budget stabilization fund; public safety salaries

SB1541 - budget stabilization fund; public safety salaries

Budget Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Kevin Payne
Last action: 2026-02-03
Official status: Senate second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The specific dollar amounts authorized in Sections A and B are blank ($_____) in the provided text excerpt.

SB1541: Using Savings to Raise Public Safety Salaries

This bill allows the Department of Corrections and the Department of Public Safety to use money from a state savings fund for salary increases if there is no surplus in the general budget.

What This Bill Does

Allows the State Department of Corrections to take up to an unspecified amount from the Budget Stabilization Fund when the General Fund has no surplus.
Permits the Department of Public Safety to take up to an unspecified amount from the Budget Stabilization Fund under the same conditions.
Requires that these funds be used only for a ten percent salary increase for employees and sworn officers in both departments.
Sets a deadline so this rule ends on June 30, 2029.

Who It Names or Affects

Employees of the State Department of Corrections
Sworn officers of the State Department of Corrections
Employees of the Department of Public Safety

Terms To Know

Budget Stabilization Fund: A state savings account created by law to hold extra money for future use.
State General Fund Surplus: Extra money left in the main state budget after all planned spending is done.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill text leaves blank spaces where specific dollar amounts should be listed.
This funding option only works if the State General Fund does not have a surplus for that year.
The rule automatically stops working after June 30, 2029.

Bill History

2026-02-03 Senate
Senate second read
2026-02-02 Senate
Senate Rules: None
2026-02-02 Senate
Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology: None
2026-02-02 Senate
Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1541 - budget stabilization fund; public safety salaries

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB1541 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
budget stabilization fund; public safety salaries

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1541

Introduced by

Senator
Payne

AN
ACT

appropriating monies to the department of
corrections and the DEPARTMENT of public safety.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1.
State
department of corrections; department of public safety; salary increases;
delayed repeal

A. For any fiscal year that
the state general fund does not have a surplus, the state department of
corrections may use up to $_____ from the budget stabilization fund established
by section 35-144, Arizona Revised Statutes, for the purpose of providing a ten
percent salary increase for employees and sworn officers who are employed by
the state department of corrections.

B. For any fiscal year that
the state general fund does not have a surplus, the department of public safety
may use up to $_____ from the budget stabilization fund established by section
35-144, Arizona Revised Statutes, for the purpose of providing a ten percent
salary increase for employees of the department of public safety.

C. This section is repealed
from and after June 30, 2029.