ARIZONA STATE SENATE

LIAM MAHER

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 926-3171

RESEARCH STAFF

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

DATE:            March 11, 2022

SUBJECT:      Strike everything amendment to H.B. 2132, relating to victim fund; appropriations

Purpose

            Appropriates $10,000,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and $2,000,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2023 to the Victim Compensation and Assistance Fund (Fund).

Background

The Fund is administered by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) which must allocate Fund monies to public and private agencies to establish, maintain and support programs that compensate and assist victims of crime (A.R.S. § 41-2407). The Fund consists of two subaccounts: 1) the Victim Compensation Subaccount that receives revenue from a nine-dollar penalty on criminal and civil violations, monies collected from a 10 percent assessment of a working prisoner's gross compensation and unclaimed restitution; and 2) the Victim Assistance Subaccount that receives revenue derived from the community supervision fees and interstate compact fees. The FY 2022 estimated year-end balance for the Fund is $1,550,100 (JLBC Baseline).

            The strike-everything amendment to H.B. 2132 appropriates $2,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2023 to the Fund.

Provisions

1. Appropriates $10,000,000 from ARPA and $2,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2023 to the Fund.

2. Declares the Legislature's intent that the $2,000,000 from the state GF is ongoing.

3. Appropriates $12,000,000 from the Fund in FY 2023 to ACJC.

4. Exempts the $12,000,000 appropriation from lapsing. 

5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.