CORRECTED   Jan 06 2021

PREFILED    Jan 05 2021

REFERENCE TITLE: eviction prevention; study committee

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

2021

SB 1039

Introduced by

Senator Engel

AN ACT

establishing the study committee on statewide eviction prevention and housing affordability.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Study committee on statewide eviction prevention and housing affordability; membership; duties; delayed repeal

A.  The study committee on statewide eviction prevention and housing affordability is established consisting of the following members:

1.  Two members of the senate, one from each political party, who are appointed by the president of the senate.  The president of the senate shall designate one of these members to serve as cochairperson of the committee.

2.  Two members of the house of representatives, one from each political party, who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.  The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one of these members to serve as cochairperson of the committee.

3.  The director of the Arizona department of housing or the director's designee.

4.  The chief justice of the Arizona supreme court or the chief justice's designee.

5.  The following members who are appointed by the president of the senate:

(a)   One county constable from a county with a population of eight hundred fifty thousand persons or more.

(b)  One representative from a statewide housing  advocacy organization.

(c)  One representative of a county housing authority from a county with a population of over one million five hundred thousand persons.

(d)  One representative from a city or county-wide nonprofit organization with experience distributing rental or other assistance to tenants.

(e)  One representative from a statewide property owners association.

(f)  One representative from a state university who researches poverty and income inequality or racial equity issues.

(g)  One representative of a county housing authority from a county with a population of less than eight hundred fifty thousand persons.

6.  The following members who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives:

(a)  One county constable from a county with a population of less than eight hundred fifty thousand persons.

(b)  One representative from a state university who researches statewide housing affordability issues.

(c)  One representative of a county housing authority from a county with a population of more than eight hundred fifty thousand but less than one million five hundred thousand persons.

(d)  One representative of small property landlords of less than twenty‑five housing units.

(e)  One representative from a state university who researches issues of housing affordability, poverty and racial equity.

(f)  A representative from a Tribal, African American, Hispanic, Latino or other historically disadvantaged community.

B.  The study committee shall meet quarterly or more frequently as the cochairpersons deem necessary.

C.  Committee members are not eligible to receive compensation.

D.  The study committee shall:

1.  Conduct a comprehensive study to determine how this state can reduce eviction filings and mitigate the costs, both financial and personal, to tenants and to landlords, attributable to the state's current eviction process.

2.  Review policies, statutes and practices that impact evictions both before court action as well as during the court process.

3.  Explore opportunities for this state to develop a system that ensures tenants understand their rights under the law and have access to equitable support in the justice court system.

4.  Gather data on rental and home pricing and conduct research on housing affordability issues in this state.

5.  Propose revisions to statutes to reduce eviction filings and that include policy measures to improve housing affordability in this state.

6.  Identify state resources that can be devoted to improving the court process pertaining to evictions and addressing housing affordability needs.

7.  Propose legislation to address issues identified by the study committee.

8.  On or before December 1, 2021, submit a report regarding the study committee's activities and recommendations for administrative or legislative action to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.

E.  This section is repealed from and after October 31, 2022.