physical availability; review; designated providers

Plain English Breakdown

The official text includes amendments regarding multi-county water conservation districts, but the exact scope of how these change rules beyond the specific exemption is not fully detailed in the provided summary.

HB2027: Water Rules for Phoenix Cities

This bill stops the state water director from applying Pinal County groundwater rules to designated cities in the Phoenix area and requires a review of their available water.

What This Bill Does

• Prohibits the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Director from adopting rules that apply Pinal Active Management Area statutes to Phoenix AMA cities with an Assured Water Supply designation.
• Requires the ADWR Director to check the physical availability of groundwater and stored water in designated Phoenix AMA cities within 30 days after the law takes effect.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Director
• Cities and towns in the Phoenix Active Management Area that have an Assured Water Supply designation

Terms To Know

Active Management Area (AMA)

A specific geographic region where groundwater use is regulated by state law.

Assured Water Supply (AWS) Designation

Official status given to a city or town showing it has enough water of good quality for at least 100 years and the money to build needed facilities.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not state an effective date, so the exact start time is unknown.
• An amendment mentions multi-county water conservation districts but does not fully define how they change the rules for all applicants.

Official Summary Text

HB2027 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

House
: NREW DPA 6-4-0-0

HB
2027
: physical availability; review; designated providers

Sponsor:
Representative Griffin

Caucus
& COW

Overview

Prohibits
the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Director from adopting rules
that apply Pinal active management area (AMA) statute(s) to a city or town in
the Phoenix AMA that has received a designation of assured water supply.
Requires the ADWR Director to review availability of groundwater and stored
water in the Phoenix AMA.

History

Under the Groundwater Management Act, someone who plans to
sell or lease subdivided lands in an AMA must obtain an Assured Water Supply
(AWS) certificate from the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) or
obtain a commitment for water service from a city, town or private water
company that has an AWS designation. Otherwise, a municipality or county cannot
approve that subdivision plat, and the State Real Estate Commissioner will not
authorize the sale or lease of the subdivided lands.

An AWS means: 1) sufficient groundwater, surface water or
effluent of adequate quality that will be legally, physically and continuously
available to meet proposed water needs for at least 100 years; 2) projected
groundwater use is consistent with the management plan and achieving the AMA's
management goal; and 3) demonstrating the financial capability to build the
facilities necessary to make water available for the proposed use.

The Director is required to designate cities and towns in
AMAs where an AWS exists. Prior to 1998, a city or town that had entered a
contract for Central Arizona Project water was deemed to continue to have an
assured water supply. Beginning in 1998, the determination that a city or town
has an AWS is subject to review by the Director. The Director may determine
that a city or town does not have an AWS (
A.R.S. � 45-576
).

Provisions

1.

Prohibits the
ADWR Director from adopting rules that apply the Pinal AMA statute(s) to a city
or town in the Phoenix AMA that has received an AWS designation. (Sec. 1)

2.

Requires the
ADWR Director to review, within 30 days after the effective date of this act,
the physical availability of groundwater and stored water of each city or town
in the Phoenix AMA that has received an AWS designation. (Sec. 2)

Amendments

Committee on
Natural Resources, Energy and Water

1.

Prohibits the Director, if the
Director applies Pinal AMA statute to the Phoenix AMA, from reviewing the
physical availability of groundwater to be included in an application for a
certificate of AWS in the AMA if the applicant enrolls as a member land in a
multi-county water conservation district. (Sec. 1)

2.

3.

4.

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FOOTER ---------

5.

Initials CW��������������������� HB
2027

6.

2/13/2026� Page 0 Caucus
& COW

7.

8.

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FOOTER ---------

Current Bill Text

HB2027 - 572R - I Ver

PREFILED��� DEC 02 2025

REFERENCE TITLE:
physical availability; review; designated providers

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2027

Introduced by

Representative
Griffin

AN
ACT

amending
section 45-576.09, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to groundwater
management.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 45-576.09, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
45-576.09.

Active management areas; director's authority to change assured
water supply rules

Notwithstanding any other law, the director may revise the
rules adopted pursuant to section 45-576, subsection H to apply section
45-576.08 to other active management areas.
the
director may not adopt rules to apply section 45-576.08 to a city or town
in the Phoenix active MANAGEMENT area that has received a DESIGNATION of
assured water supply PURSUANT to section 45-576, subsection e.

END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Phoenix active
management area; designation of assured water supply; review

Within thirty days after the effective
date of this act, the director of the department of water resources shall
review the physical availability of groundwater and stored water of each city
or town in the Phoenix active management area that has received a designation
of assured water supply pursuant to section 45-576, subsection E, Arizona
Revised Statutes, and section 45-576.09, Arizona Revised Statutes, as
amended by this act.