 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session
state parks board; heritage fund
Purpose
Establishes the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund (Fund) for grants for outdoor recreation, historic preservation, nonmotorized trails and environmental education projects.
Background
The Arizona State Parks Board consists of seven members including the State Land Commissioner and residents of Arizona appointed by the Governor. Appointed members are selected based upon their knowledge of and interest in outdoor activities, multiple use of lands, archeology, natural resources and the value of the historical aspects of Arizona. Statute requires membership of at least one appointed representative of the livestock industry, one appointed member professionally engaged in general recreation work and one appointed member professionally engaged in the tourism industry (A.R.S. § 41-511).
The Historical
Advisory Commission (Commission) consists of 10 to 25 members appointed by the
Director of the State Library. The Commission is charged with advising the Legislature
and state agencies on matters relating to Arizona history and historic preservation
and recommending measures to coordinate or improve the effectiveness of state agency activities relating to the
interpretation, research, writing and teaching of Arizona's history, heritage
and historic preservation, including the Indian nations' history, heritage and
preservation (A.R.S. 
41‑151).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Establishes the Fund consisting of legislative appropriations, grants and donations administered by the Arizona State Parks Board.
2. Requires the Arizona State Parks Board, in consultation with the Commission, to:
a) establish criteria for the use of monies in the Fund;
b) establish and revise the grant application process; and
c) review and evaluate grant applications.
3. Requires the monies to be used as follows:
a) 50 percent on local, regional or state parks for outdoor recreation and open space development, restoration or renovation;
b) 30 percent allocated by the State Historic Preservation Officer to local, regional or state historic preservation projects;
c) 10 percent on local, regional and state nonmotorized trails; and
d) 10 percent on outdoor and environmental education.
4. Prohibits any entity related to the Parks and Historic Preservation fund from receiving more than 20 percent of available funds in each category in any fiscal year.
5. Prohibits monies in the Fund from use for property acquisition.
6. Requires, on or before December 31, the Arizona State Parks Board, in consultation with the Commission, to submit an annual report to the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the Senate committee on Natural Resources and Energy and the House of Representatives committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Water, or the successor committees.
7. Requires the annual report to include the amount of monies spent or encumbered in the Fund during the preceding fiscal year and a summary of the projects, activities and expenditures relating to:
a) local, regional and state nonmotorized trails;
b) local, regional and state historic preservation projects; and
c) outdoor and environmental education.
8. Requires the Auditor General to conduct a performance audit of the Fund at the same time as an agency performance audit of the Arizona State Parks Board.
9. Requires the Auditor General to submit copies of the Fund performance audit to the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairpersons of the Senate committee on Natural Resources and Energy and the House of Representatives committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Water, or the successor committees.
10. Requires the State Treasurer to invest and divest the monies in the Fund, on notice from the Arizona State Parks Board.
11. Requires monies to be continuously appropriated and exempts monies in the Fund from lapsing.
12. Credits all monies earned as interest on monies received to the Fund and requires interest monies to be spent according to Fund distribution percentages for assigned purposes or for administration costs, as determined by the Arizona State Parks Board, in consultation with the Commission.
13. Defines terms.
14. Contains a legislative intent clause.
15. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 4, 2019
KN/LD/gs