Senate Bill 1257 proposes to continue the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) for four additional years, until July 1, 2028, with a repeal set for January 1, 2029. The bill also removes the requirement for legislators and legislative staff members to sign a form acknowledging confidentiality laws and penalties before they can request access to DCS information.

The bill amends section 8-807 and repeals section 41-3024.06 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, adding section 41-3028.04. It eliminates the previous stipulation that legislators must have a signed form from another legislator to discuss DCS information, thus simplifying the process for legislators to access and discuss DCS files in the course of their duties. The changes are to be applied retroactively from July 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 41-3024.06, 41-3028.04
Senate Engrossed Version: 8-807, 41-3024.06, 41-3028.04, 13-3601, 13-1423, 11-593, 8-804, 41-3801, 8-807.01, 39-121.02