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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
juveniles; educational classes; discretionary
Purpose
Allows a committed youth who is at least 16 years old to take a high school equivalency diploma test prior to release from a secure care facility.
Background
The Director of the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (ADJC) must establish a state educational system for committed youth to provide appropriate education as required by state and federal law, including education for a committed youth who has not received a high school diploma or certificate of equivalency (A.R.S. § 41-2831). A committed youth who is confined in a secure care facility and has not received a high school diploma, high school certificate of equivalency or an exception from the Director of ADJC (Director) must attend school full time and make satisfactory progress in educational classes. A committed youth who has achieved a high school diploma or certificate of equivalency may participate in classes or an educational program as deemed appropriate by ADJC (A.R.S. § 41-2822.01).
A committed youth is a person who has been legally committed to ADJC for supervision, rehabilitation, treatment and education and who is between 14 and 18 years old, or up to 19 years old if the youth is subject to retained jurisdiction (A.R.S. § 41-2801).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows a committed youth who has not received a high school diploma, certificate of equivalency or an exception from the Director to take the general equivalency diploma test (GED) or an equivalency test approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) prior to release from a secure care facility, if the youth is:
a) at least 16 years old; and
b) functionally literate.
2. Allows the Director to require a committed youth, in order to request administration of the GED or an SBE-approved equivalency test, to demonstrate readiness for the GED through an assessment or completion of a practice test.
3. Makes technical changes.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Reinstates the requirement for the Director to require a committed youth who has not received a high school diploma, certificate of equivalency or an exception to attend school and make satisfactory progress in educational classes.
2. Requires a committed youth to be at least 16 years old to take the GED or an SBE-approved equivalency test.
3. Allows the Director to require a committed youth to pass a practice test before requesting the administration of the GED or an SBE-approved equivalency test.
Amendments Adopted by the House of Representatives
1. Allows a committed youth to take the GED or an SBE-approved equivalency test prior to release from a secure care facility, rather than at any time.
2. Authorizes the Director to require a committed youth to demonstrate readiness for the GED through an assessment or practice test, rather than only a practice test.
Senate Action House Action
ED 2/15/22 DPA 8-0-0 ED 3/8/22 DPA 10-0-0-0
3rd Read 2/24/22 28-0-2 3rd Read 6/24/22 52-1-7
Prepared by Senate Research
June 24, 2022
LB/KJA/slp