Legislation Archive
Session Summaries
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2023 - Fifty-sixth Legislature - First Regular Session
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2022 - Fifty-fifth Legislature - Second Regular Session
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2021 - Fifty-fifth Legislature - First Regular Session
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2020 - Fifty-fourth Legislature - Second Regular Session
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2019 - Fifty-fourth Legislature - First Regular Session
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2018 - Fifty-third Legislature - Second Regular Session
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2017 – Fifty-third Legislature – First Regular Session
Bill Archive
HB 2258: Assured water; supply; nonlocal water
In Brief: Statutory amendments relating to commingled water supplies
Sponsor(s): Cook
Last Action: Assigned to House NREW 1/24
Description: HB 2258 attempts to enable water providers delivering commingled water supplies (surface water, groundwater, effluent) to account for deliveries to an individual end user as if groundwater had not been delivered to that user. Presumably this would allow – or require – a water provider to account for certain water supplies going to specific end users, despite physical deliveries of a blended supply. The objective of HB 2258 is to authorize water providers to wheel specific supplies to individual customers under this provision, ending the long-standing ADWR requirement that an applicant for a Determination of Assured Water Supply must demonstrate physical availability of any groundwater delivered through the water provider’s distribution system. AMWUA and ADWR have identified significant concerns with this proposal, including that it undermines the AWS Program by preventing ADWR from evaluating physical availability of groundwater and could create infeasible municipal water provider reporting requirements. Furthermore, the requirement to assign specific water supplies to specific customers despite deliveries of a blended supply could lead to inequities in within a municipal water service area between different customers.
Link: https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/76721?SessionId=125
HB 2327: Drought mitigation revolving fund; appropriation
In Brief: Appropriates _____ billion dollars (unspecified) to the Drought Mitigation Revolving Fund.
Sponsor(s): Bowers & Toma
Last Action: Assigned to House NREW 1/20
Description: Appropriates _____ billion dollars (unspecified) to the Drought Mitigation Revolving Fund.
Link: https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/76784?SessionId=125
HB 2331: Area of impact; stored water
In Brief: Amends statutory definitions of Area of Impact
Sponsor(s): Cook
Last Action: Assigned to House NREW 1/24
Description: HB 2331 moves statutory definitions of “Area of Impact” (AOI), previously only applicable to Designation applications in the Pinal AMA, to the Recharge Program statutes in Title 45, Chapter 3.1. The bill also expands the AOI for a Groundwater Savings Facility by adding a 1-mile buffer to the irrigation district boundaries. Moving the AOI definitions as proposed would have broader impacts to the Recharge Program where “AOI” is used in other regulatory processes, such as permitting requirements for an Underground Storage Facility permit. Additionally, the proposed new definition that expands the AOI of a Groundwater Savings Facility by one mile further disconnects recovery from recharge.
Link: https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/76801?SessionId=125
HB 2406: Water quality fee fund
In Brief: Expands the allowable uses of ADEQ's Water Quality Fee Fund; authorizes ADEQ Rulemaking to update fees.
Sponsor(s): Griffin
Last Action: Signed by Governor 4/29
Description: Expands the allowable uses of ADEQ’s Water Quality Fee Fund (WQFF) to include total maximum daily load (TMDL) development, nonpoint source rulemakings, and groundwater monitoring and standards development. Also allows ADEQ to pursue a rulemaking to update AZPDES and APP fees which have been static since 2011. Rep. Griffin is running this bill on behalf of ADEQ.
Link: https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/76889?SessionId=125
HB 2409: Multi-county water districts; storage tax
In Brief: Extends CAWCD’s authority to levy the Water Storage Tax
Sponsor(s): Griffin
Last Action: Signed by Governor 4/18
Description: Extends CAWCD’s authority to levy the Water Storage Tax at 4 cents through 2029. The Water Storage Tax subsequently reduces to 3 cents in 2030 and expires in 2035. CAWCD had originally sought to extend the tax levy at the full 4 cents through 2044. AMWUA has requested that CAWCD provide more specificity regarding the intended use of the tax revenues, and that the legislation clarify that recovery is an authorized use of the Water Storage Tax. Prior to the introduction of HB 2409, AMWUA requested more specificity about how the Water Storage Tax revenues will be used and noted that it should be clarified that the tax can be utilized for recovery purposes. The Water Storage Tax funded the Arizona Water Banking Authority’s storage of excess Colorado River water to firm M&I supplies reduced by shortage, and the same tax should be authorized to fund the recovery of that stored water.
Link: https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/76915?SessionId=125
HB 2459: WQARF; appropriation
In Brief: Appropriates $15 million from the general fund to the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund (WQARF).
Sponsor(s): Cano & 8 others
Last Action: Assigned to four House Committees 1/24
Description: Appropriates $20 million from the general fund in FY2021-22 to the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund. WQARF is a state-sponsored program established by the Legislature and administered by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to clean up hazardous soil and groundwater contamination.
HB 2460: Wells; permits; spacing rules
In Brief: Mandates water use metering and reporting for groundwater wells throughout the state
Sponsor(s): Cano & 5 others
Last Action: Assigned to House Committees 1/24. Did not receive a hearing.
Description: Requires that ADWR adopt rules governing the location of new and replacement wells >35 gpm located outside of AMAs, within groundwater basins that the Director determines to be experiencing declining groundwater levels.
Link: https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/76958?SessionId=125
HB 2463: Well drilling; groundwater basins
In Brief: Establishes a well drilling moratorium in the Upper San Pedro and Verde Valley Subbasins
Sponsor(s): Cano
Last Action: Never assigned to Committee.
Description: Establishes a well drilling moratorium that prevents new wells in the Upper San Pedro and Verde Valley groundwater subbasins until the conclusion of the General Stream Adjudication unless a well is a replacement well or does not pump subflow.
HB 2467: Groundwater pumping; measuring; reporting
In Brief: Mandates water use metering and reporting for nonexempt groundwater wells throughout the state
Sponsor(s): Cano
Last Action: Never assigned to Committee.
Description: Requires monitoring and annual reporting for nonexempt groundwater wells throughout the state. Water users who irrigate 10 or fewer acres that are not part of a larger farming operation, or water users who pump <10 acre-feet per year for non-irrigation use are exempted from this requirement.
HB 2511: Subsequent irrigation non-expansion areas; procedures
In Brief: Modifies the procedures for determination of a new Irrigation Non-Expansion Area (INA)
Sponsor(s): Biasiucci
Last Action: Never assigned to Committee
Description: These measures introduce a number of modifications to the procedures for establishment of new irrigation non-expansion areas (INA). This proposal would allow ADWR to consider projected rates of groundwater withdrawal as part of the determination of a new INA. The bill also clarifies which entities are eligible to petition the State to create a new INA and would mandate that petitioners submit a groundwater model and hydrologic assessment using methodology approved by the ADWR Director. The language aligns with the suggested statutory changes presented by ADWR in the summer of 2017 during the Governor’s Water Solutions Conversations. AMWUA has previously supported this legislation.
Link: https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/77010?SessionId=125