Arizona 2023 2023 Regular Session

Arizona House Bill HB2026 Comm Sub / Analysis

Filed 04/19/2023

                    Assigned to NREW & APPROP 	FOR COMMITTEE 
 
 
 
 
ARIZONA STATE SENATE 
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session 
 
REVISED 
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2026 
 
appropriation; on-farm efficiency fund 
Purpose 
Appropriates $30 million from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2024 to the  
On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Fund (Fund).  
Background 
In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one or more colleges in each state 
may provide for agricultural extension work to diffuse useful and practical information, develop 
practical applications of research knowledge and give practical demonstrations of existing or 
improved practices or technologies to persons who do not attend the college relating to:  
1) agriculture; 2) uses of solar energy with respect to agriculture; 3) home economics; and 4) rural 
energy. The federal Smith-Lever Act of 1914 (Act) authorized the Arizona Board of Regents to 
receive appropriated grant monies under the Act and organize and conduct agricultural extension 
work in connection with the College of Agriculture of the University of Arizona. The University 
of Arizona Cooperative Extension (Cooperative Extension) offers services relating to: 1) 4-H 
youth development; 2) agriculture and natural resources; 3) family, consumer and health sciences; 
and 4) tribal extension (7 U.S.C. §§ 341 and 342; A.R.S. § 3-121; and UA). 
In 2022, the Legislature established the On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Pilot Program (Pilot 
Program) and the Fund, both administered by the Cooperative Extension, to provide grants and 
collect data for on-farm irrigation efficiency systems to reduce on-farm use of groundwater, 
surface water, mainstream Colorado River water or water delivered through the Central Arizona 
Project, while minimizing or eliminating the use of flood irrigation or fallowing to reduce on-farm 
use. The Fund consists of legislative appropriations, grants from federal agencies and monies from 
any other lawful source. Fund monies may be granted to qualified applicants to acquire and install 
an approved on-farm irrigation efficiency system to replace or modify flood irrigation systems, if 
certain conditions are met. The Pilot Program and Fund terminate on January 1, 2027. 
An on-farm irrigation efficiency system is a water delivery system consisting of all 
component parts and equipment necessary to deliver water to an irrigable field through a method 
other than flood irrigation (Laws 2022, Ch. 332). 
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) fiscal note estimates that H.B. 2026 
would cost the state GF $30 million (JLBC fiscal note).  
Provisions 
1. Appropriates $30 million from the state GF in FY 2024 to the Fund.   FACT SHEET – Revised  
H.B. 2026 
Page 2 
 
 
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.  
Revisions 
• Updates the fiscal impact statement.  
House Action 
NREW 1/24/23 DP 9-0-0-1 
APPROP 2/8/23 DP 15-0-0-0 
3
rd
 Read  2/22/23  60-0-0 
 
Prepared by Senate Research 
April 19, 2023 
RA/FB/slp