SB 1854 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - Second Regular Session

higher education; 2026-2027.

SB 1854 amends Arizona Revised Statutes to update the administrative powers and duties of the Arizona Board of Regents for the 2026-2027 academic year. The bill clarifies the board's authority to delegate governance tasks to university presidents and committees while retaining the power to remove officers or employees as needed. It establishes specific rules for setting tuition and fees, including requirements for public hearings, advance notice of proposed increases, and a roll call vote on final decisions. Additionally, the legislation defines criteria for undergraduate credit hour thresholds and outlines policies for guaranteed admission to ensure equitable access for students from public, private, charter schools, and homeschools.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jun 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jun 9, 2026 Last action Jun 11, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Senate Engrossed Version · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was formatted and finalized for the Senate, retaining its core purpose of updating Arizona's higher education statutes. Substantive changes include a new requirement for universities to post all job openings publicly, a new mandate for education degree programs to include structured English immersion courses, and a new provision requiring US flags and Constitution copies in classrooms. Financially, the bill allows the legislature to match student fee surcharges with less than the usual $2 for one year and sets specific state aid amounts for community colleges based on the general appropriations act.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on higher education administration, tuition, and community college funding, with no change to the overall applicability.

REQUIREMENT

Universities must now publicly post all employment openings, including titles, descriptions, and application instructions.

Universities offering education degrees must require courses for a provisional structured English immersion endorsement.

Classrooms must display US flags and legible copies of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The Board of Regents must submit an annual report on university debt and obligations to the legislature and governor's office.

The Board of Regents may retain up to $5 million annually from universities to supplement its own operating budget, subject to legislative review.

FISCAL

For fiscal year 2026-2027, the legislature may match student registration fee surcharges with less than $2 per dollar raised.

State aid for community college STEM and workforce programs, as well as general operating aid, is now set specifically by the general appropriations act.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jun 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

upper

Jun 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors