Environment

signed · Arizona · Senate Jun 22, 2026

SB 1335: water banking; annual report; posting

SB 1335 requires Arizona's water banking commission to submit an annual report by July 1st each year, detailing all transactions and activities related to the state's water banking fund. The report must include specific financial accounting (monies expended and remaining), water storage volumes, long-term credit distributions, and a 10-year plan for future water banking services - including protecting against Colorado River shortages and supporting tribal water rights settlements. The commission must also post this report on its public website. This bill focuses solely on transparency and reporting requirements for the existing water banking program.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates annual reporting on water banking including 10-year plan to protect against Colorado River shortages and support tribal water rights, directly advancing water resource conservation.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Arizona · House Jun 19, 2026

HB 2986: department of environmental quality; programs

HB 2986 amends Arizona law to regulate lead acid battery disposal and open burning. It prohibits landfill disposal and incineration of lead acid batteries, requiring retailers and others to recycle them through permitted smelters, manufacturers, or EPA/DEQ-authorized facilities. For open burning, the bill establishes new permit requirements for agricultural burning on farms over 40 acres, including registration, smoke dispersion limits, and conditions to prevent public nuisance. These changes directly affect battery retailers, recyclers, farmers, and local fire authorities managing burning permits. The law also creates registration fees for recycling facilities and clarifies county-level authority over burning permits.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentProhibits landfill/incineration of lead acid batteries and mandates recycling; adds permit requirements with smoke limits for agricultural burning to prevent pollution and public nuisance.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

vetoed · Arizona · House Jun 19, 2026

HB 2755: state land use; highest; best

HB 2755 changes Arizona state land sale and lease rules by establishing that mineral extraction or exploration is presumed to be the highest and best use of state lands when competing with other commercial uses. If a buyer or lessee wants to override this presumption (e.g., for housing or other development), they must follow specific procedures to trigger a public auction within 90 days. The bill directly affects individuals or companies seeking to purchase or lease state lands, as it shifts the default to prioritize mining unless a competitive auction process is initiated. Key provisions require the state commissioner to assume mineral use is primary in conflicts and mandate transparent auctions for alternative proposals. This policy change applies to both land sales (Section 37-262) and leases (Section 37-296) under Arizona law.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill presumes mineral extraction as highest land use, prioritizing industry over conservation; weakens environmental protection by making it harder to override for non-extractive uses.85% confidence ✗ HousingOpposes HousingBill prioritizes mineral extraction as highest use of state lands, requiring public auction for housing projects instead of automatic approval, restricting housing development access to state lands.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

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vetoed · Arizona · Senate Jun 19, 2026

SB 1332: light rail expansion; participation; prohibition

SB 1332 prohibits Arizona from providing state funding or financial support for new light rail construction projects. It requires the state transportation department to conduct a feasibility study by December 2027, comparing light rail costs, environmental impact, ridership, and maintenance against alternatives like autonomous vehicles and bus systems in Maricopa County. The study must be submitted to state leaders and Phoenix officials, with findings informing future state involvement decisions. The bill expires on June 30, 2028, making it a temporary measure to evaluate transit options before potential future funding.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesProhibits state funding for new light rail construction, restricting government spending on this specific project per bill's explicit language.90% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentProhibits state funding for light rail (a low-emission transit option), delaying environmental benefits through defunding. Study requirement doesn't override the funding restriction.85% confidence ✗ TransportationOpposes TransportationProhibits state funding for new light rail construction, directly restricting financial support for transit expansion instead of advancing projects.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

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vetoed · Arizona · Senate Jun 19, 2026

SB 1445: water quality; testing; on-site

SB 1445 modifies Arizona's water quality regulations to allow small municipalities (with populations between 1,000 and 10,000) to use EPA-approved on-site equipment for bacteriological testing of wastewater. It updates permit requirements for facilities discharging pollutants, including specifying that small towns may conduct this testing on-site instead of sending samples to external labs. The bill directly affects local governments and wastewater facilities in smaller communities by streamlining testing procedures while maintaining EPA standards. It also clarifies permit processes for aquifer protection and aligns with federal Clean Water Act requirements.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAllows small municipalities to use EPA-approved on-site testing for wastewater, maintaining regulatory standards while improving efficiency for water quality compliance.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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vetoed · Arizona · Senate Jun 19, 2026

SB 1280: public monies; Mexican wolf; prohibition

SB 1280 restricts the management of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona by requiring the state wildlife commission to secure a federal memorandum of understanding before releasing wolves. It prohibits releasing wolves within three miles of state trust land or private property and mandates DNA profiling for all released, translocated, or captured wolves. The bill also requires the state agency to report regularly on wolf deaths, feeding costs, captures, collared locations, and incidents involving wolves. Crucially, it bans the transportation of Mexican wolf puppies into Arizona and prohibits using public funds for such transportation.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRestricts wolf reintroduction by mandating federal agreements and limiting release zones, hindering conservation efforts for endangered Mexican gray wolves.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

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vetoed · Arizona · House Jun 19, 2026

HB 2100: small land subdivision; requirements

HB 2100 allows Arizona counties to create ordinances for small land subdivisions containing 6-10 lots (each 2+ acres), exempting them from standard water supply requirements under state law. Developers of these subdivisions must submit a public report and ensure each lot has legal access, as defined by existing law. The bill directly affects county governments (which can adopt these rules) and developers seeking to create small-scale subdivisions without meeting typical water compliance standards. It does not change water requirements for larger subdivisions or other land development types.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentExempts subdivisions from standard water supply requirements, weakening environmental regulations related to water conservation and compliance standards.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingExempts small subdivisions from water requirements, reducing regulatory barriers for housing development. This facilitates more housing construction by lowering developer compliance costs.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

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vetoed · Arizona · House Jun 19, 2026

HB 2013: exceptional events; air quality; wildfires

HB 2013 amends Arizona's air quality statute to clarify how the state handles "exceptional events" like wildfires. It requires the state air quality agency to develop policy statements for such events, considering Arizona's unique conditions, and mandates submitting wildfire-related demonstrations to the U.S. EPA if federally managed wildfires affect the state. The bill also adds a requirement for the agency to issue daily PM-10 dust forecasts for nonattainment areas, identifying risk levels based on weather, pollution data, and historical patterns. These changes directly affect the state air quality agency's procedures for managing air pollution during extreme events.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates daily PM-10 forecasts for pollution monitoring during wildfires, strengthening air quality management during exceptional events per Arizona's unique conditions.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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signed · Arizona · House Jun 13, 2026

HB 4157: commerce; 2026-2027

This bill updates how money from Arizona's state lottery is distributed and clarifies rules for examining insurance companies. It ensures that funds are first used to pay off lottery-related bond debts, then allocates specific amounts to various programs including wildlife conservation, child safety, health education, and homeless shelters. The legislation also establishes a minimum deposit requirement for the state general fund before certain heritage funds can receive money and sets a schedule for quarterly transfers. Additionally, it mandates that the insurance director examine domestic insurers at least once every five years and allows for accepting reports from other states to avoid duplicate reviews.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates lottery funds to essential programs like wildlife conservation, child safety, and homeless shelters, directly funding public services.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill allocates lottery funds specifically to wildlife conservation programs, directly supporting environmental protection efforts.65% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill explicitly allocates funds to homeless shelters, directly supporting housing assistance and homelessness prevention.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Arizona · House Jun 13, 2026

HB 4159: environment; 2026-2027

This bill establishes annual groundwater withdrawal fees for users in Arizona's Prescott, Santa Cruz, Tucson, Phoenix, and Pinal active management areas, with a maximum rate of $5 per acre-foot. The collected funds are allocated to cover administrative costs, water supply augmentation, conservation assistance, water banking, and the purchase of older water rights, while also exempting small-scale irrigation operations. Additionally, the legislation creates a dedicated fund to finance the construction and rehabilitation of wells and infrastructure for irrigation districts in specific regions.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill establishes groundwater fees to fund conservation, water banking, and purchase of older water rights, directly protecting natural resources.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment