Arizona House bill by Rep. Martinez updates high school social studies and graduation requirements

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Teresa Martinez seeks to revise Arizona high school graduation requirements by enhancing social studies education, increasing civics test standards, and incorporating personal finance and economics instruction, according to the Arizona State House.

It passed both chambers as of May 6, clearing the House by a vote of 32-25 and the Senate by a vote of 17-11.

The bill, introduced as HB2700 on Jan. 28, during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature, was formally listed with the short title: ‘academic standards; social studies; geography’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates updates to Arizona high school graduation requirements, enhancing social studies standards to include personal finance, American civics, geography, and discussions on political ideologies conflicting with U.S. founding principles. It increases the passing requirement for the civics test from 60 to 70 correct answers out of 100 for diplomas from 2026 onward. Schools can offer a separate personal finance course and must require at least half a credit in economics, covering financial literacy. A rigorous computer science course can substitute a math requirement if it includes substantial math content. The state board will adopt rules allowing students to earn credit for demonstrating competency without course enrollment, and transfer students will have their credits evaluated transparently. The bill requires aggregated civics test performance data reporting and ensures it remains free of identifiable student information. The inclusion of instruction on the Gulf of America in geography standards awaits the next social studies update.

In the House, 32 Republicans voted in favor while 25 Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 17 Republicans voted in favor while 11 Democrats voted against it.

Martinez introduced the bill in the Arizona House on Jan. 28 during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature.

The bill was co-sponsored by Jake Hoffman (Republican-15th District), and Leo Biasiucci (Republican-30th District), and Neal Carter (Republican-15th District), along with 14 others.

Teresa Martinez is currently serving in the Arizona State House, representing the state’s 16th House District. She replaced previous state representative John Fillmore in 2023.

The bill was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs on May 13.

In Arizona, the legislative process begins when a bill is introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. It is then assigned to one or more committees for discussion and possible amendment. If approved by committee, the bill proceeds to floor debate and voting in both chambers. If both chambers pass the bill, it is sent to the governor, who may sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature. The Arizona Legislature convenes annually in regular session starting the second Monday in January. Lawmakers introduce hundreds of bills each session, though only a portion make it into law. You can learn more about the legislative process on the Arizona State Legislature website.