Senate Engrossed appropriation; coal-impacted workforce; study State of Arizona Senate Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 SENATE BILL 1571 An Act ESTABLISHING the study committee on coal impacted communities; appropriating monies to the office of economic opportunity. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Senate Engrossed appropriation; coal-impacted workforce; study
State of Arizona Senate Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
SENATE BILL 1571
Senate Engrossed
appropriation; coal-impacted workforce; study
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
First Regular Session
2025
SENATE BILL 1571
An Act
ESTABLISHING the study committee on coal impacted communities; appropriating monies to the office of economic opportunity.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Study committee on coal impacted communities; membership; duties; report; delayed repeal A. The study committee on coal impacted communities is established consisting of the following members: 1. Two members of the senate who are appointed by the president of the senate and who are members of different political parties. The president of the senate shall designate one of these members to serve as cochairperson of the committee. The two members shall reside in or represent a rural or tribal community. 2. Two members of the house of representatives who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who are members of different political parties. The speaker of the house of representatives shall designate one of these members to serve as cochairperson of the committee. The two members shall reside in or represent a rural or tribal community. 3. One member who is appointed by the president of the senate and who represents a nonprofit organization that provides food security, entrepreneurship, youth leadership and housing to a community impacted by coal. 4. One member who is appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who represents a nonprofit organization that works to protect the water of Black Mesa and to bring power back to Indigenous communities impacted by coal. 5. One member who is appointed by the president of the senate and who represents the Navajo Nation economic development division. 6. One member who is appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who represents a public university in this state that has a program that supports communities impacted by an energy transition, including communities where fossil energy is being retired and where new energy is being developed. 7. One member of the Coconino county board of supervisors who is appointed by the president of the senate and who represents the supervisorial district where the Navajo generating station operated. B. The committee shall: 1. Meet as often as the cochairpersons deem necessary. 2. Investigate and analyze the social and economic effects on communities heavily reliant on the coal industry, particularly in communities experiencing job losses or economic decline due to the transition away from coal power generation, with a focus on developing strategies to mitigate impacts and support economic diversification in those communities. C. The committee may use the services of legislative staff to provide necessary administrative and operational support. On request of the committee, an agency of this state or a political subdivision of this state shall provide the committee with services, equipment, documents, personnel and facilities, to the extent possible, at no cost to the committee. D. On or before December 31, 2025, the committee shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state. E. This section is repealed from and after September 30, 2026. Sec. 2. Appropriation; office of economic opportunity; workforce development study; exemption A. The sum of $600,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the office of economic opportunity to conduct a workforce development study on the communities in Coconino county impacted by the closure of the Navajo generating station. B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Study committee on coal impacted communities; membership; duties; report; delayed repeal
A. The study committee on coal impacted communities is established consisting of the following members:
1. Two members of the senate who are appointed by the president of the senate and who are members of different political parties. The president of the senate shall designate one of these members to serve as cochairperson of the committee. The two members shall reside in or represent a rural or tribal community.
2. Two members of the house of representatives who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who are members of different political parties. The speaker of the house of representatives shall designate one of these members to serve as cochairperson of the committee. The two members shall reside in or represent a rural or tribal community.
3. One member who is appointed by the president of the senate and who represents a nonprofit organization that provides food security, entrepreneurship, youth leadership and housing to a community impacted by coal.
4. One member who is appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who represents a nonprofit organization that works to protect the water of Black Mesa and to bring power back to Indigenous communities impacted by coal.
5. One member who is appointed by the president of the senate and who represents the Navajo Nation economic development division.
6. One member who is appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who represents a public university in this state that has a program that supports communities impacted by an energy transition, including communities where fossil energy is being retired and where new energy is being developed.
7. One member of the Coconino county board of supervisors who is appointed by the president of the senate and who represents the supervisorial district where the Navajo generating station operated.
B. The committee shall:
1. Meet as often as the cochairpersons deem necessary.
2. Investigate and analyze the social and economic effects on communities heavily reliant on the coal industry, particularly in communities experiencing job losses or economic decline due to the transition away from coal power generation, with a focus on developing strategies to mitigate impacts and support economic diversification in those communities.
C. The committee may use the services of legislative staff to provide necessary administrative and operational support. On request of the committee, an agency of this state or a political subdivision of this state shall provide the committee with services, equipment, documents, personnel and facilities, to the extent possible, at no cost to the committee.
D. On or before December 31, 2025, the committee shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.
E. This section is repealed from and after September 30, 2026.
Sec. 2. Appropriation; office of economic opportunity; workforce development study; exemption
A. The sum of $600,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the office of economic opportunity to conduct a workforce development study on the communities in Coconino county impacted by the closure of the Navajo generating station.
B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.