 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
governmental entities; social media; prohibition
Purpose
Prohibits any governmental entity in Arizona from using a social media platform for any official or governmental purpose.
Background
Current statute requires a notice of intent to establish or increase taxes, assessments or fees to be distributed through a municipality's social media accounts or other electronic communication tools if the municipality uses such forms of communication (A.R.S. § 9-499.15).
Current
statute also requires all public bodies of Arizona, counties, cities and towns,
special districts, school districts and charter schools to conspicuously post a
statement on their website stating where all public notices of their meetings
will be posted, including the physical and electronic locations, and give
additional public notice as is reasonable and practicable (A.R.S.
§ 38-431.02).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits a governmental entity, at any level, from using a social media platform for any official governmental purpose.
2. Prohibits a governmental entity from giving or controlling a social media account to or for an elected official.
3. Specifies that these prohibitions do not apply to a personal social media account operated by an elected official.
4. Defines elected official as every elected official of this state, county, municipality, school district and every superior court judge.
5. Defines governmental entity as Arizona, any county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state or any department, agency, board, commission, authority, public corporation or other public entity of any of the foregoing or controlled by any of the foregoing.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 11, 2021
ZD/SS/kja