 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
appropriation; DPS crime lab
Purpose
Appropriates an unspecified amount in FY 2027 from the state General Fund (state GF) to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for crime laboratory (crime lab) services to process and test evidence submitted by law enforcement agencies from counties with fewer than 1,000,000 persons.
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 penalties collected from civil traffic violations, 20.81 percent
of the monies deposited into the Criminal Justice Enhancement Fund, the first
$10,400,000 in court diversion fees collected annually and monies contributed
to the Fund by any other source. Fund monies are distributed to each
full-service crime lab on a quarterly basis and must be used: 1) to purchase
and install fingerprint identification equipment; 2) to operate, maintain and
administer the Arizona Automated Fingerprint Identification System; 3) for
crime lab operations and enhanced services; 4) to educate and train forensic
scientists who are regularly employed in a crime lab; 5) to purchase and maintain
scientific equipment for crime-lab use; and 6) to implement, operate and maintain
deoxyribonucleic acid testing and administer the Arizona Deoxyribonucleic Acid Identification
System (A.R.S. §§ 12-116.01;
28-3396;
41-1730;
and 41-2401).
A full-service crime lab is an accredited lab that is operated by a criminal justice agency of the state or a political subdivision, is registered as an analytical laboratory with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for the possession of all scheduled controlled substances and must have at least one full-time forensic scientist and provide a minimum of six prescribed forensic disciplines (A.R.S. § 41-1730).
S.B. 1117 appropriates an unspecified amount in FY 2027 from the state GF to DPS.
Provisions
1. Appropriates an unspecified amount in FY 2027 from the state GF to DPS for crime lab services to process and test evidence submitted by law enforcement agencies from counties with fewer than 1,000,000 persons.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 26, 2026
KJA/SDR/hk