Senator Kiana Marie Sears
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-926-3514
c/o [email protected] (028273)

Eviction can be extremely difficult on a family with children, especially if the children are currently attending a local public or charter school. In order to ensure that homeless children and youth had continued access to education and the opportunity for academic success, Congress authorized the Steward B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act in 1987. It has been updated and reauthorized over the years to eliminate additional barriers, provide preschool services and greater parental input, strengthen legal requirements and require all school districts to appoint a local liaison. It ensures that every eligible child has the following rights:

• Right to immediate school enrollment even when records not present
• Right to remain in the school of origin, if in the student’s best interest
• Right to receive transportation to and from the school of origin
• Right to receive support for academic success

This petition is to amend the Appendix A of the Rules of Procedure for Eviction Actions, which contains the Residential Eviction Information Sheet. This sheet is provided by landlords to tenants as part of the summons and complaint when an eviction action is filed to ensure that parents are aware of their rights throughout the eviction process. This change to the Information Sheet would also provide parents the knowledge of where to obtain the guidance they need to keep their children enrolled in school and their academic career supported even though the family may have been evicted and is currently experiencing homelessness.

Therefore, I would recommend adding the following verbiage between “After a Judgment” and “Sources of Additional Information:”

Educational Rights. State and local education agencies are required to remove barriers to the identification, immediate school enrollment, attendance, and academic success of children and youth experiencing homelessness. In the event that an eviction or economic hardship causes a loss of housing for you or your child(ren), including if you are not in the physical custody of a parent or court-appointed legal guardian, please visit: https://www.azed.gov/home...guardians-and-youth.

Filed: April 24, 2026

Would amend Appendix A to the Rules of Procedure for Eviction Actions to add a paragraph discussing rights state and local educational agencies must extend to homeless children and youth.

Comments due no later than June 29, 2026, and any reply due no later than July 13, 2026.