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Committee advances bill to fund voluntary AI summer courses through ADE

Arizona Senate Education Committee · March 4, 2026

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Summary

House Bill 2409 would authorize ADE to offer voluntary summer AI courses teaching digital hygiene, civic integrity, and small‑business applications; sponsor said no appropriation is requested and the program would rely on outside instructors and voluntary facility use.

House Bill 2409, the 'Getting Arizona Ready for AI' Act, received a due-pass recommendation from the Senate Education Committee on March 3, 2026.

The bill would establish an Arizona artificial intelligence program within the Arizona Department of Education to offer voluntary AI courses during the summer for Arizona residents. The course curriculum in the bill includes modules on digital hygiene and civic integrity and an AI-for-small-business and entrepreneurship track developed with the Office of Economic Opportunity. The measure allows governmental entities and educational institutions to offer uncompensated use of their facilities to ADE and permits academic credit for course completion at participating public schools, universities or community colleges.

Representative Calvin, the bill sponsor, described the measure as a flexible, voluntary effort to help Arizonans adapt to labor-market disruption caused by AI and to expand opportunities for entrepreneurship. “If there's widespread layoffs due to AI…what will people do? I don't think that's really an Arizona way to go about things,” Calvin told the committee, arguing the program offers a constructive response.

Senators asked whether the bill had a requested fiscal note and how resources and curriculum oversight would be supported. Calvin said he did not request an appropriation, arguing the bill's voluntary design—facilities, instructors, and student participation could be voluntarily provided—minimizes fiscal impact. He said ADE would lay out curriculum elements and that instructors from industry would have discretion within broad guidelines.

After limited questioning the vice chair moved the bill with a due-pass recommendation. The committee recorded a due-pass recommendation following roll call (4 ayes, 2 nays, 1 not voting). The committee did not adopt amendments during this hearing.