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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
compensation; elective state officers; inflation
Purpose
Subject to voter approval, constitutionally adjusts each State Legislator's most recently approved salary for inflation on January 1 of each year.
Background
The Arizona Constitution sets the term for a member of the Senate or House of Representatives at two years. A Senator or Representative must not serve more than four consecutive terms in that office. A Senator or Representative, after serving the maximum number of terms, including any part of a term served, may not serve in the same office until the member has been out of office for at least one full term (Ariz. Const. art. 4, pt. 2, § 21).
The Commission on Salaries for Elective State Officers (Commission) is established to recommend the rates of pay of elected state officers, including legislative salaries. The recommendations of the Commission as to legislative salaries must be certified to the Secretary of State (SOS) and submitted to the qualified electors at the next regular general election for approval (Ariz. Const. art. 5, § 12; A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 13). The salary for a Senator or Representative was set at $24,000 in 1998 by Proposition 302 (SOS). Statute outlines additional travel and subsistence reimbursement, or per diem, for members of the Senate or House of Representatives (A.R.S. § 41-1104).
If adjusting the salary of a legislative member each year results in a change to the Senate's or House's annual budget, there may be a fiscal impact to the state General Fund.
Provisions
1. Sets the salary of a Legislator as the amount most recently approved by the voters as adjusted on January 1 of each year for inflation or deflation, according to the Consumer Price Index or its successor index, as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or its successor agency.
2. Requires the advised annual salary for a member holding office as a State Legislator to take effect on the second Monday in January of each year.
3. Makes technical and conforming changes.
4. Requires the SOS to submit this proposition to the voters at the next general election.
5. Becomes effective if approved by the voters and on the proclamation of the Governor.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 21, 2025
AN/DL/ci