Bill Text: AZ HB2127 | 2013 | Fifty-first Legislature 1st Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: Private prison security officers; certification
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-01-24 - Referred to House JUD Committee [HB2127 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2013-HB2127-Introduced.html
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REFERENCE TITLE: private prison security officers; certification |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-first Legislature First Regular Session 2013
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HB 2127 |
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Introduced by Representatives Campbell, Wheeler: Alston, Dalessandro, Gabaldón, Gallego, Hernandez, Mach, McCune Davis, Otondo
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AN ACT
amending sections 41-1609.01, 41-1682, 41-1822 and 41-1823, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to private prison security officers.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 41-1609.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
41-1609.01. Adult incarceration contracts; criteria
A. On publication, any request for proposals shall be provided to the joint legislative budget committee for its review.
B. To be considered for an award of a contract, the proposer must demonstrate that it has:
1. The qualifications, operations and management experience and experienced personnel necessary to carry out the terms of the contract.
2. The ability to comply with applicable correctional standards and any specific court order, if required.
3. A demonstrated history of successful operation and management of other secure facilities.
C. The proposer of a contract for correctional services must agree that this state may cancel the contract at any time after the first year of operation, without penalty to this state, on giving ninety days' written notice.
D. A contract may provide for annual contract price or cost adjustments, except that any adjustments may be made only once each year effective on the anniversary of the effective date of the contract. If any adjustment is made pursuant to the terms of the contract, it shall be applied to the total payments made to the contractor for the previous contract year and shall not exceed the per cent of change in the average consumer price index as published by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics between that figure for the latest calendar year and the next previous calendar year.
E. Any price or cost adjustments to a contract different than those authorized in subsection D of this section may be made only if the legislature specifically authorizes the adjustments and appropriates monies for that purpose, if required.
F. An award of a contract shall not be made unless an acceptable proposal is received pursuant to any request for proposals. For the purposes of this subsection, "acceptable proposal" means a proposal that substantially meets all of the requirements or conditions set forth in this section and that meets all of the requirements in the request for proposals.
G. A proposal shall not be accepted unless the proposal offers cost savings to this state.
H. A proposal shall not be accepted unless the proposal offers a level and quality of services that are at least functionally equal to those that would be provided by this state.
I. Notwithstanding section 41‑2546, a contract to provide correctional services as described in this section may be for an initial period of not more than ten years.
J. The initial contract may include an option to renew for two subsequent renewal periods of not more than five years each.
K. A contract for correctional services described in this section shall not be entered into unless the following requirements are met:
1. The contractor provides audited financial statements for the previous five years, or for each of the years the contractor has been in operation, if fewer than five years, and provides other financial information as requested.
2. The contractor provides an adequate plan of insurance, specifically including coverage or insurance for civil rights claims and liabilities as approved by the risk management division of the department of administration.
3. The contractor agrees to be liable for the costs of any emergency, public safety or security services provided to the contractor by the state or any political subdivision of the state and to reimburse the state or any political subdivision of the state for the cost of any such services.
4. The contractor only uses security officers who are certified pursuant to section 41-1822.
L. The sovereign immunity of this state does not apply to the contractor. Neither the contractor nor the insurer of the contractor may plead the defense of sovereign immunity in any action arising out of the performance of the contract.
M. A contract for correctional services shall not authorize, allow or imply a delegation of authority or responsibility to a prison contractor for any of the following:
1. Developing and implementing procedures for calculating inmate release dates.
2. Developing and implementing procedures for calculating and awarding sentence credits.
3. Approving the type of work inmates may perform and the wages or sentence credits that may be given to inmates engaging in the work.
4. Granting, denying or revoking sentence credits, placing an inmate under less restrictive custody or more restrictive custody or taking any disciplinary actions.
Sec. 2. Section 41-1682, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
41-1682. Private prisons; prohibitions; liability for services; financial responsibility; security officer qualifications
A. No private prison may operate in this state unless the private contractor complies with this section.
B. A private prison shall provide the department of administration with financial responsibility to cover this state's potential liability in the amount of ten million dollars. The monies shall be used by the state if the state is held liable for civil damages resulting from the escape of a prisoner from the private prison. The private prison may file proof of financial responsibility by filing one of the following:
1. Proof that ten million dollars is deposited in the private prison escapee fund established by section 41‑1830.31.
2. An insurance policy that is in a form approved by the department of administration, that provides civil liability and civil rights liability coverage in the amount of ten million dollars and listing that lists the state as an insured.
3. A surety bond with the principal sum of ten million dollars.
4. A certified financial statement that is not more than ninety days old and that shows a net worth of more than fifteen million dollars. Every ninety days the private prison shall submit a certified financial statement to the department of administration signed under oath by the chief financial officer of the prison. If the financial statement indicates a net worth of less than fifteen million dollars, the private prison shall comply with paragraphs paragraph 1, 2 or 3 of this subsection.
C. An insurance company or surety company duly authorized to transact business in this state shall execute the insurance policy or bond prescribed in subsection B of this section.
D. The insurance policy or surety bond shall continue in effect until ninety days after the private prison is sold or closed. Any monies deposited in the private prison escapee fund by the private prison shall be refunded to the private prison within ninety days after submission of evidence to the director of the department of administration that the private prison is either sold or closed and there are no remaining liabilities for which the state might be required to assume responsibility.
E. On receipt by the director of the department of administration of notice to cancel an insurance policy or bond by an insurance company or surety, the director of the department of administration shall immediately notify the private prison named on the insurance policy or the surety bond of the effective date of cancellation of the insurance policy or the surety bond. The private prison shall furnish a like insurance policy or surety bond within thirty days after mailing of the notice by the director of the department of administration. Unless a replacement insurance policy or surety bond is filed with the director of the department of administration, the right of the private prisons prison to operate in this state shall be suspended by operation of law on the date the bond is canceled.
F. If any of the monies required by subsection B, paragraph 1 of this section are used to satisfy civil damage claims or civil rights claims, the private prison shall reestablish the full amount of those monies within thirty days after notification by the director of the department of administration.
G. A security officer employed by a private prison contractor shall be at least twenty‑one years of age, and have no felony convictions and be certified pursuant to section 41-1822. A security officer who is employed by a private prison contractor shall not have any authority or jurisdiction outside the grounds of a private prison facility.
Sec. 3. Section 41-1822, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
41-1822. Powers and duties of board; definition
A. With respect to peace officer training and certification, the board shall:
1. Establish rules for the government and conduct of the board, including meeting times and places and matters to be placed on the agenda of each meeting.
2. Make recommendations, consistent with this article, to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate on all matters relating to law enforcement and public safety.
3. Prescribe reasonable minimum qualifications for officers to be appointed to enforce the laws of this state and the political subdivisions of this state and certify officers in compliance with these qualifications. Notwithstanding any other law, the qualifications shall require United States citizenship, shall relate to physical, mental and moral fitness and shall govern the recruitment, appointment and retention of all agents, peace officers and police officers of every political subdivision of this state. The board shall constantly review the qualifications established by this section and may amend the qualifications at any time, subject to the requirements of section 41‑1823.
4. Prescribe minimum courses of training and minimum standards for training facilities for law enforcement officers. Only this state and political subdivisions of this state may conduct basic peace officer training. Basic peace officer academies may admit individuals who are not peace officer cadets only if a cadet meets the minimum qualifications established by paragraph 3 of this subsection. Training shall include:
(a) Courses in responding to and reporting all criminal offenses that are motivated by race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or disability.
(b) Training certified by the director of the department of health services with assistance from a representative of the board on the nature of unexplained infant death and the handling of cases involving the unexplained death of an infant.
(c) Medical information on unexplained infant death for first responders, including awareness and sensitivity in dealing with families and child care providers, and the importance of forensically competent death scene investigations.
(d) Information on the protocol of investigation in cases of an unexplained infant death, including the importance of a consistent policy of thorough death scene investigation.
(e) The use of the infant death investigation checklist pursuant to section 36‑3506.
(f) If an unexplained infant death occurs, the value of timely communication between the medical examiner's office, the department of health services and appropriate social service agencies that address the issue of infant death and bereavement, to achieve a better understanding of these deaths and to connect families to various community and public health support systems to enhance recovery from grief.
5. Recommend curricula for advanced courses and seminars in law enforcement and intelligence training in universities, colleges and community colleges, in conjunction with the governing body of the educational institution.
6. Make inquiries to determine whether this state or political subdivisions of this state are adhering to the standards for recruitment, appointment, retention and training established pursuant to this article. The failure of this state or any political subdivision to adhere to the standards shall be reported at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the board for action deemed appropriate by that body.
7. Employ an executive director and other staff as are necessary to fulfill the powers and duties of the board in accordance with the requirements of the law enforcement merit system council.
B. With respect to state department of corrections correctional officers and private prison security officers, the board shall:
1. Approve a basic training curriculum of at least two hundred forty hours.
2. Establish uniform minimum standards. These standards shall include high school graduation or the equivalent and a physical examination as prescribed by the director of the state department of corrections.
3. Establish uniform standards for background investigations, including criminal histories under section 41‑1750, of all applicants before enrolling in the academy or working in a private prison facility. The board may adopt special procedures for extended screening and investigations in extraordinary cases to ensure suitability and adaptability to a career as a correctional officer or private prison security officer.
4. Issue a certificate of completion to any state department of corrections correctional officer or private prison security officer who satisfactorily complies with the minimum standards and completes the basic training program. The board may issue a certificate of completion to a state department of corrections correctional officer or private prison security officer who has received comparable training in another state if the board determines that the training was at least equivalent to that provided by the academy and if the person complies with the minimum standards.
5. Establish continuing training requirements and approve curricula.
C. With respect to peace officer misconduct, the board may:
1. Receive complaints of peace officer misconduct from any person, request law enforcement agencies to conduct investigations and conduct independent investigations into whether an officer is in compliance with the qualifications established pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 of this section.
2. Receive a complaint of peace officer misconduct from the president or chief executive officer of a board recognized law enforcement association that represents the interests of certified law enforcement officers if the association believes that a law enforcement agency refused to investigate or made findings that are contradictory to prima facie evidence of a violation of the qualifications established pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 of this section. If the board finds that the law enforcement agency refused to investigate or made findings that contradicted prima facie evidence of a violation of the qualifications established pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 of this section, the board shall conduct an independent investigation to determine whether the officer is in compliance with the qualifications established pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 of this section and provide a letter of the findings based on the investigation conducted by the board to the president or chief executive officer of the board recognized law enforcement association who made the complaint.
D. The board may:
1. Deny, suspend, revoke or cancel the certification of an officer who is not in compliance with the qualifications established pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 and subsection B of this section.
2. Provide training and related services to assist state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to better serve the public.
3. Enter into contracts to carry out its powers and duties.
E. This section does not create a cause of action or a right to bring an action, including an action based on discrimination due to sexual orientation.
F. For the purposes of this section, "sexual orientation" means consensual homosexuality or heterosexuality.
Sec. 4. Section 41-1823, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
41-1823. Adoption of minimum qualifications; certification required; violation; classification
A. No minimum qualifications for law enforcement officers adopted pursuant to this article shall be effective until six months after they have been filed with the secretary of state pursuant to section 41‑1031.
B. Except for agency heads duly elected as required by the constitution and persons given the authority of a peace officer pursuant to section 8‑205, 11‑572, 12‑253, 13‑916 or 22-131, no person may exercise the authority or perform the duties of a peace officer unless he is certified by the board pursuant to section 41‑1822, subsection A, paragraph 3.
C. A person who violates subsection B of this section is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.
