Senate Bill 1167, signed into law June 19 by Governor Katie Hobbs, establishes a flexible, consistent framework for public notices across Arizona, improving accessibility while preserving the longstanding role of newspapers in promoting transparency and accountability.
The new legislation allows cities, towns and counties the option to satisfy statutory public notice requirements by posting notices on both their official government websites and the website of a qualified newspaper. Newspapers will continue to voluntarily publish notices in print to ensure access for residents without reliable internet service.
“This agreement strikes the right balance between modernization and maintaining trusted, broad public access,” said Lisa Simpson, senior vice president of the AMA. “By ensuring notices are available on government sites, newspaper websites and in print, we are strengthening transparency and making it easier for all Arizonans to stay informed about decisions in their communities.”
Under the new law, local governments must provide notices to newspapers at least one full business day in advance and post them on their own websites by the required notice date. Participating jurisdictions must also include a clearly visible “Public Notices” link on their homepage, organizing notices in a way that is easy for residents to access.
The AMA highly commends the leadership of Senator Hildy Angius and Representative Walt Blackman, alongside the broad coalition of state legislators and local government stakeholders who made this historic agreement possible.
The new law will take effect Sept. 12.
About the Arizona Media Association:
The Arizona Media Association represents almost 400 media brands including TV, radio, newspapers and digital news organizations; advocating for a free press, informed communities and open government.
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