HB 2404 Arizona House · 57th Legislature - First Regular Session

commerce authority; board of directors

HB 2404 establishes the Arizona Commerce Authority to lead economic growth by attracting, expanding, and retaining businesses across the state. It creates a 19-member board of directors (including the governor as chair, 17 private business leaders appointed by the governor and legislative leaders, and non-voting ex officio members) to guide this work. Key provisions require appointed board members to undergo criminal background checks, mandate technical advisors from state agencies (like environmental quality and transportation), and set annual audit requirements for the authority’s funds. The bill directly affects state economic development strategy and business recruitment efforts, with the board’s decisions shaping how Arizona markets itself to companies.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Jan 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 23, 2025 Last action Mar 31, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → House Engrossed Version · 8 edits · Feb 19, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amended the Arizona Commerce Authority statute to add transparency and governance requirements. The most significant change is the addition of new sections requiring the board to maintain meeting records, make public portions of meetings accessible online within three business days, and comply with open meeting laws with specific exceptions for competitive business discussions. The bill also added provisions for written conduct policies, conflict of interest rules, and clarified that compensation records are public.

REQUIREMENT

New requirement for the board to maintain complete and accurate records of all proceedings with public access subject to existing disclosure laws.

Mandate that public portions of board meetings be recorded and posted on the authority's website within three business days after each meeting.

Board, executive committee, and subcommittees must comply with Arizona's open meeting laws, with limited exceptions for discussing competitive business opportunities.

Requirement for the board to adopt written policies and procedures for standards of conduct, including a gift policy for board members and staff.

Board and authority employees are subject to Arizona's conflict of interest laws.

Compensation of all officers and employees is designated as a public record.

Authority must operate on the state fiscal year and undergo annual audits by an independent certified public accountant with results filed with the auditor general.

All state agencies must cooperate with the authority and provide requested data related to the authority's functions.

Floor votes · House Feb 19, 2025

How they voted

55–4

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 60

Feb 19, 2025

D Democratic27

26 Yea 1

96% Yea

R Republican33

29 Yea 4 Nay

87% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

PASSED

lower

Jan 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

lower

1 primary · 9 co-sponsors