ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fourth Legislature

Second Regular Session

House: NREW DPA 12-0-0-1-0

HB 2098: dam safety study committee

Sponsor: Representative Griffin, LD 14

Caucus & COW

Overview

Establishes the Dam Safety Study Committee (Committee) to collect information on the safety, age and maintenance needs of dams within Arizona.

History

A dam is an artificial barrier for impounding or diverting water that is over 25 feet high or stores more than 50 acre-feet of water. It does not include any barrier that:

1) Is less than six feet high, regardless of storage capacity;

2) Stores 15 acre-feet of water or less, regardless of height;

3) Controls liquid-borne material;

4) Is a release-contained barrier; or

5) Is owned, controlled, operated, maintained or managed by the United States government if a safety program that is as stringent as the state safety program applies and is enforced against the federal government's agents or instrumentalities (A.R.S. § 45-1201).

Provisions

1. Establishes the Committee to collect information on the safety, age and maintenance needs of dams within Arizona.

2. Directs the Committee to submit a report of its findings by December 31, 2020 to the Governor, Speaker of the House and President of the Senate.

3. Establishes the Committee's membership:

a) Two members of different political parties from the House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee appointed by the Speaker of the House;

b) Two members of different political parties from the Senate Water & Agriculture Committee appointed by the President of the Senate; and

c) The Arizona Department of Water Resources Director, or their designee.

4. Repeals the Committee on July 1, 2021.

Amendments

Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water

1. Adds the following two members to the Committee:

a) one member who represents a county flood control district from a county with more than 2,000,000 people who is appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

b) one member who represents a county flood control district from a county with less than 2,000,000 people who is appointed by the President of the Senate.

2. Defines dams.

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6. Initials PAB/MTN Caucus & COW

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