Arizona Senate bill by Sen. Bolick allows online posting of corrections reports

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Shawnna Bolick seeks to simplify statutory reporting by enabling the Department of Corrections to use its website for official submissions, aiming to enhance accessibility and compliance, according to the Arizona State Senate.

It passed both chambers as of March 19, clearing the House by a vote of 57-0 and the Senate by a vote of 29-0.

The bill, introduced as SB1506 on Feb. 3, during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature, was formally listed with the short title: ‘department of corrections; reporting; website’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends Arizona Revised Statutes to allow the director of the state Department of Corrections to post information from all statutorily required reports, forms, plans, and summaries on the department’s website. This posting will be considered as the department’s official submission to the relevant entities. Additionally, the director is required to notify these entities that the information has been made available online. The bill essentially simplifies the submission process by leveraging digital accessibility while ensuring compliance with statutory reporting requirements.

In the House, 24 Democrats and 33 Republicans voted in favor, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 12 Democrats and 17 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Bolick introduced the bill in the Arizona Senate on Feb. 3 during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature.

Bolick graduated from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 1997 with a BA.

Shawnna Bolick is currently serving in the Arizona State Senate, representing the state’s 2nd Senate District. She replaced previous state senator Steve Kaiser in 2023.

The bill was signed into law by Gov. Katie Hobbs on March 25.

In Arizona, the legislative process begins when a bill is introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. It is then assigned to one or more committees for discussion and possible amendment. If approved by committee, the bill proceeds to floor debate and voting in both chambers. If both chambers pass the bill, it is sent to the governor, who may sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature. The Arizona Legislature convenes annually in regular session starting the second Monday in January. Lawmakers introduce hundreds of bills each session, though only a portion make it into law. You can learn more about the legislative process on the Arizona State Legislature website.