Assigned to MAPS AS PASSED BY HOUSE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1055
full-service crime labs; funding
(NOW: full-service crime labs; funding; appropriation)
(NOW: funding; full-service crime labs)
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 proportion of crimes reported to DPS, for the most recent year for each jurisdiction
where each full-service crime lab provides full-service crime laboratory services in relation to
the total number of crimes reported in all jurisdictions.
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. FACT SHEET – Amended
S.B. 1055
Page 2
4. Requires DPS, in FYs 2024, 2025 and 2026, to calculate the number of crimes reported in
accordance with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting
Program (UCR) Summary Reporting System classification criteria.
5. Requires DPS, in FY 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter, to calculate the number of crimes
reported in accordance with the FBI's UCR National Incident-based Reporting System
classification criteria.
6. Stipulates that this funding formula only applies to the Fund and prohibits the funding formula
from being used in the distribution of other grants or monies.
7. 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;
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.
8. Specifies that a full-service crime lab must have at least one full-time forensic scientist rather
than regularly employed forensic scientist.
9. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Changes the distribution of monies in the Fund to be distributed to each full-service crime lab
based on the number of Group A and Group B crimes reported in the most recent year by each
full-service crime lab to the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System, rather than the
percentage of the state population served by each full-service crime lab.
2. Adds an appropriation of $700,000 from the state GF in FY 2024, FY 2025, and FY 2026 to
the Fund to be distributed among each of the full-service crime labs as prescribed.
3. Adds an appropriation of $200,000 from the state GF in FY 2024 to DPS for crime lab services
as outlined.
4. Exempts the appropriations of $700,000 and $200,000 from lapsing until December 31, 2026,
at which point any unexpended monies revert to the state GF.
Amendments Adopted by the House of Representatives
1. Removes the $700,000 and $200,000 appropriations from the bill.
2. Requires DPS, in FYs 2024, 2025 and 2026, to calculate the number of crimes reported in
accordance with the FBI's UCR Summary Reporting System classification criteria. FACT SHEET – Amended
S.B. 1055
Page 3
3. Requires DPS, in FY 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter, to calculate the number of crimes
reported in accordance with the FBI's UCR National Incident-based Reporting System
classification criteria.
4. Stipulates that this funding formula only applies to the Fund and prohibits the funding
formula from being used in the distribution of other grants or monies.
Senate Action House Action
MAPS 2/8/23 DP 6-1-0 MAPS 3/28/23 W/D
3
rd
Read 3/21/23 26-3-1 APPROP 4/3/23 DPA 12-1-1-1
3
rd
Read 5/15/23 54-4-1-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
May 30, 2023
ZD/KS/sr