SB1320 children; incarcerated parents task force

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is not listed in the provided metadata; therefore, the exact start date of member appointments (six months after effectiveness) cannot be calculated.

Creating a Task Force for Children with Incarcerated Parents

This law creates the Children of Incarcerated Parents Task Force to study children's rights and service needs, requiring it to submit a final report by June 30, 2028.

What This Bill Does

Establishes the Children of Incarcerated Parents Task Force with members appointed by state leaders or selected from specific groups.
Requires the task force to focus on rights for children, such as safety during arrests and maintaining contact with parents.
Directs the group to find gaps in behavioral health services and work with faith-based, educational, and community organizations to fill them.
Orders the task force to track data on how many children are reached and partnerships formed.
Mandates a final report of findings and recommendations be sent to state leaders by June 30, 2028.

Who It Names or Affects

Children in Arizona who have parents currently incarcerated
State agencies including corrections, juvenile corrections, economic security, courts, and the attorney general's office
County attorneys from large and small counties
Members of the Arizona criminal justice commission representing large and small counties
Faith-based organizations, educational groups, and community volunteers

Terms To Know

Task Force: A temporary group created to study a specific problem and make recommendations.
Incarcerated Parents: Parents who are currently held in jail or prison.
Designee: A person chosen by an official to act on their behalf if they cannot attend a meeting.

Limits and Unknowns

Task force members do not receive payment or expense reimbursement for their work.
This law automatically ends and is repealed after June 30, 2028.
The text does not specify how much money will be used to fund the programs recommended by the group.

Official Summary Text

SB1320 - children; incarcerated parents task force

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB1320 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
children; incarcerated parents task force

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1320

Introduced by

Senators
Ortiz: Kuby;� Representatives Aguilar, Liguori

AN
ACT

Establishing the Children of incarcerated
parents task force.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1.
Children of
incarcerated parents task force; membership; duties; report; delayed repeal

A. The children of
incarcerated parents task force is established consisting of:

1. The following members
who are appointed by the governor.

(
a
) Two
members who are from an organization that advocates for adolescents, youth or
incarcerated parents in this state.

(
b
) Two
members who are the adult children of a parent who has been incarcerated.

(
c
) Two
members who are parents and who were formerly incarcerated.

(
d
) One
member who is a researcher and who has studied issues related to the impact of
incarceration on youth.

(
e
) One
member who is from an organization in this state that facilitates visitation
between incarcerated parents and their children.

(
f
) One
county attorney who is from a county with a population of less than five
hundred thousand persons or the county attorney's designee.

(
g
) One
county attorney who is from a county with a population of five hundred thousand
persons or more or the county attorney's designee.

(
h
) One
member of the Arizona criminal justice commission who represents a county with
a population of five hundred thousand persons or more or the member's designee.

(
i
) One
member of the Arizona criminal justice commission who represents a county with
a population of less than five hundred thousand persons or the member's
designee.

(
j
) One
member who is a chief probation officer or the chief probation officer's
designee.

2. The director of the
department of economic security or the director's designee.

3. The director of the
state department of corrections or the director's designee.

4. The director of the
department of juvenile corrections or the director's designee.

5. The director of the
governor's office of youth, faith and family or the director's designee.

6. The director of the
Arizona peace officer standards and training board or the director's designee.

7. The director of the
administrative office of the courts or the director's designee.

8. The attorney general or
the attorney general's designee.

9. The presiding judge of
the juvenile court in Maricopa county or the presiding judge's designee.

10. One member of the
senate who is appointed by the president of the senate.

11. One member of the house
of representatives who is appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives.

12. One member of the
senate who is appointed by the minority leader of the senate.

13. One member of the house
of representatives who is appointed by the minority leader of the house of
representatives.

B. Members of the task
force shall be appointed not later than six months after the effective date of
this section.

C. Task force members are
not eligible to receive compensation or reimbursement of expenses under title
38, chapter 4, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes.

D. At the first meeting of
the task force, the members shall elect a chairperson.

E. The task force shall
meet at least quarterly or at the call of the chairperson.

F. The task force shall:

1. Focus on providing every
child who has an incarcerated parent in this state with all of the following
rights:

(
a
) To
be kept safe and informed at the time of the parent's arrest.

(
b
) To
be heard when decisions are made about the child.

(
c
) To
be considered when decisions are made about the child's parent.

(
d
) To
be well cared for in the parent's absence.

(
e
) To
speak with, see and touch the parent.

(
f
) To
be supported as the child faces the parent's incarceration.

(
g
) To
not be judged, blamed or labeled because the child's parent is incarcerated.

(
h
) To
have a lifelong relationship with the parent.

2. Identify service gaps in
behavioral health support and coordinate with faith-based, educational
and community organizations in this state to ensure accessible,
trauma-informed, preventive interventions for the children of incarcerated
parents.

3. Track key indicators,
including all of the following:

(
a
) The
number of children of incarcerated parents who are reached by the task force.

(
b
) The
number of faith-based community partnerships that are established.

(
c
) Any
reports on parental contact and reintegration support.

4. Partner with local
congregations, faith leaders and volunteers to raise awareness, facilitate peer
support groups and deliver stress management and self-awareness programs for
the children of incarcerated parents and their caregivers.

5. On or before June 30,
2028, submit a report regarding the task force's findings and recommendations
to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of
representatives and provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.

G. This section is repealed
from and after June 30, 2028.