Assigned to MAPS FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1055
full-service crime labs; funding
Purpose
Modifies how monies in the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) Forensics Fund
must be distributed and adds requirements that full-service crime laboratories must meet in order
to qualify for monies.
Background
The DPS Forensics Fund (Fund) consists of monies collected from a six percent surcharge
on every fine, penalty and forfeiture collected by the courts for criminal offenses and civil penalties
collected from civil traffic violations of the motor vehicle statutes, as well as 25.15 percent of the
monies deposited into the Criminal Justice Enhancement Fund, the first $10.4 million collected
annually from court defensive driving school fees and monies contributed to the Fund by any other
source (A.R.S. §§ 12-116.01; 28-3396; and 41-2401 ).
DPS is responsible for creating and coordinating services for use by local law enforcement
agencies in protecting the public safety and for formulating plans with a view to establish modern
services for prevention of crime, apprehension of violators, training of law enforcement personnel
and the promotion of public safety (A.R.S. § 41-1711).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires monies in the Fund to be distributed to all full-service crime labs in Arizona based
on the percentage of the Arizona population served by each lab according to the most recent
population estimate from the Office of Economic Opportunity.
2. Removes the current Fund distribution wherein 55 percent of the monies may be used by DPS
for specified purposes, with the remaining 45 percent distributed proportionally to crime labs
in Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa and Scottsdale.
3. Requires, rather than allows, the distribution of monies to each full-service crime lab to be
determined annually and removes the requirement that crime lab directors of the political
subdivisions agree on a distribution formula and allocation.
4. Modifies the definition of a full-service crime laboratory by requiring a full-service crime lab
to:
a) be operated by a criminal justice agency in Arizona or a political subdivision in Arizona; FACT SHEET
S.B. 1055
Page 2
b) be accredited by an organization that provides accreditation based on the International
Laboratory Accreditation and Cooperation G19 and standard ISO/IEC 17025 or standard
ISO/IEC 1720 or any relevant field specific standards; and
c) provide a minimum of six prescribed forensic disciplines, one of which must be in DNA,
digital forensics or drug toxicology.
5. Specifies that a full-service crime lab must have at least one full-time forensic scientist rather
than regularly employed forensic scientist.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 23, 2023
ZD/KS/sr