A new law clarifies who in Arizona schools must report suspected child abuse or neglect, including potential sexual abuse, to law enforcement and aims to ensure reports make it to investigators outside the school.

Senate Bill 1437 , sponsored by Sen. Carine Werner, R-Scottsdale, and signed in April by Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, makes it clear substitute teachers qualify as school personnel who must file reports, requires public school board members to file reports and requires police officers working in schools to pass any reports they receive on to a law enforcement agency.

"This bill will stop predators from flying under the radar in our schools," Werner said.

There are too many examples, she said, of school officials trying to handle abuse investigations internally or reports not making it outside the confines of a campus.

In 2017, a hazing incident at Hamilton High School in the Chandler Unified School District made national news. Chandler police determined the principal, athletic director and football coach failed to report the sexual abuse of football players by teammates.

More recently, current and former administrators at Casteel High School in Queen Creek, also within Chandler Unified, have had cases before the State Board of Education over failure to report accusations of inappropriate touching by a teacher.

Werner said there were plenty of other examples from other places. At Chaparral High School, which is part of the Scottsdale Unified School District, where Werner serves on the Governing Board, an aide was sexually assaulting a special needs student, she said.

Despite a teacher reporting the abuse to the assistant principal multiple times, the aide was not arrested until he was caught in the act, Werner said.

In 2023, 39% of State Board of Education cases adjudicated were related to sexual misconduct with children — 106 of 272 cases, Werner said.

Current law makes all "school personnel" mandatory reporters . But, Werner said, sometimes substitute teachers do not know it applies to them. "People just don't know," she said.

Legislator says clarity needed for private school employees

Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, a teacher in the Tucson Unified School District and member of the House Education Committee, voted against the bill. She said many things that the bill addressed were already in state law.

As a teacher, she undergoes mandatory reporting training every year, and it is taken very seriously, said Gutierrez, D-Tucson.

The problems were with people not doing what they were supposed to do, as opposed to the statute itself, Gutierrez said. For example, certain substitute teacher institutions may not adequately train their substitute teachers, she said.

"We didn't need another state law," Gutierrez said. "We needed everyone to do what they were supposed to do."

Gutierrez attempted to amend the bill to make clear that private school employees are mandatory reporters. The current law does not exempt private school personnel from mandatory reporting obligations, nor does it explicitly name them.

The law will go into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns for the year.

'Sends a clear message': Hobbs signs bill to deter 'Goons'-style attacks. When can 'Preston's Law' be enforced?