Arizona 2024 2024 Regular Session

Arizona House Bill HB2658 Comm Sub / Analysis

Filed 02/20/2024

                      	HB 2658 
Initials JB 	Page 1 	House Engrossed 
 
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Fifty-sixth Legislature 
Second Regular Session 
House: TI DP 6-3-2-0 
 
HB 2658: pedestrians; congregating; medians; unsafe locations 
Sponsor: Representative Chaplik, LD 3 
House Engrossed 
Overview 
Prohibits a pedestrian from congregating or engaging in solicitation if they are on a painted 
or raised traffic median or island, on an exit or entrance ramp or roadway of a controlled 
access highway or in an unsafe location where there is no sidewalk or safe corridor for 
pedestrians.   
History 
A person commits obstructing a highway or other public thoroughfare if the person, alone or 
with others:  
1) having no legal privilege to do so, recklessly interferes with the passage of any 
highway or public thoroughfare by creating an unreasonable inconvenience or hazard. 
A person guilty of this is responsible for a class 2 misdemeanor and for a second or 
subsequent violation within 24 months a class 1 misdemeanor;  
2) intentionally activates a pedestrian signal on a highway or public thoroughfare if their 
reason for activating the signal is not the cross the highway or thoroughfare but to 
stop the passage of traffic and solicit a driver for a donation or business. A person 
guilty of this is responsible for a class 3 misdemeanor; or  
3) after receiving a verbal warning to desist, intentionally interferes with passage on a 
highway or other public thoroughfare or entrance into a public forum that results in 
preventing other persons from gaining access to a governmental meeting, hearing or 
a political campaign event. A person guilty of this is responsible for a class 1 
misdemeanor (A.R.S. § 13-2906). 
Provisions 
1. Prohibits a pedestrian from congregating or engaging in solicitation if the pedestrian is: 
a) on a painted or raised traffic island or median;  
b) on an exit or entrance ramp or roadway of a controlled access highway; or 
c) in an unsafe location where there is not a sidewalk or a safe corridor for pedestrians. 
(Sec. 1) 
2. State that if a person violates these requirements: 
a) for the first violation, a peace office may only issue a warning;  
b) for a second violation, the person is responsible for a civil traffic violation; and 
c) for a third or subsequent violation, the person is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor. (Sec. 
1)  
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes)     ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes)      ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note