AZ HB2044

Amends Section 41-2409 to require the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission to administer a new state aid fund for juvenile dependency proceedings and distribute funds on or before September 1 of each fiscal year to eligible counties.

Creates Section 41-2410 establishing the "State aid for juvenile dependency proceedings fund" to provide state aid to county public defenders, legal defenders, and contract indigent defense counsel for processing juvenile dependency cases.

Distributes funds to counties where the three-year average of juvenile dependency case filings exceeds the baseline average from fiscal years 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015, based on proportional share of the increase in petitions.

Appropriates $2,000,000 from the state general fund in fiscal year 2022-2023 to the new fund and exempts the appropriation and fund monies from lapsing provisions under Section 35-190.

Authorizes the state treasurer to invest and divest monies in the fund with earnings credited back to the fund, and allows counties to only spend distributions on purposes specified in Section 41-2410.