Arizona House committee advances bill to bar state contracts with companies domiciled in China

The Arizona House of Representatives’ additional Committee of the Whole on Monday recommended House Bill 25‑42, as amended, receive a due‑pass recommendation and referred the bill to engrossing.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Diaz, would prohibit state agencies from contracting with companies domiciled in the People’s Republic of China, while allowing an agency to proceed if “there is no other vendor for [the] good” and procuring the Chinese‑domiciled product poses a lesser risk than not procuring it, Diaz said. He described the measure as aimed at bolstering state security and protecting supply chains from companies that “gain access to our systems through the backdoor.”

Members adopted a floor amendment offered by Diaz before the committee reported the bill. Representative Marquez asked whether the Arizona Police Association, which had logged in opposition during committee, had been consulted about the amendment. Diaz said he had spoken with association representatives in passing but did not state whether they supported the amendment. Representative Collin said the amendment narrowed the bill’s focus and removed confusing language that could have delegated state authority to the federal government, and she expressed support for the bill as amended.

After brief discussion and the voice votes on the floor, the Committee of the Whole’s report that HB 25‑42 as amended receive a due‑pass recommendation was adopted and the bill was referred to engrossing for further processing.

No roll‑call vote totals for the amendment or the committee’s recommendation were recorded in the transcript; the actions were taken by voice vote and recorded as “ayes have it.” Further readings and recorded votes will determine the bill’s final disposition.