ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SB 1482: state agencies; fee increase; limit

PRIME SPONSOR: Senator Mesnard, LD 17

BILL STATUS: Government

                                Appropriations

Overview

Limits the amount an agency may increase a fee.

History

An agency is prohibited from charging or receiving a fee or making a rule establishing a fee unless the fee for the specific activity is expressly authorized by statute or tribal state gaming compact. Additionally, an agency cannot make a rule establishing a fee that is solely based on a statute that generally authorizes an agency to recover its costs or to accept gifts or donations.

An agency is authorized to conduct background checks and may charge a fingerprint fee without statute expressly authorizing the fee (A.R.S. § 41-1008).

The consumer price index (CPI) is the average change over time of the prices paid by urban consumers for goods and services. User fees, including water and sewer services, and sales and excise taxes paid by the consumer are also included.  The CPI does not include income taxes and investment items. Prices for goods and services are collected from 75 urban areas around the county and from about 23,000 retail and service establishments (www.bls.gov).

Provisions

1. Prohibits an agency from increasing a fee in an amount that exceeds the percentage of change in the average CPI as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics between that figure for the latest calendar year and the calendar year in which the last fee increase occurred. (Sec. 1)

2. Allows an agency to increase a fee in an amount that exceeds the percentage of change in the average CPI subject to prior review by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. (Sec. 1)

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6. Fifty-fourth Legislature                       SB 1482

7. First Regular Session                            Version 1: Government

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