appropriation; braille transcription program

Plain English Breakdown

The bill specifies reporting dates of October 15, 2026, 2027, and 2028. The summary uses 'through 2028' to reflect this range.

HB2207: Funding for Braille Transcription Program

This bill gives $300,000 from the state budget to the Department of Corrections to support a program that trains people to write materials in Braille.

What This Bill Does

• Sets aside $300,000 from the General Fund for fiscal year 2027 for the Braille Transcription Program.
• Requires the department to send an annual report on the program by October 15 each year through 2028.
• Asks the report to list how many students inside Arizona and outside Arizona used the program in the past fiscal year.
• States that the department currently spends $200,000 per year on this program.
• Expresses the goal of making this new funding continue into future years.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR).
• Students who participate in the Braille Transcription Program inside or outside Arizona.
• State leaders including the Senate President, House Speaker, Governor, and Secretary of State.

Terms To Know

Appropriation

The act of setting aside a specific amount of money from the government budget for a certain use.

Braille Transcription Program

A training program that teaches participants how to convert written materials into Braille for people who are visually impaired.

General Fund

The main account where the state keeps money collected from taxes and other sources to pay for government services.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not list a specific date when it becomes effective, only stating it takes effect on the general effective date.
• The text states an intent for ongoing funding but does not guarantee that future budgets will include this money.

Official Summary Text

HB2207 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
PS
& ATT���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� FOR
COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
h.b. 2207

appropriation;
braille transcription program

Purpose

Appropriates $300,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2027
to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR)
for the Braille Transcription Program.

Background

ADCRR provides supervisory staff and administrative functions at the
state level on all matters relating to the institutionalization or
rehabilitation of adult offenders, including educational services for
functional literacy, GED preparation and career and technical education and apprenticeships.
ADCRR staff consists of more than 100 professional educators with the goal of
addressing the educational needs of the offender population incarcerated in 10
ADCRR prison complexes and 7 private prisons contracting with ADCRR statewide (
A.R.S.
� 41-1602
;
ADCRR
Education
).

The Braille Transcription Program trains participants to transcribe
materials into Braille, contributing to accessibility for the visually impaired
(
ADCRR
Program Catalog
).

H.B. 2207 appropriates $300,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to ADCRR.

Provisions

1.

Appropriates
$300,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to ADCRR for the Braille Transcription
Program.

2.

Requires
ADCRR to submit a report on the Braille Transcription Program by October 15,
2026, 2027 and 2028 to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the Governor and provide a copy to the Secretary of State.

3.

Requires
the annual report to include:

a)

the number of in-state students who were served by the Braille
Transcription Program in the prior fiscal year; and

b)

the number of out-of-state students who were served by the Braille
Transcription Program in the prior fiscal year.

4.

Declares
the Legislature's findings that ADCRR currently allocates $200,000 each fiscal
year for the Braille Transcription Program.

5.

Declares
the Legislature's intent that the appropriation be considered ongoing funding
in future years.

6.

Becomes
effective on the general effective date.

House Action

PSLE�������������� 1/26/26����� DP���� 9-0-4-2

APPROP�������� 1/28/26����� DP���� 17-0-0-1

3
rd
Read��������� 2/25/26���������������� 44-10-6

Prepared by
Senate Research

March 5, 2026

KJA/SDR/hk

Current Bill Text

HB2207 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

appropriation;
braille transcription program

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2207

AN
ACT

Appropriating monies to the state department
of corrections.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.
Appropriation;
state department of corrections; braille transcription program; reports;
findings and intent

A. The sum of $300,000 is
appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the state
department of corrections for the braille transcription program.

B. On or before October 15,
2026, October 15, 2027 and October 15, 2028, the state department of
corrections shall submit an annual report on the braille transcription program
to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and
the governor and shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of
state. The report shall include:

1. The number of students
in this state who were served by the program in the prior fiscal year.

2. The number of students
outside this state who were served by the program in the prior fiscal year.

C. The legislature finds
that the state department of corrections currently allocates $200,000 each
fiscal year for the braille transcription program. The legislature
intends that the appropriation of $300,000 made in subsection A of this section
be considered ongoing funding in future years.