Arizona Agriculture Report - Legislation Update

HB2031 - Boards and commissions; repeal

Sponsor

Rep. Alexander Kolodin (R)

Summary

Removes performing listed administrative functions pursuant to state law for the Arizona Beef Council from the Animal Services Division of the Arizona State Department of Agriculture (ASDA.) Removes the duties of conducting hearings on appeals by producers regarding assessed actual costs of the plow up and the penalty of 150% for unpaid costs pursuant to state law and adopting rules to implement the hearings from the duties of the Director of the ASDA. Prohibits the Director from requesting the Cotton Research and Protection Council (CRPC) provide monies pursuant to state law to help defray the ASDA's cost of abatement until the owner or person in charge reimburses the ASDA for those costs. Removes the requirement that the CRPC approve efforts by the director to treat, spray, control, suppress, or eradicate noxious weeds, crop pests, or diseases through a county wide, area wide, or statewide program or programs that have been approved or authorized by the ASDA. Removes receiving approval from the School Bus Advisory Council as a permissible reason for a school district to select a pre-approved contract carrier or private party. Remove the requirement of the Arizona Department of public safety consult with the Student Transportation Advisory Council (STAC) when adopting rules to improve the health and welfare of student passengers and the requirement of school bus drivers consult with the STAC on minimum standards for school bus certification for a vehicle designed to transport 16 or more students. Lists rules and criteria for serving as an Executive Director for the Acupuncture Board of Examiners. Removes date references for training for members of the Arizona Health Profession Regulatory Board. Entitles the Act the Abolition of Functionally Unnecessary Excessive regulators Act. (More.)

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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HB2224 - Unlawful wildlife feeding; enforcement; penalty

Sponsor

Rep. Matt Gress (R)

Summary

States that a person commits unlawful feeding of wildlife by intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly creating a wildlife habitat. Repeals the stipulation that this legislation applies in a county with a population of more than 280,000 persons, and assigns a fine of $1000 if the infraction is committed in a city or town with a population of more than 100,000 persons.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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HB2318 - Assessed valuation; agricultural land

Sponsor

Rep. John Gillette (R)

Summary

Substitutes “Agricultural Land” to all references to “property” and stipulates that for the purposes of this section, agricultural land does not include permanent crops or any other improvement on the agricultural land that is subject to depreciation.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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HB2499 - Pesticides; sale and use restrictions

Sponsor

Rep. Mariana Sandoval (D)

Summary

Requires a license to sell a “restricted use pesticide” (defined) to sell a “neonicotinoid pesticide” (defined) in Arizona. Prohibits any person from using a neonicotinoid pesticide in Arizona unless the person meets one of several criteria and stipulates that violation of this legislation is a Class 3 Misdemeanor. Lists exclusions to the sale or use of a neonicotinoid pesticide. Requires the Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA) to incorporate pollinator habitat expansion and enhancement practices into Arizona's Managed Pollinator Protection Plan. Requires the ADA to review Arizona's pesticide laws and rules and recommend necessary changes to ensure that Arizona laws and rules are protective of pollinators, and address the United States Environmental Protection Agency recommendations from the risk assessment for the neonicotinoid pesticides 39 imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam and dinotefuran. Requires the ADA to submit a report of its findings and recommendations by July 1, 2026 and lists the various state entities who should receive the submitted report. Self repeals after September 30, 2027 and has an effective date of January 1, 2025.

Status

Chmbr1: Await 1st Read

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HB2544 - Appropriation; agriculture; brand inspectors

Sponsor

Rep. Lupe Diaz (R)

Summary

Increases the full time equivalent positions at the Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA) by five and requires the ADA To use the positions to increase the number of brand inspectors To prioritize brand inspections in Graham and Greenlee Counties.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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HB2552 - Dogs; hunting; rules; prohibition

Sponsor

Rep. Lupe Diaz (R)

Summary

Prohibits the Arizona Game and Fish Department from adopting rules that prohibit the use of dogs to take wildlife. Permits and individuals to take wildlife with the aid of dogs.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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HB2638 - On-farm irrigation efficiency program; continuation

Sponsor

Rep. Gail Griffin (R)

Summary

Extends the life of the on-farm irrigation pilot program by three years to December 31, 2029.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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HB2646 - Pesticides; fertilizer; PFAS; prohibition

Sponsor

Rep. Sarah Liguori (D)

Summary

Requires the Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA) to prohibit the distribution and use of any fertilizer, including biosolids and sewage sludge, that contains Perfluoroalkyl or Polyfluoroalkyl substances, or any amount of a substance that belongs to the class of fluorinated organic chemicals with two or more fully fluorinated carbon atoms. Provides an exception to a violation of this legislation constituting a Class 2 Misdemeanor. Lists as acts that are prohibited distributing any pesticide that is not registered pursuant to state law.??

Status

Chmbr1: Await 1st Read

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HB2717 - Agricultural operations; energy projects; compensation

Sponsor

Rep. John Gillette (R)

Summary

Prohibits a business from contracting or subcontracting with a resident of Arizona or a business in Arizona to construct a solar or wind energy project that reduces the size of an “agricultural lessee’s” (defined) agricultural operation unless the business compensates the agricultural lessee’s loss of profit, the value of an executed conservation measure, the loss of value, and cost to relocate and mitigate the reduction of the agricultural lessee’s agricultural operation. Requires the agricultural operation to provide to the business credible evidence that certifies the amount of expenses and loss due to the solar or wind energy project. Stipulates that the legislature intends to protect the agricultural operations in Arizona and to ensure that agriculture lessees are compensated if a business constructs a solar or wind energy construction project that reduces the size of the agricultural lessee’s agricultural operation.

Status

Chmbr1: Await 1st Read

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SB1009 - Appropriations; nuclear emergency management fund

Sponsor

Sen. John Kavanagh (R)

Summary

Appropriates $2.617 million from the General Fund in FY 2025-2026 and $2.711 from the Nuclear Emergency Management Fund in 2026-2027 for use by the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (ADEM) and the Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA.) Outlines how the funds shall be used, including funding 8 full-time positions in 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 at the ADEM, to develop emergency response plans by the ADA, and for the appropriate agencies and department in Maricopa County and the City of Buckeye to develop and manage Emergency Response plans. Stipulates that the above mentioned sums be assessed against any consortium of public service or municipal corporations engaged in constructing or operating a commercial nuclear generating state in Arizona. Contains Emergency Clause. ?

Status

Chmbr1: Passed

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SB1016 - Wind farms; location limits

Sponsor

Sen. Wendy Rogers (R)

Summary

Prohibits location of a “wind farm” (defined) within six miles of property owned by another without written consent from the other property owner except wind turbines and associated facilities primarily dedicated to providing electricity to a single customer at a single location with aggregate capacity of less than 20 megawatts as measured at the customer’s point of interconnection to the electrical grid.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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SB1083 - Appropriation; university of Arizona; agriculture

Sponsor

Sen. Timothy "Tim" Dunn (R)

Summary

Appropriates $ 3,500,000 from the general fund in FY2025-26 to the university of Arizona for the Yuma center of excellence for desert agriculture.

Status

Chmbr1: To COW/Consent

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SB1188 - Price regulation; abnormal market disruptions

Sponsor

Sen. Analise Ortiz (D)

Summary

Prohibits a person from selling or offering to sell goods or services, during an “abnormal disruption of the market” (defined), for prices that are 25% or more than the price at which goods or services were sold or offered for sale by that person before the abnormal disruption of the market. Requires the Arizona Attorney General to enforce this legislation and classifies a violation of this legislation has a Class 2 Misdemeanor. Stipulates that someone who intentionally violates this legislation is guilty of a Class 1 Misdemeanor, and Each violation of this legislation and each day on which the violation occurs or continues is considered a separate offense.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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SB1212 - Biosolids; land application; immunity

Sponsor

Sen. Timothy "Tim" Dunn (R)

Summary

Requires the Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA) to require agricultural lessees of Arizona to comply with applicable local ordinances, state and federal in generally accepted farming practices on state lands, including rules and laws governing fertilizers, biosolids, and soil amendments. Prohibits the ADA from restricting the use of fertilizers, biosolids, or soil amendments, as a condition of renewing the lease of state lands if the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has not issued a finding that the lessee's use of state land is in violation of state law. Requires the lessee to provide the ADA a copy of all applicable permits and registration from the ADEQ. Lists exemptions from liability. Requires that rules adopted relating to the land application of sewage sludge must not conflict with rules related to the application of biosolids to agricultural land. Requires that rules adopted for best management practices for specific agricultural activities include requirements for the application of biosolids to agricultural land and stipulates that any rules that are adopted consider certain criteria related to the impact of biosolids on the surrounding community. Requires that before ADEQ adopts any rules pursuant to this legislation, ADEQ show visit in person an agricultural operation that will be affected by the updated rules, no less than two times during the time that the agricultural operation is actively applying biosolids to the agricultural operations lands. Self-repeals on January 1, 2027.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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SB1304 - Irrigation water; assured water supply

Sponsor

Sen. Thomas "T.J." Shope (R)

Summary

Permits the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), upon application to the ADWR by a city or town, to designate a portion of the municipality that is located in an active management area, and that the ADWR determines is making sufficient progress towards meeting the management goals of the Area for three to five years before the filing of the application, as having an Assured Water Supply if certain, listed stipulations are met.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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SB1407 - Property tax assessment; greenhouses

Sponsor

Sen. Timothy "Tim" Dunn (R)

Summary

Permits a “greenhouse” (defined) to be valued and assessed as agricultural tangible personal property if the greenhouse is at least 50,000 square feet in area, is composed of movable and detachable components, can be reconstructed and reused after removal, and is used for growing and processing vegetables, fruits or citrus.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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SB1448 - Appropriation; on-farm irrigation efficiency fund

Sponsor

Sen. Timothy "Tim" Dunn (R)

Summary

Appropriates $10,000,000 from the Arizona State General Fund in FY 2025-2026 to the On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Fund. Exempts this appropriation from lapsing of appropriations provisions.

Status

Chmbr1: Await Cmte Vote

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SB1706 - Citrus; fruit; vegetable; fund; posting

Sponsor

Sen. David Gowan (R)

Status

Chmbr1: Await 1st Read