SB 1429 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - Second Regular Session

board of directors; commerce authority.

SB 1429 amends Arizona law to restructure the governing board of the Arizona Commerce Authority. It establishes a board with 19 voting members: the governor (as chair), the authority's chief executive officer, and 17 private business leaders (appointed by the governor, senate president, and house speaker), plus non-voting ex-officio members from state leadership. The bill requires criminal background checks for governor-appointed members and adds technical advisors from key state agencies like environmental quality, transportation, and tourism to support economic development efforts. This directly affects how the Commerce Authority operates, shifting governance to include more private-sector business leaders while maintaining state agency collaboration.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Senate Passage
Jun 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Vetoed
Jun 2026
Introduced Jan 28, 2026 Vetoed Jun 19, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

House Engrossed Version (05/05/2026) Senate Engrossed Version (02/24/2026) · 6 edits · Feb 24, 2026
MODERATE
This bill completely replaces the previous text regarding initiative and referendum petitions with new legislation establishing the Arizona Commerce Authority. The original text focused on strict rules for citizens to sign petitions to vote on laws, while the new text creates a state agency led by the Governor and business leaders to drive economic growth. The scope shifted from election procedure to economic development governance.
Scope change
The bill's scope changed from regulating the mechanics of citizen-led ballot measures to establishing a permanent state agency (the Arizona Commerce Authority) responsible for economic expansion and business retention.
SCOPE

Removed all text defining how citizens must sign referendum and initiative petitions, including rules for circulators, petition forms, and signature verification.

Added the creation of the Arizona Commerce Authority, a new state agency designed to attract and retain businesses.

Changed the subject matter from election laws (Title 19) to economic development laws (Title 41).

ELIGIBILITY

Defined the 17-member Board of Directors, which includes the Governor, the CEO, and 15 appointed private sector business leaders from diverse geographic areas.

REQUIREMENT

Established requirements for board members to submit fingerprints for criminal background checks before appointment.

ENFORCEMENT

Mandated that the authority operate on the state fiscal year and undergo annual audits by an independent certified public accountant.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 24, 2026 · House May 5, 2026

How they voted

270
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 30
Feb 24, 2026
D Democratic13
11 Yea 2
84% Yea
R Republican17
16 Yea 1
94% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
7
Committee
0
Amendments
4
Jun 19, 2026
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor
executive
Jun 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
PASSED
upper
May 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
PASSED
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
DPA
lower
Mar 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
DPA/SE
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Upper · Passed
PASSED
upper
Feb 24, 2026
Upper · Passed
DPA
upper
Feb 9, 2026
Upper · Passed
DPA
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of J.D. Mesnard
J.D. Mesnard
RRepublican
AZ
13