HB 2547
Initials FK Page 1 Military Affairs & Public Safety
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-fifth Legislature
Second Regular Session
HB 2547: continuation; state department of corrections
Sponsor: Representative Payne, LD 21
Committee on Military Affairs & Public Safety
Overview
Continues the Arizona State Department of Corrections (ADC) for eight years until July 1, 2030.
History
ADC was created in 1968 when the Legislature consolidated independently run prisons into a
single department responsible for incarcerating offenders as directed by the courts. In accordance
with its statutory purpose, ADC's mission is to provide safer communities by implementing court-
imposed sentences, housing inmates in appropriately secured environments, facilitating
structured programming and providing effective supervision of released inmates. ADC operates
10 state prison complexes and contracts for six private or privately managed prisons located
throughout Arizona to house inmates. It also oversees offenders conditionally released to the
community through its community corrections program. As of June 30, 2021, ADC was
responsible for 35,954 inmates Arizona's State and private prisons and 5,047 offenders on
community supervision.
Established by Laws 1978, Chapter 210, the Sunset Review process provides a system for the
Legislature to evaluate an agency to determine if the merits of the agency justify its continuation,
modifications or termination. During the Sunset Review process, an agency is reviewed by
legislative Committees of Reference (COR). Each COR is required to hold a public hearing to
discuss the sunset review and receive testimony from agency officials and the public (A.R.S. §
41-2954).
DOC is set to terminate on July 1, 2022. On January 19, 2022 the House Judiciary COR held a
public hearing and recommended that ADC be continued for three years to July 1, 2025.
On January 20, 2022, the Senate Judiciary COR held a public hearing and recommended that
ADC be continued for eight years until July 1, 2030 (COR Final Report).
Provisions
1. Continues, retroactive to July 1, 2022, ADC until July 1, 2030. (Sec 2, 4)
2. Repeals ADC on January 1, 2031. (Sec. 2)
3. Contains a purpose statement related to the continuation of ADC. (Sec. 3)
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note