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HB4015 - 572R - I Ver
REFERENCE TITLE:
prisoners; contracts; telecommute
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
HB 4015
Introduced by
Representatives
M�rquez: Powell, Wilmeth
AN
ACT
Amending sections 31-254 and 41-1624.01,
Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to prisoners.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 31-254, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
31-254.
Compensation for labor performed; price of prison made articles; distribution
of earnings; workers' compensation
A. Each prisoner who is engaged in productive work
in any state prison or institution under the jurisdiction of the department or
a private prison under contract with the department as a part of the prison
industries program shall receive for the prisoner's work the compensation that
the director determines. The compensation shall be in accordance
with a graduated schedule based on quantity and quality of work performed and
skill required for its performance but shall not exceed
one
dollar fifty cents
$1.50
per hour unless the
prisoner is employed in an Arizona correctional industries program pursuant to
title 41, chapter 11, article 3
or under a private TELECOMMUTING
contract pursuant to section 41-1624.01
. If the
director enters into a contract pursuant to section 41-1624.01 with a
private person, firm, corporation or association
,
the
director shall prescribe prisoner compensation of at least
two
dollars
$2
per hour. Compensation shall
not be paid to prisoners for attendance at educational training or treatment
programs, but compensation may be paid for work training programs.
B. Whenever a price is fixed for any article,
material, supply or service to be produced, manufactured, supplied or performed
in connection with the industries program of the department, the compensation
paid to prisoners shall be included as an item of cost in fixing the price.
C. The compensation of prisoners shall be paid out
of the fund established pursuant to section 41-1624 or out of funds
appropriated for that purpose by the legislature when required.
D. If the compensation due a prisoner is less than
two dollars
$2
per hour, mandatory
deductions shall be taken for the following purposes in the order specified:
1. Twenty-five percent of the prisoner's gross
wages until the prisoner's dedicated discharge account registers a
two hundred fifty dollar
$250
balance or,
if the prisoner is serving a sentence of natural life, a
fifty
dollar
$50
balance.
2. If the prisoner initiates a lawsuit, twenty
percent from all deposits to the prisoner's spendable account until the court
fees are collected in full.
3. If the prisoner was not convicted of a violation
of title 28, chapter 4, five percent of the prisoner's gross wages shall be
used exclusively to fund the transition program established by section 31-281.�
All monies collected under this paragraph shall be deposited, pursuant to
sections 35-146 and 35-147, in the transition program fund
established by section 31-284.
4. Thirty percent of the prisoner's wages for court
ordered dependent care.
E. If the compensation due a prisoner equals or
exceeds
two dollars
$2
per hour, the
director shall credit to the prisoner's spendable account established pursuant
to section 31-230 an amount equaling
fifty cents
$.50
per hour for each hour compensation is due plus ten
percent of the adjusted balance remaining after the mandatory deductions are
taken. Mandatory deductions shall be taken for the following purposes in the
order specified:
1. Twenty-five percent of the prisoner's gross
wages until the prisoner's dedicated discharge account registers a
two hundred fifty dollar
$250
balance or,
if the prisoner is serving a sentence of natural life, a
fifty
dollar
$50
balance.
2. If the prisoner initiates a lawsuit, twenty
percent from all deposits to the prisoner's spendable account until the court
costs are collected in full.
3. If the prisoner was not convicted of a violation
of title 28, chapter 4, five percent of the prisoner's gross wages to fund the
transition program established by section 31-281.� All monies collected
under this paragraph shall be deposited, pursuant to sections 35-146 and
35-147, in the transition program fund established by section 31-284.
4. Thirty percent of the prisoner's wages for the
room and board costs of maintaining the prisoner at the facility.
5. Thirty percent of the prisoner's wages for court
ordered dependent care.
F. After the mandatory deductions and obligations
are paid by the prisoner, the remaining monies shall be credited to the
prisoner's retention account established by the director pursuant to section 31-261,
subsection B.
G. A prisoner may gain access to the prisoner's
trust fund or retention account for emergency purposes at the sole discretion
of the director.
H. Any monies not expended from the contributing
prisoner's trust fund or retention account for the purposes prescribed in
subsection E of this section shall be paid to the prisoner on release pursuant
to section 31-228.
I. If any prisoner escapes, the director shall
determine what portion of the prisoner's earnings shall be forfeited, and the
forfeited amount shall be deposited in the special services fund established by
section 41-1604.03.
J. This section is not intended to restore, in whole
or in part, the civil rights of any prisoner. A prisoner who is
compensated under this section shall not be considered to be an employee of or
employed by this state, the department or any private person, firm, corporation
or association engaged in a contract pursuant to section 41-1624.01, and
the prisoner does not come within any of the provisions of the workers'
compensation provided in title 23, chapter 6 and is not entitled to any
benefits under title 23, chapter 6 whether on behalf of the prisoner or of any
other person. This subsection does not apply to prisoners who are
employed pursuant to a federally certified prison industry enhancement program
established pursuant to section 41-1674.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 2. Section 41-1624.01, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
41-1624.01.
Contracts; services to state agencies and others; lease of real
property
A. The director shall compensate prisoners for their
services pursuant to section 31-254.
B. The director or
his
the director's
designee may contract with any state agency,
political subdivision or state department or any private person, firm,
corporation or association to provide services or labor rendered by prisoners.
�prisoners may TELECOMMUTE to provide SERVICES or labor pursuant to
this section.
C. All monies derived from contract services
provided pursuant to subsection B of this section shall be deposited in the
fund established pursuant to section 41-1624.
D. Subject to legislative appropriation, the
director or
his
the
director's
designee may contract with any private person, firm,
corporation or association to lease real property for the operation of Arizona
correctional industries.
END_STATUTE