REFERENCE TITLE: appropriation; retention; certified peace officers

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2022

HB 2636

Introduced by

Representatives Hoffman: Biasiucci, Blackman, Bolick, Burges, Carroll, Carter, Chaplik, Cobb, Diaz, Dunn, Fillmore, Finchem, Grantham, Griffin, John, Martinez, Nguyen, Osborne, Parker, Payne, Pingerelli, Toma, Weninger, Wilmeth, Senator Borrelli

AN ACT

Appropriating monies to the state treasurer.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Appropriation; state treasurer; certified peace officers; retention incentive payment; distribution; ambassadors; reversion; intent; definition

A. The sum of $74,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2022-2023 to the state treasurer to distribute to each agency, board, commission or department of this state and to each political subdivision of this state that employs a certified peace officer to pay a onetime retention incentive payment to each certified peace officer.

B. On or before December 31, 2022, the state treasurer shall distribute the monies appropriated in subsection A of this section based on the number of certified peace officers employed by each recipient agency, board, commission or department on the day that the legislature adjourns the fifty-fifth legislature, second regular session sine die. Each recipient agency, board, commission or department shall promptly distribute all of the monies it receives to the certified peace officers who were employed by the agency, board, commission or department on the day that the legislature adjourned the fifty-fifth legislature, second regular session sine die.

C. The state treasurer shall appoint Arizona backs the blue ambassadors to distribute the monies to each recipient agency, board, commission or department. The state treasurer may use up to $250,000 of the monies appropriated in subsection A of this section to administer the distribution of the monies and to reimburse the travel-related expenses of the ambassadors.

D. The monies appropriated, distributed and paid pursuant to this section shall supplement and not supplant any other monies paid to certified peace officers in fiscal year 2022-2023.

E. All monies remaining unexpended and unencumbered on July 1, 2023 from the appropriation made by this section revert to the state general fund.

F. The legislature intends that this section displays the legislature's strong commitment to the law enforcement personnel in this state.

G. For the purposes of this section, "certified peace officer" means an active peace officer who is certified pursuant to section 41-1822, subsection A, Arizona Revised Statutes, but does not include:

1. The chief administrative elected or appointed official of an agency, board, commission or department of this state or a political subdivision of this state that employs certified peace officers.

2. Reserve officers.

Sec. 2. Short title

This act may be cited as the "Arizona Backs the Blue Act".