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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
fire suppression; assistance; private landowners.
Purpose
Prioritizes distributions of financial assistance to private landowners for emergency repairs resulting from fires or fire suppression activities.
Background
Laws 2021, First Special Session, Chapter 1 appropriated $75,000,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2021 to the Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) for wildfire emergency response, specifically: 1) fire suppression equipment and staff; 2) capital expenditures and equipment associated with suppression and pre-positioning activities for fire suppression; 3) mitigation projects to address postfire flooding and other damage that may occur as a result of fires or fire suppression activities; 4) a state or local government agency's emergency liabilities related to emergency sheltering, wraparound services and support activities; 5) financial assistance to public and private landowners for emergency repairs for infrastructure damage resulting from fires or fire suppression activities; and 6) reimbursement to a state agency or political subdivision for its cost-share of eligible claims arising from an emergency declared by the Governor or the federal government relating to a natural disaster. Financial assistance to private landowners is capped at $10,000,000 and DFFM is required to distribute monies to private and public landowners only as the payor of last resort after all other sources of payment, including any insurance and other reimbursements, have been exhausted.
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state GF associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires DFFM to prioritize distributions of financial assistance to private landowners.
2. Allows DFFM to distribute monies to a public or private landowner who provides information to DFFM that the landowner does not qualify for other reimbursement.
3. Makes technical changes.
4. Becomes effective on signature of the Governor.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 12, 2022
RC/slp