Bill > HB2549

This bill appropriates a specific amount of money (the exact amount is not specified in the provided text) from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA). The purpose of these funds is to provide financial assistance grants to landowners in groundwater basins that have been designated as "subsequent active management areas" (SAMAs). These grants can be used for two primary purposes: first, to hire outside advisors, attorneys, consultants, and aides to help landowners challenge the designation of the subsequent active management area; and second, for landowners who were legally irrigating their land with groundwater during the five years before the SAMA designation, to hire professional services to challenge either the management goal/plan established by the director of water resources or the maximum amount of groundwater the director calculates they may use in the SAMA. The bill defines "subsequent active management area" by referencing its existing definition in Arizona Revised Statutes section 45-402. This legislation appears aimed at providing financial support to landowners who want to contest water management area designations and potentially dispute groundwater usage restrictions.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/82379