Once again, the Arizona Police Association (APA), in partnership with our member associations from across the state, is engaged in representing Arizona law enforcement and public safety officers at the State Capitol.
The 56th Legislature session began on January 10, 2023, and as of this writing, 1,625 bills have been introduced. Below are APA-sponsored bills, as well as a few others we have been actively working on. The list below are primary bills we have been engaged with, but it is not a complete list of all the bills the APA is monitoring.
HB 2002: DOC officers; personnel system; covered: This APA-sponsored bill will make Arizona correction supervisors up to the rank of captain “covered” employees again, providing them with “just cause” employment due process.
The bill was passed out of the House Military Affairs and Public Safety (MAPS) Committee on January 23 on a vote of 14–1.
HB 2336: tuition; family; post-traumatic stress; suicide: This APA-sponsored bill will provide tuition at the state universities and community colleges for the surviving dependents of police officers, firefighters and veterans who suffer from duty-related PTSD and subsequently commit suicide.
This bill was passed out of the House MAPS Committee on February 6 on a unanimous 15–0 vote. It will next move to the rules committee and then onto the floor for a full vote of the House.
HB 2418: law enforcement; response times; requirements: This bill would become a “strike everything” and would create a study committee to standardize the process of measuring emergency police response times and focus on the recruitment and retention of Arizona law enforcement. It’s scheduled for House MAPS on February 13.
HB 2478: aggravated assault; law enforcement employees: This APA-sponsored bill would protect non-sworn police employees by covering them with increased aggravated assault charges if assaulted in the course of their duties. This bill was passed out of the House MAPS Committee on a 15–0 vote on February 6.
HB 2484: failure to return vehicle; repeal: This APA-sponsored bill would repeal the failure to return vehicle-security interest law (A.R.S. 13-1813) if passed. Currently, under this law, the police are required to act as the repo man if someone fails to make their car payments. This bill is scheduled for House MAPS on February 13.
HB 2485: aggravated assault; ambush; police; classification: This bill would increase the felony classification for ambush assaults on police officers. It’s scheduled for the House MAPS Committee on February 13.
SB 1003: traffic violation; identification: This APA-sponsored bill would require a non-operator (pedestrian, bicyclist, passenger) violator of the traffic code, Title 28, to verbally provide their true name, date of birth and address to the officer. This bill was not scheduled for the committee, but we are looking for a striker to move the bill, mostly in the House.
SB 1301: law enforcement investigations; applicability: This APA-sponsored bill would retroactively apply to all disciplinary investigations not in compliance with 38-1110. This gives the agency one year to finish investigations that are older than 18 months, after which they are dismissed. This is scheduled for Senate MAPS on February 15.