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Streamlines disability evaluation processes within Arizona's ESA program so families can more readily access the educational freedom their children need.
OUR POSITIONParents bear a God-given responsibility to direct the upbringing and education of their children. This responsibility is not delegated by the state and cannot be discharged by any government program acting in the family's place. Arizona's Educational Savings Account program honors that principle by giving families real financial tools to choose the learning environment that fits their child. SB 1698 strengthens that commitment for one of the most vulnerable groups: children with disabilities.
Families navigating a disability diagnosis face compounding burdens. Medical appointments, therapy schedules, IEP meetings, and insurance disputes already consume enormous time and emotional energy. When the evaluation process tied to ESA eligibility adds additional delays or bureaucratic friction, families pay the price in lost months and foregone opportunities. This bill addresses that bottleneck directly, reducing the time between a child's identified need and the family's ability to act on it.
The principle at stake is straightforward. A child's disability does not diminish the parent's authority or responsibility; if anything, it intensifies the need for parents to exercise informed, attentive judgment about what kind of education and support will allow that child to flourish. Government processes that slow or complicate access to ESA funds work against that parental role, however unintentionally. Fixing evaluation procedures is therefore not a technical matter alone; it is a matter of respecting the family as the primary institution in a child's life.
The American Council supports SB 1698 because it reflects a faithful application of subsidiarity: decisions about a child's education belong closest to that child, beginning with the parents. Removing procedural barriers that disproportionately burden families of children with disabilities is consistent with both sound policy and a sincere regard for human dignity. We encourage the Legislature to pass this bill and continue expanding the conditions under which Arizona families can fully exercise their God-given role as their children's primary educators.
SB1698 was introduced in the Arizona Senate on February 5, 2026, and has been assigned to both the Senate Education Accountability and Reform Committee and the Senate Rules Committee, meaning it must clear both panels before any floor action. The bill received its second reading on February 9, 2026, which is a procedural step that formally places it before the full Senate but does not indicate a scheduled hearing or vote. Arizona's legislative session typically runs from January through late spring, meaning committee calendars in February and March are the critical chokepoints for whether a bill advances or stalls. Constituent contact directed at members of the Senate Education Accountability and Reform Committee is most impactful now, before a committee hearing is scheduled and votes are taken.