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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
criminal justice; 2026-2027
Purpose
Makes statutory and session law changes relating to criminal justice necessary to implement the FY 2027 state budget.
Background
The Arizona Constitution prohibits substantive law from being included in the general appropriations, capital outlay appropriations and supplemental appropriations bills. However, it is often necessary to make statutory and session law changes to effectuate the budget. Thus, separate bills called budget reconciliation bills (BRBs) are introduced to enact these provisions. Because BRBs contain substantive law changes, the Arizona Constitution provides that they become effective on the general effective date, unless an emergency clause is enacted.
S.B. 1836 contains the budget reconciliation provisions for changes relating to criminal justice.
Provisions
1. Requires, as permanent law, the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) to provide a report on bed capacity to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) on or before November 1 of each year that:
a) reflects the bed capacity for each security classification by gender at each state correctional facility and private prison, divided by rated and total beds;
b) includes bed capacity data at the end of the previous two fiscal years and the projected capacity at the end of the current fiscal year, as well as the reasons for any change within that time period;
c) provides the number of temporary beds and special use beds within the total bed count;
d) addresses ADCRR's rationale for eliminating any permanent beds rather than reducing the level of temporary beds; and
e) includes any plans to vacate beds but not permanently remove the beds from the bed count.
2. Requires ADCRR, if ADCRR develops a plan to open or close 100 or more rated beds after submittal of the report, to submit a plan detailing the proposed bed changes to the JLBC for review prior to plan implementation.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
April 27, 2026
ZD/hk