The proposed bill would amend section 11-588 of the Arizona Revised Statutes to expand the use of funds from the state aid to indigent defense fund. Currently, all monies distributed from the fund are required to supplement funding for the processing of criminal cases by county public defenders, legal defenders, and contract indigent defense counsel, based on the funding level established in fiscal year 1997-1998.

If the bill becomes law, it would insert provisions allowing these funds to also be used for the processing of eviction cases, thereby broadening the scope of legal support available to indigent individuals in Arizona. The existing requirement that the funds supplement rather than supplant county funding remains unchanged.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 11-588