Arizona 2024 2024 Regular Session

Arizona House Bill HB2522 Comm Sub / Analysis

Filed 03/13/2024

                    Assigned to TTMC 	FOR COMMITTEE 
 
 
 
 
ARIZONA STATE SENATE 
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session 
 
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2522 
 
defensive driving schools; fees 
Purpose 
Effective March 31, 2025, transfers, from the defensive driving school to the court of 
record or a contracted vendor, the authority to collect and transfer court diversion and Defensive 
Driving School Fund (Fund) fees and surcharges and prescribes requirements for contracted 
vendors. 
Background 
For individuals attending a defensive driving school, the presiding judge of each court 
must: 1) set the amount of the court diversion fee that may be assessed; 2) charge a $45 surcharge; 
and 3) immediately inform the Arizona Supreme Court, in writing, of the fee, the total cost to 
attend a school and of any changes to the total cost. Payment of the court diversion fee and 
surcharge is in lieu of payment of a civil penalty or criminal fine and any surcharges that are 
imposed for a traffic violation. The defensive driving school must collect the court diversion fee 
and surcharge before or at the time an individual attends the school and transmit the fee to the 
appropriate court. The surcharge must be transmitted to the State Treasurer for deposit (A.R.S.  
§ 28-3396).  
In addition to the court diversion fee and the fee to attend a defensive driving school, an 
individual must pay a Fund fee of up to $15, as established by the Arizona Supreme Court. The 
defensive driving school must collect and transmit the Fund fee to the Arizona Supreme Court for 
deposit into the Fund (A.R.S. § 28-3397). 
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this 
legislation. 
Provisions 
1. Requires the court of record or a vendor that is contracted by the court to process payments 
(contracted vendor), rather than the defensive driving school, to collect the: 
a) court diversion fee and surcharge; and  
b) Fund fee.  
2. Requires the court of record or contracted vendor, rather than the defensive driving school, to 
transmit the: 
a) surcharge to the State Treasurer; and 
b) Fund fee to the Arizona Supreme Court.  
3. Requires a contracted vendor to: 
a) confirm that an individual is eligible to attend defensive driving school; and 
b) comply with Arizona Supreme Court rules relating to procurement.   FACT SHEET 
H.B. 2522 
Page 2 
 
 
4. Makes technical and conforming changes.  
5. Becomes effective on March 31, 2025. 
House Action 
TI 1/31/24 DP 10-0-0-0 
3
rd
 Read 2/29/24  43-16-0-0-1 
Prepared by Senate Research 
March 13, 2024 
KJA/EB/slp