SB 1299 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - First Regular Session

law enforcement personnel; grant program

SB 1299 creates a grant program to reimburse Arizona law enforcement agencies (city police departments and county sheriff's offices) for costs related to officers participating in federal immigration training programs under U.S. law. The program covers up to one month of salary for either the officer attending training (if not reimbursed by the federal government) or a replacement officer covering their duties during training. It allocates $2 million from the state general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026, administered by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. This bill directly affects local law enforcement agencies that participate in federal immigration enforcement training programs.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Jun 2025

Governor

Introduced Jan 30, 2025 Last action Jun 25, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → House Engrossed Version · 6 edits · Mar 3, 2025

MODERATE

This bill fundamentally shifts from creating a grant program for law enforcement immigration training to establishing a compensation fund for individuals wrongfully convicted of felonies. It creates a new 'Erroneous Convictions Fund' to pay financial compensation, mental health treatment, and education to innocent people, while simultaneously reorganizing existing 'Smart and Safe' tax funds to support this new initiative and various justice reinvestment programs.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from a narrow program supporting law enforcement immigration training to a broad civil remedy for innocent people wrongfully convicted of felonies, including provisions for expungement and civil rights restoration.

SCOPE

Established a new legal process allowing innocent people to sue the state for compensation after being wrongfully convicted and incarcerated.

FISCAL

Created a new 'Erroneous Convictions Fund' funded by a reallocation of existing 'Smart and Safe' tax revenues and a transfer from the 'Justice Reinvestment Fund'.

Changed the distribution of the 'Smart and Safe' fund to prioritize the new compensation fund and community college workforce programs instead of law enforcement immigration training.

ELIGIBILITY

Set specific eligibility criteria requiring the claimant to prove they did not commit the crime and did not commit perjury or fabricate evidence.

REQUIREMENT

Mandated that courts order the expungement of arrest and conviction records and the destruction of biological samples like DNA for eligible claimants.

TIMELINE

Set the effective date for the new wrongful conviction statute to December 31, 2025, and included a delayed repeal of a temporary fund section after 2030.

House Engrossed Version → Senate Engrossed Version · 8 edits · Mar 3, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was significantly rewritten to remove provisions for compensating individuals wrongfully convicted of crimes and instead create a grant program to reimburse law enforcement agencies for officers participating in federal immigration training. The original version established an 'erroneous convictions fund' to pay compensation to innocent people, while the new version appropriates state funds to support immigration enforcement training for police officers.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from protecting individual civil rights and compensating wrongfully convicted persons to supporting federal immigration enforcement activities through law enforcement training programs.

SCOPE

Completely removed Article 15 establishing an 'erroneous convictions' compensation program that would have paid monetary awards to individuals wrongfully convicted and incarcerated.

FISCAL

Added a new law enforcement personnel grant program that reimburses agencies for salaries of officers participating in federal immigration training under 8 U.S.C. 1357(g).

Removed the 'erroneous convictions fund' that was to be funded by transfers from the justice reinvestment fund and smart and safe Arizona fund.

Changed funding allocation from supporting wrongful conviction compensation and justice reinvestment programs to supporting immigration enforcement training.

ELIGIBILITY

Eliminated eligibility criteria for individuals seeking compensation for wrongful convictions, including requirements for innocence, lack of perjury, and specific legal outcomes.

DEFINITION

Added definitions for 'law enforcement agency' and 'law enforcement officer' specifically in the context of immigration training programs.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed provisions requiring courts to order expungement of records, destruction of DNA samples, and restoration of civil rights for wrongfully convicted individuals.

TIMELINE

Changed the bill's title from 'House Engrossed Version' to 'Senate Engrossed Version' and updated statutory references from Title 13 to Title 41.

Floor votes · House Jun 24, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jun 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

DPA

lower

Jun 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

PASSED

lower

Jun 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

DPA

lower

Mar 31, 2025

Lower · Passed

DPA/SE

lower

Mar 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

PASSED

upper

Feb 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

upper

Feb 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

upper

Feb 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors