HB 2144 makes a narrow technical correction to Arizona’s change-of-venue statute, A.R.S. § 12-405. The bill revises wording in the provision governing venue transfers by consent, clarifying that a superior court may transfer a case to another county when the parties or their attorneys file written consent in the action and the court enters the order on the minutes.
Substantively, the measure does not create a new venue rule or expand who may request a transfer; it appears intended to clean up the statutory language for clarity and consistency. The bill is framed as a technical amendment to existing civil procedure law governing where a case may be tried.
Impact
HB 2144 would amend A.R.S. § 12-405, the statute governing change of venue by consent in superior court civil cases. Its effect is limited to clarifying the wording of the existing venue-transfer process, with no apparent change to the underlying authority of courts or the rights of parties beyond the textual correction. The affected parties are litigants, attorneys, and superior courts handling civil actions in Arizona.
Sentiment
Because the bill is described as a technical correction and there is no recorded committee discussion or vote history in the provided materials, the available context suggests a neutral or routine legislative posture. Bills of this type are typically noncontroversial, aimed at statutory cleanup rather than policy change. No opposition or support arguments are documented in the supplied record.
Contention
No specific points of contention are shown in the provided materials. The only notable issue is the drafting cleanup itself—language such as repeated words and awkward phrasing in the venue statute—which the bill appears designed to correct. Without committee transcripts or votes, there is no evidence of disagreement over the substance of venue transfers, court authority, or party consent requirements.