Senate Republicans Take On Family Court Abuse, Move to Restore Parental Rights, Protect Children
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
PHOENIX, ARIZONA—Arizona Senate Republicans are advancing a sweeping slate of family court reforms designed to overhaul a system that has stripped away parental rights, traumatized children, and given unchecked power to court-appointed officials, all at the expense of Arizona families.
This legislation addresses problems related to judicial overreach, forced interventions, and unclear decision-making, which have left parents feeling powerless and children caught in a failing system. Sponsored by Senator Mark Finchem, this legislative package passed the Senate today and will now move on to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
SB 1139 prohibits a court from ordering a parent to attend or pay for any therapeutic intervention or similar service without the consent of both parents.
SB 1147 prescribes clear standards and transparency requirements for the appointment of professional personnel in dissolution-of-marriage proceedings, addressing conflicts of interest and unchecked influence in family court.
SB 1148 requires the Arizona Supreme Court to license attorneys in Arizona and adopt rules governing licensure, while prohibiting the court from requiring attorneys to join or remain members of any organization as a condition of practicing law.
SB 1328 strengthens Arizona's declared public policy by explicitly protecting and promoting parents' rights, reinforcing the Parents' Bill of Rights, and affirming a child's fundamental right to equal access to both parents.
"Family court in Arizona has become a machine that feeds on parental silence and child suffering," said Senator Finchem. "Parents are ordered, not heard. And the people making these life-altering decisions are rarely accountable to anyone but themselves. Forced therapy is abuse, plain and simple. Democrats who oppose these reforms are choosing control over consent and bureaucracy over families. They are defending forced 'services', unregulated court actors, and a system where rights disappear the moment a parent walks into a courtroom. Senate Republicans are working to end that. With this legislation, we are aiming to cut off the court's ability to coerce, profit, and hide behind closed doors. If a lawmaker votes against these bills, they are voting to keep parents powerless and children trapped in a system that answers to no one."
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus