PREFILED    DEC 12 2023

REFERENCE TITLE: Yuma water banking; study committee

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-sixth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2024

HB 2058

Introduced by

Representative Dunn

An Act

establishing the yuma area water banking study committee.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Yuma area water banking study committee; membership; duties; report; delayed repeal

A. The Yuma area water banking study committee is established consisting of the following members:

1. Two members of the senate who are appointed by the president of the senate and who represent the Yuma area.

2. Four members of the house of representatives who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who represent the Yuma area.

3. Seven members of the Yuma area agricultural council who are appointed jointly by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate and who each represent one of the seven irrigation districts in Yuma county.

B. Committee members are not eligible to receive compensation, but members appointed pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 of this section are eligible for reimbursement of expenses under title 38, chapter 4, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes.

C. The committee shall:

1. Select a chairperson.

2. Meet at least once at the location the chairperson deems convenient and thereafter as often as the chairperson deems necessary.

3. Develop legislation to establish a water banking authority for the Yuma county area that would bank excess Colorado River water.

D. On or before January 1, 2025, the committee may submit a report regarding the committee's activities and recommendations for legislative action to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the chairpersons of the natural resources, energy and water committees of the house of representatives and senate, or their successor committees, and shall provide a copy of the report to the secretary of state.

E. The department of water resources shall assign staff and provide support services to the committee, including hydrological information and potential locations for underground storage.

F. This section is repealed from and after September 30, 2026.