Assigned to NREW AS VETOED
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
VETOED
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1289
DWR; hydrology reports
Purpose
Requires the Governor and Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources
(ADWR), 30 days before issuing a report on the hydrologic conditions of an active management
area (AMA) or any related report issued regarding groundwater code, to submit a copy of the report
to the members of the Natural Resources, Energy and Water committees of the House of
Representatives and the Senate, or their successor committees.
Background
The 1980 Groundwater Management Act established AMAs as part of a comprehensive
management framework to address groundwater rights and groundwater overdraft. Currently, there
are six AMAs: Phoenix, Tucson, Pinal, Prescott, Santa Cruz and Douglas. An AMA is a
geographical area that has been designated as requiring active management of groundwater or, in
the case of the Santa Cruz AMA, active management of any water, other than stored water,
withdrawn from a well (A.R.S. Title 45, Chapter 2, Article 2).
At least once every five years after the final determination that a groundwater
replenishment district's (district's) plan for operation is consistent with achieving the management
goal of the AMA, the district must prepare and submit a report to the Director of ADWR and the
district's board of directors which includes the following: 1) an estimate of the district members'
replenishment obligations that will arise during the following 20-year period; 2) a description of
water resources that will be available to the district during the following 20-year period; 3) a
description of any facilities and projects to be used for replenishment during the following 20-year
period; 4) a description of the district's financial capabilities and financial requirements necessary
to address the replenishment obligations during the following 20-year period; and 5) a description
of the district's current capability to meet the replenishment obligations for the five calendar years
following the calendar year in which the district submits the report. Within 30 days after receiving
the district report, the Director of ADWR must submit written comments to the district (A.R.S.
§ 45-576.04)
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the Governor and Director of ADWR, 30 days before issuing a report on the
hydrologic conditions of an AMA or any related report issued regarding groundwater code, to
submit a copy of the report to the members of the Natural Resources, Energy and Water
committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, or their successor committees. FACT SHEET – Vetoed
S.B. 1289
Page 2
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Governor's Veto Message
The Governor indicates in her veto message that ADWR currently publishes its hydrologic
studies and related information and that S.B. 1289 would drown ADWR in paperwork and
bureaucracy that would interfere with its core mission of building a sustainable and secure water
future for Arizona.
Senate Action House Action
NREW 2/8/24 DP 4-2-1 NREW 3/5/24 DP 6-4-0-0
3
rd
Read 2/19/24 16-12-2 3
rd
Read 4/3/24 32-27-0-0-1
3
rd
Read* 4/3/24 31-28-0-0-1
*on reconsideration
Vetoed by the Governor 4/16/24
Prepared by Senate Research
April 17, 2024
RA/SDR/cs/slp