Arizona House Bill HCR2036

Arizona 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/24/25

Caption

Legislative measure limit; mandatory hearings

Impact

If approved by the voters and enacted, HCR2036 would significantly impact how legislation is proposed and processed within the Arizona legislative framework. By instituting a cap on the number of bills each member can introduce, the amendment aims to focus legislative efforts on more critical issues and avoid legislative overload. Furthermore, it establishes a requirement that each measure cosponsored by members from the two largest political parties must receive a hearing in its chamber of origin, adding an element of bipartisan support to the legislative process.

Summary

HCR2036, a concurrent resolution introduced by Representative Kolodin, proposes an amendment to the Arizona Constitution aimed at altering procedural rules for the introduction and consideration of legislation in the state legislature. This bill seeks to limit the number of measures that each member of the legislature can introduce during a regular session to a maximum of ten. Additionally, it stipulates that during the second regular session, legislators may only propose measures that repeal existing statutes. This amendment is designed with the intention of streamlining the legislative process and reducing what proponents see as an excess of laws.

Contention

While the bill aims to reduce unnecessary legislative measures, there may be contention surrounding its limitations. Critics might argue that setting a cap on the number of bills can hinder the ability of legislators to address urgent local issues or respond to evolving community needs effectively. Furthermore, requiring bipartisan sponsorship for a hearing could effectively constrain the ability of minority parties to bring forward issues important to their constituencies, leading to further debates on fairness and representation in the legislative process.