The proposed bill, HB2177, amends Arizona law to grant parents the right to a jury trial in hearings to terminate parental rights, effective July 1, 2025. A parent can request a jury trial before or at the time of the initial termination hearing, and the notice of this option must be included in the initial hearing notice. If multiple requests for a jury trial are received, a single jury trial may be held for all involved parents. The bill also stipulates that the jury trial must commence within 120 days after the initial hearing and that the number and concurrence of jurors must align with existing statutory limits.

Additionally, the bill mandates the Administrative Office of the Courts to review and report on various aspects of jury trials in termination proceedings by January 1, 2027. This includes the number of jury trials requested and completed, comparisons of outcomes and lengths of jury versus bench trials, and feedback from participants in the process. The report will be submitted to key state officials, including the Governor and legislative leaders.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 8-469
House Engrossed Version: 8-469