prisoners; strip search; pat search

HB2523 - prisoners; strip search; pat search

Crime

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, Patty Contreras, Brian Garcia, Nancy Gutierrez, Elda Luna-Nájera, Stephanie Simacek, Betty J Villegas, Kevin Volk, Rosanna Gabaldón, Analise Ortiz
Last action: 2026-01-21
Official status: House second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text provided does not include an effective date, only that the bill passed the legislature.

HB2523: New Rules for Searching Prisoners in Arizona

This bill replaces old laws with new rules requiring correctional officers to match the gender of prisoners during searches and sets strict steps for any exceptions.

What This Bill Does

Repeals section 31-236 of the Arizona Revised Statutes.
Requires strip searches to be done only by an officer of the same gender as the prisoner in a room designated by prison leadership.
Allows officers to use other private areas for immediate strip searches if authorized by a shift commander or duty officer.
Prohibits correctional officers from touching any part of a prisoner's body during a strip search, except when inspecting hair on the head.
Requires pat searches to be done only by an officer of the same gender as the prisoner unless it is an emergency situation.
Mandates that cross-gender pat searches in emergencies must include specific documentation and be witnessed if possible.

Who It Names or Affects

Prisoners held in Arizona correctional facilities
Correctional officers who conduct strip or pat searches

Terms To Know

Strip search: A search where a prisoner must remove clothing so an officer can look at their body.
Pat search: A search where an officer pats down or frisks the clothed body of a prisoner.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not define what specific situations count as emergencies for cross-gender pat searches.
The text provided does not state when this law will officially take effect after passing the legislature.
The rules do not explain how to handle strip search exceptions if no designated room is available.

Bill History

2026-01-21 House
House second read
2026-01-20 House
House Rules: None
2026-01-20 House
House Public Safety & Law Enforcement: None
2026-01-20 House
House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2523 - prisoners; strip search; pat search

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2523 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
prisoners; strip search; pat search

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2523

Introduced by

Representatives
Stahl Hamilton: Contreras P, Garcia, Gutierrez, Luna-N�jera, Simacek,
Villegas, Volk;� Senators Gabald�n, Ortiz

AN
ACT

repealing
section 31-236, Arizona Revised Statutes; amending title 31, chapter 2, article
2, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding a new section 31-236; relating to
prisoners.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1.
Repeal

Section 31-236, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is repealed.

Sec. 2. Title 31, chapter 2, article 2, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section 31-236, to read:

START_STATUTE
31-236.

Prisoners; strip search; pat search; procedures; definition

A. A strip search may be performed
only by a correctional officer who is of the same gender as the prisoner and in
a room that is designated by the warden, deputy warden or prison administrator
for strip searches. If a reason exists for a strip search to be done
immediately, the shift commander or duty officer may authorize the use of a
private area other than the designated strip search room. Except
during an inspection of the hair on a prisoner's head, a correctional officer
may not touch any part of the prisoner's body during a strip search.

B. A pat search may be performed only
by a correctional officer who is of the same gender as the prisoner, except
that in an emergency situation, a correctional officer of the opposite gender
may conduct a pat search if both of the following apply:

1. The following information is
documented in the correctional service log:

(
a
) The name of
the correctional officer who conducts the pat search.

(
b
) The name of
any correctional officer who witnesses the pat search.

(
c
) The
correctional officer's badge number.

(
d
) The
prisoner's name and state department of corrections number.

(
e
) The reason
for the cross gender pat search.

2. When possible, the pat search is
conducted in the presence of at least one additional correctional officer.

C. For the purposes of this section,
"pat search" means a search that is conducted by a correctional
officer who pats down or frisks the body of a clothed prisoner.

END_STATUTE