Assaulting an employee of a public utility, a licensed telecommunications provider, a licensed video service provider or certain other utilities while the employee is doing work duties, when the attacker knows or has reason to know who the victim is, can now be charged as aggravated assault, a class 6 felony.
Official title: aggravated assault; utility workers
- September 12, 2026
What changes
BeforeEmployees of utilities, telecommunications providers and video service providers were not on the state's list of workers whose on-the-job status can turn an assault into aggravated assault.
NowAn assault is aggravated assault if the person knows or has reason to know the victim is an employee, engaged in work duties, of a public utility as described in section 44-1376, a licensed telecommunications provider, a licensed video service provider, or a utility as defined in section 40-491.
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NowThis type of aggravated assault is a class 6 felony, the same class as assaults on most other listed workers, such as transit, airport and railway workers. A class 6 felony is generally the lowest level of felony in Arizona.
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NowThe same change is made both to the version of the law in effect until January 1, 2033, and to the version that applies after December 31, 2032. The bill also makes small wording and punctuation fixes that do not change any rule.
Who it affects
- Employees of public utilities, licensed telecommunications providers, licensed video service providers and utilities defined in section 40-491 while doing their work duties
- People charged with assaulting these workers
- Prosecutors and courts
What you need to do
Nothing.
What the law doesn't answer
- Exactly which companies count as a public utility under section 44-1376 or a utility under section 40-491
- Whether contractors working for these companies, rather than employees, are covered
- The prison or probation range for a class 6 felony
- Whether the change applies to assaults that happened before the law takes effect
This summary describes the law as enacted. Later laws, court rulings or referendum petitions can change the picture. Check the official text for the current wording.