Arizona House bill by Rep. Keshel bars courts from ruling solely on parental alienation claims

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Rachel Keshel seeks to prevent Arizona courts from relying solely on allegations of parental alienation in custody and parenting time cases, aiming to ensure decisions are based on supporting evidence, according to the Arizona State House.

It passed both chambers as of May 6, clearing the House by a vote of 36-19 and the Senate by a vote of 17-12.

The bill, introduced as HB2256 on Jan. 15, during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature, was formally listed with the short title: ‘parental alienation; testimony; prohibition’.

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

In essence, this bill prohibits Arizona courts from considering testimony or making rulings in legal decision-making or parenting time cases based solely on allegations of parental alienation. Parental alienation is defined in the bill as the psychological manipulation of a child that results in unwarranted fear, disrespect, or hostility toward a parent or other family member. By amending title 25, chapter 4, article 1 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, the bill aims to ensure decisions regarding parenting time and custody are not influenced by claims of parental alienation without supporting evidence.

In the House, four Democrats and 32 Republicans voted in favor while 19 Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 17 Republicans voted in favor while 12 Democrats voted against it.

Keshel introduced the bill in the Arizona House on Jan. 15 during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature.

The bill was co-sponsored by Lisa Fink (Republican-27th District), and John Gillette (Republican-30th District).

Jones graduated from Metropolitan State the University of Denver in 2002 with a BA.

Rachel Jones is currently serving in the Arizona State House, representing the state’s 17th House District. She replaced previous state representative Jennifer Pawlik in 2023.

The bill was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs on May 12.

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.