Bill > SB1281

This bill, titled the "Tax Base Protection Act," aims to increase transparency and provide the state with more oversight regarding federal land acquisitions and designations within Arizona. It requires the state department to maintain a detailed catalog of any "covered federal designation," which is broadly defined to include various federal land types like national parks, forests, monuments, and wildlife refuges, and to request specific information from the federal government about what is being protected, its exact location, and the justification for its protection. Furthermore, the bill empowers the state department to assess if federal designations are confined to the smallest necessary area and, if not, to notify the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and the Attorney General, who can then initiate legal action to limit the size of these designations. Additionally, the bill mandates that escrow agents notify state legislative leaders when a private property sale or transfer to the federal government is initiated, and it includes legislative findings that argue Arizona has been unfairly deprived of a tax base due to federal land retention, citing legal theories like "equal sovereignty" and the "equal footing doctrine" to support the state's claim to greater control over lands within its borders.

Government Affairs

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/84802