SB 1210 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - Second Regular Session

private postsecondary education; nondomiciled institutions

SB 1210 modifies Arizona's regulations for out-of-state private colleges offering online programs to Arizona residents. It requires these institutions to obtain "out-of-state registration" from Arizona's State Board for Private Postsecondary Education if they are not part of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). This applies specifically to colleges without a physical presence in Arizona that enroll residents in online courses. The bill does not affect institutions with physical facilities in Arizona or those already participating in NC-SARA. The key change is creating a new authorization process for non-NC-SARA online providers targeting Arizona students.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Jun 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Signed Jun 19, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Engrossed Version (02/19/2026) Chaptered Version · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill transitions from a draft Senate version to its final Chaptered version, incorporating substantive amendments to Arizona's private postsecondary education laws. The changes redefine how 'operate' is interpreted to distinguish between physical presence and online-only institutions, introduce a new 'out-of-state registration' requirement for non-Arizona schools offering online programs to residents, and update the student tuition recovery fund to include these online-only institutions. The final text also adds specific exemptions for new educational institutions and clarifies record-keeping requirements for out-of-state providers.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to explicitly cover online-only institutions that do not have a physical presence in Arizona but enroll Arizona residents. It added a new administrative category called 'out-of-state registration' for these schools, requiring them to meet specific financial and accreditation standards before operating in the state.
DEFINITION

The definition of 'operate' was split into two distinct categories: (a) having a physical presence in Arizona and (b) providing online education to Arizona residents without a physical presence if not part of a national reciprocity agreement.

REQUIREMENT

A new section (32-3024) was added requiring out-of-state institutions to obtain 'out-of-state registration' to enroll Arizona residents in online programs, mandating proof of home-state authorization, accreditation, and financial viability.

Record-keeping requirements were strengthened for out-of-state institutions, mandating the retention of student transcripts in perpetuity and enrollment agreements for at least ten years in digital form.

ELIGIBILITY

Licensure requirements for private vocational programs were updated to reference the new 'operate' definitions, and new exemptions were created for new educational institutions to allow for a streamlined, one-time licensure process.

FISCAL

The student tuition recovery fund rules were updated to require assessments from institutions that hold an 'out-of-state registration,' ensuring online-only providers contribute to the fund that protects students if a school closes.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 19, 2026 · House Jun 2, 2026

How they voted

261
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 30
Feb 19, 2026
D Democratic13
11 Yea 2
84% Yea
R Republican17
15 Yea 1 Nay 1
88% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
13
Key actions
5
Committee
2
Jun 19, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by Governor
executive
Jun 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
PASSED
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
DP
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
PASSED
upper
Feb 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
DP
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Shawnna Bolick
Shawnna Bolick
RRepublican
AZ
2