HB2278 proposes amendments to the Arizona Revised Statutes concerning the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission Fund (GIITEM Fund). The bill seeks to expand the sources of funding for the GIITEM Fund to include grants and to broaden the eligible recipients to include county attorneys, with direct funding that bypasses county board of supervisor approval. Additionally, the bill aims to extend the uses of the GIITEM Fund to cover the prosecution of human smuggling and immigration enforcement.

The bill also mandates the establishment and maintenance of a Southern Arizona Counterterrorism Information Center in partnership with sheriffs from counties bordering Mexico. This center would be responsible for receiving, analyzing, gathering, and sharing information related to potential threats among state, local, federal, tribal, and private sector participants. To support this initiative, the bill appropriates $2,000,000 for fiscal years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 from the Consumer Remediation Subaccount to the GIITEM Fund, and the same amount from the GIITEM Fund to the Department of Public Safety for the counterterrorism center. The appropriations are exempt from lapsing provisions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 41-1724
House Engrossed Version: 41-1724