The proposed bill would amend current statutes related to the Parity Compensation Fund for law enforcement personnel in Arizona. Under the new provisions, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) would be required to establish and consider benchmarks based on the average total compensation of comparable law enforcement ranks from the three largest county or municipal peer agencies in the state. This new requirement would be inserted into the existing law, which currently mandates that the DPS administer the fund and spend its resources on salaries and benefits for law enforcement personnel. The bill also clarifies that "total compensation" includes various forms of pay and contributions, such as base salary, educational incentives, and retirement contributions.

Additionally, the bill modifies the language regarding the administration of the fund by removing the previous phrasing that required the DPS to consider state revenues and employee pay adjustments when spending fund monies. Instead, it emphasizes that these considerations should be part of the overall administration of the fund. The bill also mandates that the most recent compensation benchmarks established by the DPS be included in the annual report on state personnel, thereby enhancing transparency and accountability in the compensation process for law enforcement personnel.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 41-751, 41-1720
House Engrossed Version: 41-751, 41-1720
Senate Engrossed Version: 41-751, 41-1720
Chaptered Version: 41-751, 41-1720