House committee approves amended bill letting volunteer chaplains provide optional services in public schools

The House Education Committee returned Senate Bill 12‑69, as amended, with a due‑pass recommendation after extended public testimony and debate over separation of church and state.

SB 12‑69 authorizes local school district governing boards and charter governing bodies to allow volunteer school chaplains to provide support, services or programs to students if the district or charter body adopts a policy. Lane, a committee staff member who explained the bill, outlined required policy elements in an amendment sponsored by Chairman Gress: the policy must describe chaplain services, maintain a list of chaplains, require parental notification and opt‑in, and set criteria the principal must confirm before listing a chaplain — including that the chaplain be an official member of a local religious group, hold a bachelor’s degree and meet additional experience or education standards. The amendment also gives principals discretion to refuse to include a chaplain on a school list and defines terms including chaplain and religious group.

Senator Wendy Rogers, who appeared as a Senate sponsor, said the bill "enables chaplains to be in schools to be there for students" and noted she and Representative Fink discussed tweaks to accommodate concerns. Supporters argued the measure is voluntary for districts and for parents and could expand access to trusted, faith‑based supports amid a perceived youth mental‑health crisis.

Opponents included Diane Post, legal director for the Secular Coalition for Arizona, and Gael Esposito of the ACLU of Arizona. Post argued the bill risks violating the Establishment Clause and Arizona’s stronger constitutional provisions on religion, and she urged members to "please oppose this bill." Esposito said chaplains would not be held to the training and certification standards required of school counselors and warned of risks to students and potential liability for schools.

Members debated constitutional concerns, training standards and whether chaplain services would supplant licensed mental‑health staff. Representative Fink and Representative Marshall explained their aye votes by stressing parental choice and volunteer status; Representative Simicak, Representative Gutierrez and others said public schools are not the proper venue for religious instruction and voted no. Vice Chairman Taylor and others said the parental opt‑in and qualification requirements addressed some concerns. The committee adopted the Gress amendment and then returned the bill as amended with a due‑pass recommendation (7 ayes, 5 noes).

The bill requires a governing board or body to adopt the specified policy before chaplains may serve and to follow parental‑notification and opt‑in procedures; school principals must verify qualifications before listing a chaplain. The committee record shows the measure advanced to the next legislative step.