Arizona Wins: Four JAN-Supported Bills Signed Into Law
Friends,
We are thrilled to share that in Arizona this year, FOUR JAN-supported bills were signed into law by Governor Hobbs this year! The bills we supported are related to conditions of probation, eliminate three justice system fees, require collection of data related to bench warrants for unpaid fines and fees, and expand veterans treatment courts.
These wins are especially meaningful given the challenging legislative landscape in Arizona this year. A record-shattering 2,116 proposals were introduced this session, yet only 264 bills have been signed into law so far, representing just 12.4% of all introduced measures.
A months-long budget fight made an already crowded session even more difficult. Measures with fiscal impacts stalled during budget negotiations, while the budget process consumed the time and political capital needed to move other legislation forward.
Against these odds, we’re particularly proud of the progress made in Arizona and are especially grateful to our legislative champions, advocates, and other partners who helped make it possible.
1. Senate Bill 1662, sponsored by Sen. Shawnna Bolick (R), passed both chambers near-unanimously and was signed by the governor over the weekend. The bill requires probation conditions to be individually tailored to each person's specific circumstances rather than applied as a blanket set of requirements. By eliminating over broad or ill-fitting conditions, the reform aims to make Arizona's probation system simultaneously more effective and more just.
“One-size-fits-all probation conditions may look tough on paper, but the reality is they don't make people more law-abiding. Generic conditions untailored to the individual are inefficient, and undermine jobs, housing, and ultimately public safety. This bill replaces what sounds good with what actually works.” - Estrella López, Senior State Policy Manager
2. Senate Bill 2265, sponsored by Rep. Neal Carter (R), eliminates three justice system fees associated with a defendant’s exercise of their constitutional rights: public defender, jury, and appellate fees. We were glad to support this effort alongside Fines and Fees Justice Center and Stand for Children Arizona.
The effort to remove these court fees for adult defendants follows the elimination of fees for juvenile defendants in 2023 with SB 1197, which JAN was proud to support alongside Stand for Children Arizona.
JAN Senior State Policy Manager, Estrella López, speaking at a press conference in support of HB 2265
3. House Bill 4158, the criminal justice omnibus bill, includes new annual reporting requirements on fines and fees ordered and collected by courts, when and under what circumstances individuals were incarcerated for nonpayment, and costs associated with enforcement of nonpayment of fines and fees.
This win grew out of our work on House Bill 2825, sponsored by Rep. Chris Lopez (R), which would have removed arrest and incarceration as a possible consequence for nonpayment of court debt. Despite a unanimous vote in the House, the bill began to face opposition in the Senate. When it became clear the bill wouldn’t pass, we successfully pivoted to securing the data needed to build the case for future reform. In a year when so few bills moved forward, we're especially proud to have helped secure a reform that lays the foundation for future change.
4. House Bill 2960, sponsored by Rep. Stacey Travers (D), creates a grant program to help local governments establish or expand veterans' treatment courts (VTCs),connecting justice-involved veterans with individualized care for issues like PTSD and substance abuse.
Defensive Victory
This year we saw the introduction of a number of regressive bills regarding drug sentencing. The most punitive of these, Senate Bill 1061, was thankfully vetoed by Governor Hobbs. The bill would have triggered a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence for a first-time conviction for possession of only nine grams of fentanyl for sale or transport, representing only a small handful of counterfeit pills. Though this bill passed both chambers, we urged the governor to veto the bill, and are grateful that she did so.
The Fight Continues on Oversight Funding
Unfortunately, the budget signed by Governor Hobbs once again did not include funding for the Independent Correctional Oversight Office. We were very encouraged by the near-unanimous legislative approval of legislation requiring oversight funding–Senate Bill 1032, sponsored by Sen. Shawnna Bolick (R), and House Bill 2063, sponsored by Rep. Walt Blackman (R)–however funding for the office did not make it into the final budget.
What was included in the budget, however, was $55.8 million to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry to cover the costs of healthcare staffing increases required as a part of federal court orders. Earlier this year, a federal judge ordered a takeover of health care operations in Arizona's prisons and will appoint an official to run the system after years of complaints about poor medical and mental health care.
We are confident that our efforts this year, including extensive media engagement with local TV news and print outlets, helped educate the public on why independent oversight of Arizona's prisons matters, and remain committed to securing funding for the office going forward.
We’re proud of our efforts in Arizona this year and the four legislative victories that came from this session. Bipartisan support for smart justice reform is growing, and these wins show that meaningful change is possible even in the most challenging environments. We will carry this momentum forward into the next session and continue to push for a system that is more fair, transparent, and effective for all Arizonans.
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