2022 Legislative Highlights
As members, you belong to Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Arizona. We provide many services such as legal protection, cell phones plans, as well as lobbying for your rights at the Arizona Capitol. The 2022 legislative session was a very long and hard battle. CLEAA however had an extremely successful session. Below are several highlight bills we wrote or supported. This is not an all-inclusive list as well as all the bad bills we had to fight to kill. Please reach out to Jobe@cleaa.org if you have any questions.
HB2063 – Reemployment of retired employees at same agency. This changed from one year of separation to 6 months. We are trying to let as many people who want to work in law enforcement have the opportunity to do so.
SB1268 – Extent the DROP from 5 to 7 years as well as have the PSPRS advisory board research how to make Tiers 2 & 3 more attractive pensions to retain and recruit officers. They must present information by December 31, 2022 to the Governor, Senate President, and Speaker of the House. We are committed to keeping as many cops on the street.
HB2498 – Mandatory Covid-19 vaccines prohibited. This bill makes it illegal for any government entity to require any citizen of this state to get a Covid-19 vaccine (except for health care employees).
HB2159 – Remove the ability for management to us a polygraph during an internal investigation of an employee. There is no defined science on the accuracy of polygraphs and management will no longer have this option to force polygraphs.
HB2254 – Public Safety Bill of Rights in ARS Title 38 is the baseline of Officer Rights. This means while we can bargain better rights in the TPOA contract, we can never have anything bargained away that would be less than Title 38
HB2340 – Final disposition of Disciplinary Appeals. This bill makes it law that after a grievance or civil service, if the discipline is overturned, a final copy needs to be added to the officer’s file as well as forwarded to the county attorney to make sure it is considered in the decision of placing someone on the 15.1 list (Brady List).
HB2721 – Civilian Oversight board must contain two-thirds law enforcement officer if they are able to recommend or apply discipline. Just like there are doctors on the medical board, or lawyers on the BAR committee, we believe there needs to be police on a police board that recognize training and policies that officers must follow.
HB2349 – Membership on AZPOST board. This bill changed access that there can be two(2) line level officers on the AZPOST board as long as they are not from the same agency. We believe its important to have line level officers on the AZPOST board during certificate review cases against our members.
HB2251 – Aiming a laser at a police officer, or an occupied aircraft. This bill makes it a felony to aim a laser at an officer. This tactic was used by protestors to blind riot line officers. It also substantially increases the penalty for aiming a laser at a police helicopter or airplane.
HB2343 – Interfering with a verbal crime scene area. While this bill was run by another labor group, we supported it. Officers may now make a reasonable verbal order for a person to remain off the premises of a possible crime scene. If they refuse, they may be arrested for a class 2 misdemeanor.
HB2319 – Unlawful video recording of Law Enforcement within 8 feet. This bill prohibits sectators from getting within 8 feet of officers performing police activity to video record. A violation is a class 3 misdemeanor. It should be noted a person who is the subject of police contact may record the encounter if they are not interfering with lawful police action.
CLEAA believes these bills made into law will keep more cops on the street, working conditions will be better, and officer’s rights will be better protected. As well as some new criminal statutes to keep our officer safe.
If you have any legislative law ideas for next year, please email Jobe@cleaa.org before August 10th, 2022. We have to start getting our agenda put together early as lobbying is a year round activity.
Stay safe,
Jobe Dickinson
Executive Director
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Arizona
