HB4143

THE CONTEXT: The Arizona Legislature adopts a budget for each fiscal year (FY) that contains general appropriations. Article IV, Section 20, Part 2 of the Constitution of Arizona requires the General Appropriations Act (feed bill) to contain only appropriations for the different state departments, state institutions, public schools and interest on public debt.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would direct the Department of Corrections (DOC) to provide a report on bed capacity to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) by November 1 of each year, require the report to include the following: a; the bed capacity for each security classification by gender at each state correctional facility and private prison, divided by rated and total beds; b; bed capacity data from the end of the previous two fiscal years and the projected capacity for the end of the current fiscal year, along with reasons for any change within that time period; c; the number of temporary and special use beds within the total bed count; d; the DOC's rationale for eliminating any permanent beds rather than reducing the level of temporary beds; and e; any plans to vacate beds but not permanently remove the beds from the bed count, and stipulate DOC must submit to JLBC for review any plan to open or close 100 or more state correctional facility or private prison rated beds, before implementation of the proposed changes, if the plan is developed after DOC submits its annual report.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to give the people who rely on the rule clearer information and a defined reporting process. It would direct the Department of Corrections (DOC) to provide a report on bed capacity to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) by November 1 of each year, and would also require the report to include the following: a. the bed capacity for each security classification by gender at each state correctional facility and private prison, divided by rated and total beds; b. bed capacity data from the end of the previous two fiscal years and the projected capacity for the end of the current fiscal year, along with reasons for any change within that time period; c. the number of temporary and special use beds within the total bed count; d. the DOC's rationale for eliminating any permanent beds rather than reducing the level of temporary beds; and e. any plans to vacate beds but not permanently remove the beds from the bed count, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.