SB 1202 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - Second Regular Session

supply and demand; assessment; groundwater.

This bill amends Arizona Revised Statutes § 45-105 to clarify and update the Arizona Department of Water Resources' authority. It specifically adds provisions allowing the Director to contract for imported water, acquire water rights (including groundwater), and manage groundwater basins as part of the department's core functions. The changes directly affect the Department of Water Resources, enhancing its administrative flexibility for water management without creating new regulatory requirements. The bill focuses on procedural clarity for existing groundwater and water rights management duties.

Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Jun 2026

Vetoed

Jun 2026

Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Vetoed Jun 19, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Senate Engrossed Version (02/24/2026) · 4 edits · Feb 24, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted from an introduced draft to a Senate-engrossed version, adding a new section (Section B) that mandates the Water Resources Director to conduct regular water supply and demand assessments for groundwater basins. This new requirement forces the state to measure specific metrics like groundwater depth, well density, and storage volume every five years to better track water availability and drought risks.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from general administrative duties to include a mandatory, recurring data collection and reporting requirement for all state groundwater basins.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new mandate for the Director to prepare and issue water supply and demand assessments for at least six groundwater basins annually, with a goal to cover all basins every five years.

Defined exactly 11 specific data points that must be included in these assessments, such as average depth-to-static level, bedrock depth, and total estimated groundwater storage.

TIMELINE

Established a recurring timeline for assessments, requiring reports by December 1 of each year and ensuring full coverage of all basins at least once every five years.

TECHNICAL

Changed the document layout, title placement, and statutory numbering structure to reflect the official Senate version.

Floor votes · House Jun 11, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jun 19, 2026

Vetoed

Vetoed by Governor

executive

Jun 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

PASSED

lower

Apr 8, 2026

Lower · Passed

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

PASSED

upper

Feb 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors