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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
military affairs commission; membership; appropriation
Purpose
Modifies the membership of the Military Affairs Commission (Commission) and requires the Commission to recommend outlined projects in Arizona that require funding to the Arizona Finance Authority and the Arizona Industrial Development Authority.
Background
Current statute requires the Commission to: 1) meet on a regular basis with the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to provide recommendations on military issues and report on the progress of the Commission; 2) advise the Governor and the Legislature on matters affecting the operational viability of Arizona military facilities, including military installations, military training routes, military restricted airspace, military ranges or areas under the jurisdiction of an active unit of the Uniformed Armed Services or any reserve national guard component of the Uniformed Armed Services; 3) review applications for monies to be awarded from the Military Installation Fund (Fund) and recommend to the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) how the monies in the Fund should be awarded; and 4) study issues relating to veterans, active duty, national guard and reserve members of the U.S. Armed Forces and other military quality of life issues (A.R.S. § 26-261).
The Fund consists of monies that are continuously appropriated for the
awarding of grants for the: 1) acquisition of private property, real estate and
related infrastructure that are vital to the preservation or enhancement of a
military installation; 2) structural renovations or construction of building
modifications or improvements that mitigate or attenuate impacts in high noise
or accident potential zones; and 3) management of acquired property that is
necessary to preserve and enhance military missions and military installations.
DEMA upon receipt of each application for Fund monies must forward each
application to the Commission. The Commission must review each application and
recommend to DEMA each applicant that should be awarded monies from the Fund
and the dollar amount that each applicant should be awarded from the Fund (A.R.S.
§ 26-262).
In FY 2012 the Legislature made an ongoing appropriation of $90,000 and one FTE from the state General Fund (state GF) to DEMA (A.R.S. § 26-263).
S.B. 1672 additionally appropriates $200,000 and two FTEs from the state GF in FY 2025 and in each year thereafter to DEMA. Additionally appropriates $100,000 from the state GF to the Fund in FY 2025 and in each year thereafter to preserve or enhance military missions and military installments in Arizona and complete the outlined biannual report.
Provisions
1. Modifies the membership of the Commission for the following voting members who are appointed by the Governor:
a) four members who are retired from the U.S. Armed Forces or the national guard, who are experienced in working with the U.S. Department of Defense planning, programming, budgeting and execution process or successor processes and who are at least the following ranks:
i. if a commissioned officer, a Colonel or Captain;
ii. if a warrant officer, a Chief Warrant Officer Four; and
iii. if an enlisted noncommissioned officer, a Master Sergeant, First Sergeant, Senior Chief Petty Officer or Senior Master Sergeant;
b) six members who represent each community military support organization recognized by a military installation in Arizona or the national guard;
c) two members who have federal experience and expertise on military and defense policy;
d) two members from organizations that represent members of the national defense and academic research and development industries; and
e) two members from organizations that represent members within the national defense and aerospace industries.
2. Modifies the membership of the Commission for the outlined six, rather than four, nonvoting advisory members who are not counted for the purpose of determining a quorum, by adding:
a) the chairperson or cochair person of the Arizona Commanders Summit rather than a representative of an outlined military installation commander;
b) the Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Commerce Authority or the Chief Executive Officer's designee; and
c) the Chairperson of the Arizona Board of Regents or the Chairperson's designee.
3. Requires the Commission to recommend to the Arizona Finance Authority and the Industrial Development Authority, military related projects in Arizona requiring funding that do the following:
a) enhance the military value of area military installations and defense facilities;
b) provide assistance to communities that are negatively impacted by base realignments or closure or by loss of a mission for an economic development project;
c) provide assistance to communities that are positively impacted by base realignments or closure for an infrastructure project; and
d) supplement the community economic redevelopment value of a closed military installation or defense facility.
4. Requires the Committee to submit a report by September 1 of each even-numbered year to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives about military installations and defense-related business in Arizona that includes the following:
a) an economic impact statement describing in detail the effect of the military and defense industry on the economy of Arizona;
b) a statewide assessment of federal and national guard military installations and current missions;
c) a statewide strategy to attract new military missions and defense-related business and include specific actions that add military value to existing military installations;
d) a list of state and federal activities that have a significant impact on active military installations and current missions; and
e) a statement identifying the following
i. the state and federal programs and services that assist communities impacted by military base closures or realignments and the efforts to coordinate those programs;
ii. the efforts to coordinate state agency programs and services that assist communities in retaining active military installations and current missions; and
iii. an evaluation of initiatives to retain existing and attract new defense-related businesses.
5. Requires state agencies to cooperate with and assist the Commission:
a) in the preparation of the outlined biannual report including providing information about regulations, policies, programs and services that may impact communities dependent on military installations, defense-related businesses and the viability of existing military missions in Arizona; and
b) to support an installation commander who requests assistance in preparing an evaluation of that installation based on criteria for the installation by the U.S. Department of Defense for mission retention, assignment or the base realignment and closure process.
6. Requires DEMA, in conjunction with the Commission, to adopt by rule, procedures for the acquisition of property and the receiving, evaluating and awarding of applications for the Fund monies.
7. Requires the Commission to review each acquisition proposal and application and make statutorily outlined recommendations to DEMA including the recommendation of each acquisition, in the name of Arizona, by gift, grant, purchase, or any other lawful manner, of real property, property rights and related buildings and infrastructure that is vital to the preservation or enhancement of a military installation in high noise or accident potential zones or in areas vital to the operation and support of a military installation.
8. Requires DEMA to consider the Commission's recommendations and decide how the monies in the Fund will be disbursed among the acquisition proposals and Fund applicants.
9. Appropriates $200,000 and two FTEs from the state GF in FY 2025 and in each year thereafter to DEMA.
10. Appropriates $100,000 from the state GF to the Fund in FY 2025 and in each year thereafter to preserve or enhance military missions and military installments in Arizona and complete the outlined biannual report.
11. Allows all persons serving as members of the Commission on the general effective date to continue to serve until the expiration of their normal terms.
12. Makes technical and conforming changes.
13. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by the Military Affairs, Public Safety and Border Security Committee
· Specifies that the Chairperson of the Arizona Board of Regents rather than the President of the Arizona Board of Regents is a nonvoting advisory member of the Commission.
Senate Action
MAPS 2/14/24 DPA 6-0-1
APPROP 2/20/24 DP 5-4-1
Prepared by Senate Research
February 26, 2024
ZD/SB/cs