ARIZONA STATE SENATE
RESEARCH STAFF
TO: MEMBERS OF THE SENATE
GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
DATE: March 25, 2025
SUBJECT: Strike everything amendment to H.B. 2233, relating to government
Purpose
Requires the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) to take a majority vote at a public
meeting and publish the ACC's position online before the ACC, ACC staff or any registered
lobbyist on behalf of the ACC may advocate for or against any legislation, regulation or rule.
Requires the Attorney General (AG), at the request of the Legislature to investigate a violation of
the requirement that the ACC publicly vote before advocating on any legislation, regulation or
rule. Subjects the ACC or a Commissioner to a $500 penalty for each instance of noncompliance.
Background
The Arizona Constitution establishes the ACC to regulate public service corporations,
facilitate the incorporation or organization of companies under Arizona law, oversee railroad and
pipeline safety, and regulate the sale of securities. The ACC consists of five members elected at
the general election and who serve for four-year terms. The Arizona Constitution authorizes the
Legislature to prescribe commissioner qualifications by law and allows the Legislature to enlarge
the powers and extend the duties of the ACC and prescribe rules and regulations to govern
proceedings instituted by and before it. The ACC may supervise and regulate every public service
corporation in Arizona. In supervising and regulating public service corporations, the ACC may
adopt rules that: 1) protect the public against deceptive, unfair and abusive business practices;
2) provide that account information and related propriety information are confidential unless
specifically waived by the customer in writing; and 3) ensure that public service corporations that
employ the services of a contractor for interior household energy service comply with all municipal
permit and inspection standards and applicable life safety codes (Ariz. Const. art. 15; A.R.S.
§ 40-202).
A Commissioner must not knowingly communicate with any person, representing an
industry or public service corporation whose interests will be affected by ACC decisions, and
whose intent is to influence any decision, legislation, policy, or rulemaking within the ACC’s
jurisdiction, unless that person has registered as a lobbyist with the ACC prior to making or
attempting to make such communication. Lobbyist registration is administered by the ACC and is
separate from other statutory lobbyist registration requirements. The ACC must make lobbyist
registration information available on the ACC's website. The information provided must be
consistent with the lobbyist registration form prescribed by the Secretary of State, which includes
the lobbyist’s current and former list of clients (ACC Code of Ethics).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
DANIEL LAWLER
LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH INTERN
ANNA NGUYEN
LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST
GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
Telephone: (602) 926-3171 STRIKER MEMO
H.B. 2233
Page 2
Provisions
1. Requires the ACC, before the ACC, ACC staff or any registered lobbyist on behalf of the ACC
may advocate for or against any federal or state legislation, regulation or rule to:
a) take a majority vote at a publicly noticed meeting; and
b) publish the ACC's position on both the ACC's website where the information may be easily
accessed by the public and the Arizona Legislative Information System or another
comparable system that is used by the Legislature or the Governor's Regulatory Review
Council to track bills and public support or opposition to legislation.
2. Requires the AG, at the request of one or more members of the Legislature, to investigate
whether the ACC or a Commissioner violated the outlined requirement that the ACC publicly
vote before advocating on any legislation, regulation or rule.
3. Subjects the ACC or a Commissioner who is found in violation of the requirement that the
ACC publicly vote before advocating on any legislation, regulation or rule to a civil penalty of
$500 for each instance of noncompliance.
4. Specifies that the requirement that the ACC publicly vote before advocating on any legislation,
regulation or rule does not prevent a Commissioner from representing the Commissioner's own
position as an individual.
5. Makes technical changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.