-sponsors