Assigned to APPROP AS PASSED BY COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1571
appropriation; coal-impact workforce study
Purpose
Appropriates $600,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2026 to the Office of
Economic Opportunity (OEO) to conduct a workforce development study on the communities in
Coconino County impacted by the closure of the Navajo Generating Station. Establishes the Study
Committee on Coal Impacted Communities (Study Committee).
Background
The Navajo Generating Station was a coal-fired power plant located on the Navajo Indian
Reservation in northern Coconino County operated from January 1971 to December 2019, and
was demolished in December 2020. The Navajo Generating Station provided 2,250 megawatts of
power through three generating units, to customers in Arizona, Nevada and California, while also
providing electricity used to operate the Central Arizona Project (NGS).
OEO is responsible for coordinating workforce development strategy and evaluation,
monitoring the state's tax and regulatory competitiveness, and producing labor market, economic
and demographic research and analysis (A.R.S § 41-5303).
S.B. 1571 appropriates $600,000 from the state GF in FY 2026 to the OEO.
Provisions
1. Appropriates $600,000 from the state GF in FY 2026 to the OEO to conduct a workforce
development study on the communities in Coconino County impacted by the closure of the
Navajo Generating Station.
2. Establishes the Study Committee consisting of:
a) one member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate and one member
appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;
b) one member appointed by the Speaker of House of Representatives and one member
appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;
c) one member appointed by the President of the Senate that represents a nonprofit
organization that provides food security, entrepreneurship, youth leadership and housing
to a community impacted by coal;
d) one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives that represents a
nonprofit organization that works to protect the water of Black Mesa and to bring power
back to Indigenous communities impacted by coal;
e) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate that represents the Navajo
Nation economic development division; FACT SHEET
S.B. 1571 – Amended
Page 2
f) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives that
represents a public university in the state that has a program that supports communities
impacted by an energy transition that includes communities where fossil energy is being
related and new energy is being developed; and
g) one member of the Coconino Board of Supervisors.
3. Requires the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives to each
appoint a co-chairperson.
4. Requires the Study Committee to meet as often as the Co-Chairpersons deem necessary and
investigate and analyze the social and economic effects on communities heavily reliant on the
coal industry with a focus on developing strategies to mitigate impacts and support economic
diversification in those communities.
5. Allows the Study Committee to use the services of legislative staff to provide necessary
administrative and operational support.
6. Requires a state agency or a political subdivision, on the request of the Study Committee, to
provide the Study Committee with services, equipment, documents, personnel and facilities to
the extent possible at not cost to the Study Committee.
7. Requires the Study Committee, by January 1, 2026, to submit a report of its findings and
recommendations to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of
Representatives and provide a copy to the Secretary of State.
8. Repeals the Study Committee on September 30, 2026.
9. Exempts the appropriation from lapsing.
10. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Establishes the Study Committee and prescribes the membership, powers and duties of the
Study Committee.
2. Repeals the Study Committee on September 30, 2026.
Senate Action
APPROP 2/25/25 DPA 9-1-0
Prepared by Senate Research
February 21, 2025
LMM/JP/ci