House Bill 2248 proposes an amendment to section 31-240 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, concerning the education programs for prisoners. The bill aims to expand the list of education programs for which the Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) must identify appropriated and expended monies in its prisoner education services budget. The new addition includes postsecondary education programs that prepare prisoners for employment in specific industries such as information technology, transportation and warehousing, construction, health care and social assistance, manufacturing, finance and insurance, and retail trade.

The current law requires the ADCRR to maintain a dedicated budget for prisoner education services, which covers programs like functional literacy, adult basic education, general equivalency diploma preparation, and vocational and technical education. The bill does not change the existing provisions but adds the aforementioned postsecondary education programs to the list. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee has estimated that the bill will have no fiscal impact on the state's General Fund. The bill is set to become effective on the general effective date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 31-240
House Engrossed Version: 31-240
Chaptered Version: 31-240