SB 1297 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - First Regular Session

appropriation; fire incident management grants

SB 1297 allocates $6.5 million from Arizona's state general fund to create a grant program for municipal fire departments and fire districts. The grants fund hardware and software to establish a secure, statewide incident management platform meeting federal (FEMA) standards, enabling standardized command structures, common terminology, resource tracking, and secure communication during emergencies - including offline functionality and smartphone apps. Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, fully covering costs for three years, but unspent funds must be returned within one year if not fully used. The Department of Administration must report grant recipients and amounts to legislative leaders by December 2025.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 28, 2025 Last action Mar 26, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Senate Engrossed Version · 5 edits · Mar 3, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was restructured from an introduced version to a Senate engrossed version, adding new reporting requirements, an exemption from appropriation lapse rules, and clarifying grant encumbrance timelines. These changes ensure better accountability for how grant funds are used and prevent money from expiring before recipients can commit to spending it.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include new reporting obligations and an exemption from standard appropriation lapse rules, while maintaining the same core funding amount and eligibility criteria.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for the department of administration to submit a detailed report on grant applicants and recipients to the governor, legislature leaders, and secretary of state by December 31, 2025.

Modified grant encumbrance requirements to specify that unspent funds must be returned within one year of award, with unencumbered funds reusable for additional grants.

Added a new section addressing grant encumbrance for funds from prior legislative sessions, requiring return of unspent funds within six months of the act's effective date.

ENFORCEMENT

Added an exemption from Arizona Revised Statutes section 35-190, preventing the appropriation from lapsing at the end of the fiscal year.

TECHNICAL

Reformatted the bill structure to match Senate engrossed version standards, including proper section numbering and text organization.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 3, 2025

How they voted

26–3

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 30

Mar 3, 2025

D Democratic13

10 Yea 2 Nay 1

76% Yea

R Republican17

16 Yea 1 Nay

94% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 26, 2025

Lower · Passed

DPA

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

lower

Mar 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

PASSED

upper

Feb 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

DPA

upper

Feb 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

DPA

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors