---
type: "Bill"
title: "unemployment; return-to-work program; suitable work"
description: "unemployment; return-to-work program; suitable work"
jurisdiction: "us/states/az"
legislature: "Arizona Legislature"
session: "53rd-2nd-regular"
identifier: "SB 1398"
citation: "Arizona SB 1398 (53rd-2nd-regular)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["EMPLOYMENT SECURITY", "LABOR - TITLE 23", "RETURN TO WORK PROGRAM", "SUITABLE WORK", "UNEMPLOYMENT"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Steve Smith"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 11
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2018-01-29"
last_action: "2018-05-16"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/857968ed-b899-4011-86e7-0248a8c202ce"
source_url: "https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/70565?SessionId=119"
source_hash: "0dbfa85cbcf8983a4ddaef19882c478d9a3791ea54e2441f4b693e186ec86f9e"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-az"]
---

# Arizona SB 1398 (53rd-2nd-regular) — unemployment; return-to-work program; suitable work

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Chaptered Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/53leg/2R/laws/0340.htm)
2. **House Engrossed Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/53leg/2R/bills/SB1398H.htm)
3. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/53leg/2R/bills/SB1398P.htm)
4. **Senate Engrossed Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/53leg/2R/bills/SB1398S.htm)

## Votes

- Passed — **17–13** (pass) · upper
- Passed — **34–24** (pass) · lower
- do pass amended — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- do pass — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Passed — **21–9** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Steve Smith — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-01-29** senate first reading `reading-1`
- **2018-03-01** passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2018-03-01** transmit to house
- **2018-03-05** house first reading. `reading-1`
- **2018-01-30** senate second reading `reading-2`
- **2018-04-11** passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2018-03-06** house second reading `reading-2`
- **2018-05-02** passed `passage`
- **2018-05-02** transmit to governor `executive-receipt`
- **2018-04-12** transmit to senate
- **2018-05-16** signed by governor `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/857968ed-b899-4011-86e7-0248a8c202ce`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Arizona legislature records).