41-1730. Department of public safety forensics fund; purposes; distributions; annual adjustment

A. The department of public safety forensics fund is established. The department shall administer the fund. Monies in the fund are subject to legislative appropriation. The department of public safety forensics fund consists of the following:

1. Monies deposited pursuant to section 12-116.01, subsection J.

2. Monies deposited pursuant to section 41-2401, subsection D, paragraphs 1 and 11.

3. Surcharge monies deposited pursuant to section 28-3396.

4. Monies contributed to the fund from any other source.

B. Monies in the department of public safety forensics fund shall be used for the following purposes:

1. Purchasing and installing fingerprint identification equipment.

2. Operating, maintaining and administering the Arizona automated fingerprint identification system and the system's remote terminals.

3. Crime laboratory operations and enhanced services.

4. Educating and training forensic scientists who are regularly employed in a crime laboratory.

5. Purchasing and maintaining scientific equipment for crime laboratory use.

6. Implementing, operating and maintaining deoxyribonucleic acid testing and administering the Arizona deoxyribonucleic acid identification system.

C. On a quarterly basis, the department of public safety shall allocate and distribute the monies in the department of public safety forensics fund that are collected pursuant to section 12-116.01 and deposited pursuant to section 41-2401, subsection D, paragraph 11. The department may use fifty-five percent of the monies for the purposes prescribed in subsection B of this section and shall distribute the remaining monies to political subdivisions that operate a crime laboratory as follows:

1. Twenty-two percent to the Phoenix police department.

2. Twelve percent to the Tucson police department.

3. Seven percent to the Mesa police department.

4. Four percent to the Scottsdale police department.

D. The distribution of monies pursuant to subsection C of this section may be adjusted annually, if appropriate, based on the crime laboratory services provided and the percentage of the state population served by each crime laboratory. The crime laboratory directors of the political subdivisions providing crime laboratory services in this state must agree on the distribution formula and allocation. The minimum allocation for a political subdivision that provides crime laboratory services is four percent.

E. For the purposes of subsections C and D of this section, " crime laboratory" means a laboratory that meets all of the following:

1. Is operated by a political subdivision.

2. Has at least one regularly employed forensic scientist who holds a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a physical or natural science.

3. Is registered as an analytical laboratory with the drug enforcement administration of the United States department of justice for the possession of all scheduled controlled substances.