Anti-Rights Legislators Aim to Impair Your Rights—AzCDL is Here to Stop Them
The 2026 legislative session is well underway and already over 2,100 bills have been introduced. Most of them do not directly affect firearm owners but the usual suspects have introduced the usual large batch of anti-freedom bills and AzCDL is, of course, tracking and opposing each one of them. There are also many pro-rights bills that we will support as they move through the legislative process. Beginning on page 2 is a list of many of the bills that AzCDL is working this session. You can review the full list on the Bill Tracking page of the AzCDL website: <https://azcdl.org/bill-tracking/>.
One of the advantages of having a majority of pro-freedom officials in the legislature is that they control the agendas of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as the chairmanships of the various committees. If the leadership of either body wants to kill an anti-freedom bill, for example, they can either assign it to a large number of committees or to none at all. Assigning it to too many committees means that it can never make it through the review process in time to meet the deadlines while assigning it to none means it never gets any votes to move forward.
Committee chairs also have great authority when it comes to bills assigned to their committees. A strong pro-freedom legislator such as Quang Nguyen, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, can kill bills simply by never scheduling them to be heard by the committee. Since most firearm-related bills are assigned to the Judiciary Committee, Nguyen’s commitment to kill every anti-rights bill is a huge benefit!
You may recall that in past years Representative Jennifer Longdon could be counted on to introduce one to two dozen anti-rights bills each session. Longdon resigned from the legislature but her colleagues, especially Representative Aaron Márquez, are continuing her campaign against firearm owners with a vengeance.
Losing the majority would be disastrous for firearms owners as the anti-freedom forces would then have the power to kill pro-freedom bills in the same manner. There is only a slim pro-rights majority in each chamber of the state legislature, so just a couple of seats flipped in each would make that nightmare a reality. AzCDL PAC is working to prevent just that: <https://azcdlpac.org/>
As bills begin making their way through the committee process you’ll continue to see Action Alerts from AzCDL asking you to contact your legislators to either support or oppose various bills. The legislature’s Request to Speak (RTS) <https://apps.azleg.gov/> system is the most effective tool for doing that at the committee level. If you don’t already have an RTS account or your account is inactive, please visit the AzCDL website <https://azcdl.org/rts/> to request one so you’ll be ready when the time comes.
Later in the session, when bills go back to the entire House or Senate for final votes, the RTS system isn’t used so, as usual, we’ll be sending Action Alerts for you to e-mail your legislators. As always, we’ll prepare pre-written messages that you can send with the click of a button or you can edit them to use your own words. Don’t forget that midway through the session, all of the bills that originated in the House of Representatives will move to the Senate and those from the Senate will move to the House. After that happens, the entire process begins over again.
Buckle up, it’s going to be another wild ride!
–Michael Gibbs
AzCDL President
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A Sampling of AzCDL 2026 Tracked Bills
Over 1,300 bills have been introduced so far this session. Most do not impact firearm owners but several dozen will if they are signed into law. As usual, there are the good, the bad, and the ugly. Here are some of the more important ones AzCDL is tracking.
Good (and a few “mostly good”) bills
HB 2076, School safety; employee certification; policies
Establishes a school safety program to provide training, certification, and reimbursement for school employees, including authorization for certain employees to carry concealed firearms on school grounds under specified conditions.
Sponsor: Selina Bliss (R)
HB 2676, Juvenile restoration; rights; firearms; civil
Rationalizes Arizona’s process for restoring firearm rights to individuals adjudicated delinquent as juveniles. The bill reduces the minimum age for restoration eligibility in specified serious juvenile adjudications from thirty to twenty-five and clarifies that, for other felony-level juvenile adjudications, restoration eligibility attaches upon completion of court-ordered conditions, probation, or discharge from the Department of Juvenile Corrections.
Sponsor: Alma Hernandez (D)
Co-Sponsor(s): over two dozen from both parties.
HB 2763, Shooting range; closure; conditions
Impose additional statutory conditions before a state-owned outdoor shooting range located within or adjacent to a municipality with a population exceeding one million may be closed. The bill requires a written closure recommendation from the Arizona Game and Fish Department Director, a detailed report from the Game and Fish Commission, unanimous commission approval following public hearings held in the three most populous counties, review by the Joint Committee on Capital Review, adoption of a joint resolution by the Legislature, and final approval by the Governor through executive order.
Sponsor: Quang Nguyen (R)
Co-Sponsor(s): Gail Griffin (R)
HB 2831, School safety program; alternative proposals
Establishes a school safety program within the Department of Education that funds the placement of school resource officers, juvenile probation officers, school safety officers, counselors, and social workers, as well as safety technology, training, and infrastructure improvements.
Sponsor: Rachel Keshel (R)
HB 2861, Firearm destruction
Authorizes destruction of firearms that are “involved in” offenses under Title 13, Chapter 11 or offenses resulting in serious physical injury, even when the firearm is otherwise lawful to possess and sell under state and federal law. Victims may request destruction of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument involved in qualifying offenses.
Sponsor: Quang Nguyen (R)
HB 2903, Social credit; use; prohibition
Arizona would be prohibited from requiring banks or financial institutions to use social credit scores when evaluating loan applications. This measure ensures lending decisions are not based on social credit scoring systems.
Sponsor: Steve Montenegro (R)
SB 1012, Concealed weapons; notice; repeal
Amends regulation of concealed handguns on liquor-licensed premises, including conditions for carrying concealed weapons without consuming alcohol and signage requirements for prohibiting firearms. Refines the concealed weapons permit process to prioritize in-state applicants, clarify permit suspension and renewal procedures, and establish training and qualification standards for permit issuance and recognition of out-of-state permits.
Sponsor: Janae Shamp (R)
SB 1053, Concealed weapons permits; fees
Amends concealed weapons permit issuance and renewal processes, including prioritization of in-state residents and fee structures with resident fees set at 10% of nonresident fees. Reciprocity with other states is recognized under certain conditions, and annual reporting on permit statistics and agreements with other states is mandated.
Sponsor: Wendy Rogers (R)
SB 1058, Firearms transactions; merchant codes; prohibition
The “Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act” prohibits government entities from maintaining registries of privately owned firearms and bars payment card networks and covered entities from requiring or incentivizing merchant category codes that identify firearm retailers.
Sponsor: Wendy Rogers (R)
SB 1068, Disruption; educational institution; concealed weapon
Governing boards must adopt and enforce rules to maintain public order on educational property, with provisions for forfeiture of weapons used in violations, but are prohibited from enacting policies that ban concealed weapons by permit holders or the lawful transport and storage of firearms.
Sponsor: Wendy Rogers (R)
SB 1069, Prohibited weapons; muffling device; repeal
Amends sections 13-3101 and 13-3110 of the Arizona Revised Statutes to repeal the prohibition on muffling devices as prohibited weapons. Compliance with federal law is specified for certain firearms and devices previously classified as prohibited.
Sponsor: Wendy Rogers (R)
SB 1424, Firearm safety instruction; public schools
Requires annual, age-appropriate firearm safety and awareness instruction for students in kindergarten through grade twelve, focusing on accident prevention and personal safety without promoting firearm use or ownership.
Sponsor: Wendy Rogers (R)
Co-Sponsor(s): Mark Finchem (R)
Bad Bills
HB 2282, Education protection orders; definitions
Creates ex parte and post hearing “education protection orders” that restrain a respondent from coming near educational institutions and prohibit firearm possession and require firearm transfer to law enforcement, including via telephone issued emergency orders during court closure hours. It also authorizes search warrants to seize firearms and adds persons served those orders to Arizona’s “prohibited possessor” definition.
Sponsor: Stacey Travers (D)
HB 2291, Voluntary prohibited possessor; definition
Establishes a voluntary prohibited possessor list allowing individuals to restrict their own firearm purchase and possession rights for up to 180 days. Yes, really!
Sponsor: Aaron Márquez (D)
HB 2354, Prohibited weapon; bump-fire device; accessory
Classifies bump-fire devices, trigger cranks, and any parts or accessories designed to accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle as prohibited weapons.
Sponsor: Quantá Crews (D)
Co-Sponsor(s): Patty Contreras (D), Brian Garcia (D), Sarah Liguori (D), Stacey Travers (D), Betty Villegas (D)
HB 2419, Firearm sales; permit validation; website
Calls for a secure website portal to be maintained by the Arizona DPS to allow federally licensed firearms dealers to verify the validity of concealed weapons permits.
Sponsor: Aaron Márquez (D)
HB 2420, Firearm sales; transfers; background checks
Mandates all transactions be conducted through licensed firearms dealers who perform background checks except for law enforcement, military personnel, gunsmiths, certain temporary loans, antique firearms, and bona fide gifts between immediate family members.
Sponsor: Aaron Márquez (D)
Co-Sponsor(s): Cesar Aguilar (D)
HB 2421, Assault weapons; magazines; prohibition; registration
Bans assault weapons and large capacity magazines with exceptions for government and law enforcement use. Existing owners must register and renew annually, while inheriting such weapons requires surrender, destruction, or transfer within 90 days.
Sponsor: Aaron Márquez (D)
HB 2422, Weapons; permit; firearms safety training
Makes concealed carry of a deadly weapon unlawful without a DPS-issued permit and adds an eight-hour, pass/fail, DPS-authorized firearms safety training requirement with defined curriculum.
Sponsor: Aaron Márquez (D)
HB 2570, Firearms; sales; regulation
Imposes regulations on firearm dealers, including mandatory state permits, background checks for employees, secure storage, video surveillance, and reporting requirements for sales and transfers. Establishes strict prohibitions on straw purchases and limits firearm sales to one per 30 days per person with a 7-day waiting period.
Sponsor: Aaron Márquez (D)
HB 2571, Prohibited weapons; machine guns
Defines a “machine gun” including frames or receivers and conversion parts or combinations of parts.
Sponsor: Aaron Márquez (D)
HB 2578, Failure to secure weapon; minor
“Christian’s Law” make it a crime to fail to secure firearms from minors (class 6 felony if a minor accesses an unsecured firearm and a class 4 felony if the minor discharges the firearm causing death or serious injury).
Sponsor: Nancy Gutierrez (D)
Co-Sponsor(s): Nearly two dozen.
HB 2865, Prohibited possessor; definition
“Jordan’s Law” expands the definition of “prohibited possessor” to include individuals convicted of domestic violence against children or certain protected persons.
Sponsor: Lydia Hernandez (D)
Co-Sponsor(s): Myron Tsosie (D)
HCR 2019, Firearm sales; transfers; background checks
Voter referendum to require nearly all firearm transfers to be conducted through an FFL, with background check. Because the proposal is structured as a referendum, it bypasses the Governor’s veto authority and would become law upon voter approval.
Sponsor: Aaron Márquez (D)
Co-Sponsor(s): Cesar Aguilar (D)
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Copper Dome Update
Record Bill Volume
As of February 11, a total of 2,116 bills have been introduced at the Arizona Legislature. That is 2,116 bills in just 31 days. It is a new record.
The volume of bills alone creates a structural reality—no matter how strong a proposal may be, not every bill will make it through the process. Committee calendars are finite. Floor time is limited. Deadlines are unforgiving. In a year like this, even solid legislation can become collateral damage to time.
Real Momentum
For the Second Amendment community, the stakes are clear. This session includes 10 bills that would restore or reinforce protections for the right to keep and bear arms. It also includes 24 bills that would limit that right. Five of the pro-rights bills are sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers, reflecting continued leadership in advancing meaningful statutory reform and part of the reason she was a recipient of AzCDL’s Legislator of the Year award.
The good news is that we have seen forward movement on pro-rights legislation. At the same time, we have successfully stopped all 24 of the restrictive bills from advancing beyond this point. That outcome is not accidental. It reflects coordinated testimony, member engagement through the RTS system, and disciplined messaging inside committee rooms. We caught a few bills that would have chilled our freedoms. This is why I read every bill. On another positive note, House Judiciary Chair Quang Nguyen has his “golden shredder” fired up and working overtime. He even posted a short video on his social media page shredding a few bad bills.
One development this session signals something important…
A Clear Fight Ahead
Most of you are familiar with Giffords, one of the most well-funded anti-Second Amendment organizations in the country. Historically, their visible presence in Arizona has consisted of red-shirted activists testifying in opposition and posing for media moments. This session, they escalated their approach. For the first time in my 15 years of professional observation at the Capitol, a national Giffords representative appeared in committee to testify against one of our priority bills.
The bill was HB2076, the FASTER Saves Lives proposal sponsored by Representative Selina Bliss. That legislation creates a voluntary pathway for school personnel to receive advanced emergency scene management and medical trauma response training so life-saving care can begin before EMS arrival. It is a medical readiness bill. It is not a mandate. Despite efforts by the opposition, it passed out of committee.
When a national organization deploys resources like this into a state fight to block a bill focused on immediate trauma response in schools, that tells you something. It means the policy debate is shifting. It means our agenda is taken seriously and we are a threat to their agenda. It means pressure is working.
Staying Vigilant
The record bill count means timelines are tight. Some good bills may fall to the clock. Some bad bills may attempt late maneuvers. This is not the year to disengage.
The fact that outside national money is showing up in Arizona committee rooms should sharpen our focus. When they escalate, we respond with facts, discipline, and turnout.
Stay engaged. Watch the alerts. Use RTS. Show up when called.
The process is crowded. The fight is real. And so far, we are holding the line while moving good policy forward.
Keep your powder dry and stay frosty.
—Michael Infanzon, EPIC Policy Group
AzCDL Chief Lobbyist
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It’s Your Organization—Get Active!
You joined because you value your right to keep and bear arms, but sitting there and doing the minimal—just sending your letters, even taking advantage of our RTS—is the least you can do. If you’re a Life Member (good for you!), take advantage of our Leadership Board (if you’re not yet registered, email secretary@AZCDL.org for the link. This is where you can post suggestions, comments, and yes, even complaints, and reach the people who make the decisions. After all, if we don’t know what you’re thinking, we can’t do much about it.
Wear your shirt proudly, and when people ask you ‘what’s that all about?’, tell them about us, what we do, what we’ve accomplished. If you’re not a polished speaker, grab some of our business cards to read from or hand out.
Show up at events – give us a few hours at a gun show, a political rally, or anywhere we set up. If you belong to an organization that holds meetings and has speakers, volunteer to talk about us, or let the Board know and we’ll find a speaker.
If you compete, wear your colors. If it’s a team event, compete under the AZCDL ‘banner’. From 2019 to 2023, we fielded a team at the annual Glock shoot and took home one third, two seconds, and in 22 and 23, Team AZCDL swept the field with consecutive first places. In 24 and 25, we couldn’t put together a 3 man team. Don’t bragging rights mean anything anymore?
When we were less than 1,000 strong, we were accomplishing great things: The war against the right to keep and bear arms was on, and we were losing. Since 2005 we’ve been reversing that, because our membership was more than ‘keyboard commandos’, we not only emailed our hired help at the legislature, we called them—and crashed both the Capitol e-mail server and switchboard. We visited them in their offices, churches, golf courses and homes, we aggressively recruited, we knew what we stood for and were loud and proud.
Apparently, we’re victims of our own success. At our tables, we often hear variations of, “This is Arizona, it can’t happen here.” People, AzCDL is the reason it hasn’t happened here. But if we just rest on our laurels, sit and let somebody else shoulder the load, everything we’ve accomplished over the last 20 years is in jeopardy. This is Arizona, the number one gun friendly state for eight consecutive years. Don’t sit back and let it become Illinois.
—Duke Schechter
Recruiting Director Emeritus
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Listen to the Copper Dome Update: 2A Edition Every Friday on Spotify
Your right to keep and bear arms deserves more than headlines—it deserves context, clarity, and a voice you can trust. Join host Michael Infanzon, AzCDL’s Chief Lobbyist, for a weekly breakdown of legislative action, court rulings, and policy developments that affect Arizona gun owners. Each episode delivers facts, not fluff—equipping you with the information you need to defend your rights and hold elected officials accountable.
New episodes drop every Friday. Listen on Spotify: Copper Dome Update – 2A Edition