Below are some of the law-enforcement-related bills that were introduced by the Arizona Police Association (APA) or were monitored/lobbied by our lobbyist, Tassinari Terrazas and the APA.

One of the primary objectives and purposes of the Arizona Police Association is to protect the interest of Arizona Law Enforcement, Corrections, Detention, and Probation Officers in the legislative process on the State, Local, and National level.

This is NOT a complete list of all the bills the APA was involved with. We opposed and/or supported numerous other bills that harmed or benefited public safety.

For further information and updates on these and other bills, please check the Arizona Legislature’s bill status inquiry page at; https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview

HB 1461: Law Enforcement Officer; probation; termination

This bill was sponsored by the APA and makes it impermissible to terminate an officer who was promoted to a supervisory position for failing to successfully complete probation in the promoted classification, the officer can only be demoted to the lower classification from which they were promoted. The officer can still be terminated for just cause. The bill also recognizes the current practice of allowing on duty officers to represent officers under investigation (consistent with Cheatham vs City of Phoenix) but does not require the employer to ensure any additional cost associated with the representation.

Bill sponsor: Sen. Payne
Bill status: Sign by Governor 4-18-25

SB 1232: Arrest Warrant; issuance; Affidavit

APA Sponsored bill; this bill simply allows an officer to go directly to a judge to obtain an arrest warrant upon an affidavit. Currently, the process goes through the prosecutor’s office, which is unnecessary and significantly slows the obtaining of a warrant, especially on non-business times/days.

Bill Sponsor; Sen. Payne
Bill status; Sign by the Governor 6-27-2025

SB 1365: PSPRS; member contributions

This bill is the product of a coalition of public safety labor groups; PFFAZ, FOP, AZCOPS, and the APA. This bill would cap the employee contribution rate to PSPRS at 9.5%. Currently, the rate is 50/50 split between the employer and employee.

Bill sponsor: Sen. Kavanagh
Bill status: passed out of Military Affairs and Border Security Committee 7-0 but failed to move out of the Rules Committee.

HB 2689: Cancer insurance; retirees; public safety

This bill was the product of stakeholder meetings between PSPRS, employers, employee representative associations, including the APA. Purpose Allows, effective January 1, 2026, a person who did not receive covered Cancer Insurance Program (CIP) benefits to elect to continue CIP coverage after retirement by paying the CIP premium. Prescribes requirements for the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) Board of Trustees when determining the cost of the CIP premium for people who elected to continue coverage. Extends, permanently, the requirement for the state and political subdivisions to offer a supplement benefit plan for public safety employees who have a duty-related injury

Bill sponsor; Livingston
Bill status; signed by the Governor 5-13-25

HB2678: Indistinguishable; visual depiction; definition

This bill was supported by the APA and all law enforcement. This bill simply adds the creations/possession of AI generated pornographic imagery to the definition of child porn.

Bill sponsor; Rep. Willoughby
Bill status; sent to the Governor 5-6-25

SB 1010: appropriation; state department of corrections

This is an APA/ACA sponsored bill. Appropriate $103.3 million in FY 2026 from the state general fund to ADCRR for a salary increase of: a) 20 percent for correctional officers employed by ADCRR; and b) 10 percent for all other ADCRR employees. This bill, and all pay raise bills never actually get signed by the Governor, are a means for the APA and the Arizona Correctional Association the opportunity to speak in committee on the critical importance of the need for pay raises for correctional officers and staff. Ultimately, these become part of the budget negotiations during which the APA/ACA continues to advocate for your pay raises.

Bill sponsor; Sen Payne
Bill status; passed out of the Senate and House PSLE committee, currently in Rules/Appropriations committees. Unfortunately, ADCRR correctional officers only received a one-time 4% stipend, while appreciated, it does nothing to relieve the critical staffing shortages at Arizona state prisons.

SB 1060: internal investigations; notice; confidentiality

This bill was supported by the APA, requires an employer to provide relevant materials to a law enforcement officer at least 24 hours before an interview for an administrative investigation, except as specified.

Bill Sponsor: Sen. Gowan
Bill Status: Signed by the Governor 3-3-1-25

Below are just a few of the bills the
APA OPPOSED

HB 2221: law enforcement; defunding; prohibition

Ironically, the APA supported this bill initially. However, a late amendment to the bill in the Senate forced us to oppose the bill. The amendment read “THE REGULATION OF FUNDING OF A CITY’S OR TOWN’S LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IS A MATTER OF STATEWIDE CONCERN. THE FUNDING AND PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY DIRECTLY IMPACT PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIME PREVENTION ACROSS THIS STATE AND ARE NOT SUBJECT TO FURTHER REGULATION BY A CITY, TOWN OR CHARTER CITY PROVISION OF THIS STATE.” This amendment would have prevented departments/cities from managing virtually every aspect of public safety, including contract negotiations.

Bill status: This bill was vetoed by the Governor on 5-12-25

SB 1055: municipalities; retired police officers; volunteers

This bill would have allowed retired officers to work off-duty traffic jobs without any authority or affiliation with a law enforcement agency.
Bill Sponsor: Sen. Rodgers
Bill Status: failed to get out of Senate PS committee
HB2722: public resources; expenditures; prohibition
The title of the bill is a bit misleading. The bill attempted to address concerns with the “Gift Clause” of the Arizona Constitution which already make it prohibited to spend public resources except for public good. The bill was an extreme overreach and way out of decades of established case law on what constitutes public good. The bill went so far as to prohibit cooperation for economic development which could devastate city revenues and thereby public safety.

Bill Sponsor: Rep. Carter
Bill status: died in senate rules committee

SB 1361: peace officer violence victims’ rights

This bill is without a doubt the most anti police officer/law enforcement legislation introduced. Here are the definitions of who qualifies as a “victim of peace officer violence”. “CRITICAL INCIDENT” MEANS AN INTERACTION BETWEEN A PEACE OFFICER AND A CIVILIAN THAT RESULTS IN PHYSICAL INJURY TO OR THE DEATH OF THE CIVILIAN. “VICTIM” MEANS A PERSON WHO EXPERIENCES INJURY OR DEATH RESULTING FROM A PEACE OFFICER INTERACTION, REGARDLESS OF THE STATUS OR OUTCOME, OR BOTH, OF THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, CIVIL INVESTIGATION AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION THAT ARE TAKEN BY THE PEACE OFFICER’S POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Here is just one provision of the law.
“NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER LAW, A PEACE OFFICER WHO IS INVOLVED IN A SHOOTING OR IN-CUSTODY DEATH MUST BE PERMANENTLY REMOVED FROM ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT ROLE AND THE PEACE OFFICER’S PENSION MUST BE PERMANENTLY WITHHELD. FOLLOWING A CRITICAL INCIDENT, THE ROLE OF THE PEACE OFFICER OR PEACE OFFICERS INVOLVED SHALL BE REVIEWED AND REMOVAL SHALL BE CONSIDERED.”

Fortunately, this bill never got a hearing.

Bill sponsor: Sen. Ortis
Bill status: dead, bill never got a hearing