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HB2070 • 2026

appropriation; Gila county; flood relief

HB2070 - appropriation; Gila county; flood relief

Budget
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Walt Blackman
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
House second read
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify who else besides Gila County is directly impacted.

Flood Relief for Gila County

HB2070 provides $25 million from the state's general fund to help Gila County deal with flood damage.

What This Bill Does

  • Gives Gila County $25 million to fix problems caused by floods.
  • Allows Gila County to use money for things like cleaning up debris and repairing damaged infrastructure.
  • Requires Gila County to report how the money is spent every month.
  • Makes sure that federal funds are used along with this state funding, not instead of it.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Gila County

Terms To Know

Supplemental Appropriation
Extra money given to a state agency or local government for specific needs.
Emergency Measure
A law that is passed quickly because it's needed right away to deal with an urgent situation.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the money will be divided among different flood relief activities.
  • It doesn't explain what happens if Gila County uses more than 3% of the funds for administrative costs.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 House

    House second read

  2. 2026-01-12 House

    House Rules: None

  3. 2026-01-12 House

    House Appropriations: None

  4. 2026-01-12 House

    House Government: DP

  5. 2026-01-12 House

    House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2070 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

HB
2070
: appropriation; Gila county; flood relief

Sponsor:
Representative Blackman, LD 7

Committee
on Government

Overview

An emergency measure that appropriates
$25,000,000 from the state General Fund (GF) to the Arizona Department of
Administration (ADOA) in FY 2026 for Gila County flood relief efforts.

History

The Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs
(DEMA) administers the division of emergency management. The DEMA Director is
appointed with the approval of the Adjutant General. The DEMA Director must: 1)
develop and test plans for meeting any condition constituting a state of
emergency; 2) coordinate the emergency activities of all state agencies; and 3)
coordinate the use of personnel, equipment, services and facilities in support
of emergency management activities (A.R.S. ��
26-305
,
26-306
).

Provisions

1.

Allocates
$25,000,000 from the state GF to ADOA in FY 2026 to Gila County for flood
relief efforts.

2.

Allows Gila
County to spend the monies for the following:

a.

flood
prevention;

b.

capital
expenditures and equipment related to flood prevention;

c.

mitigation
projects to address flooding;

d.

debris
removal, sediment clearance and environmental cleanup activities directly
related to flood damage;

e.

Gila
County's or a local government agency's emergency liabilities resulting from
flooding;

f.

engineering,
design, permitting and project design costs;

g.

financial
assistance to public and private landowners for emergency infrastructure damage
repairs caused by flooding;

h.

matching
monies for federal or state grant programs addressing flood damage, mitigation
or resiliency;

i.

reimbursement
to a state agency or political subdivision for eligible claims costs from an
emergency or federal declaration of emergency or major disaster; and

j.

economic
development infrastructure in areas impacted by flooding. (Sec. 1)

3.

Prevents
Gila County from spending more than 3% of the appropriation on administrative
expenses incurred for the management, compliance and reporting required by this
act. (Sec. 1)

4.

States that
the appropriation must be used to supplement rather than replace monies
allocated by the federal government. (Sec. 1)

5.

Directs Gila
County to seek federal reimbursement for expenditures made from this
appropriation and to credit any reimbursements to this appropriation. (Sec. 1)

6.

Stipulates
that Gila County must only use monies for financial assistance to public and
private landowners for emergency infrastructure damage repairs caused by
flooding as a payor of last resort after all other payment sources have been
exhausted. (Sec. 1)

7.

Requires
Gila County to submit a report within 15 days after the end of each month to
the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
Joint Legislative Budget Committee on expenditures from and reimbursements to
the appropriation for the prior month and provide a copy to the Secretary of
State. (Sec. 1)

8.

Outlines the
information in the monthly reports, including listing total expenditures,
reimbursements and the amount of monies left in the appropriation. (Sec. 1)

9.

Exempts the
appropriation from lapsing. (Sec. 1)

10.

Contains an
emergency clause. (Sec. 2)

11.

12.

13.

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14.

Initials ML/MN�������������� HB
2070

15.

1/28/2026� Page 0 Government

16.

17.

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Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB2070 - 572R - I Ver

PREFILED��� DEC 16 2025

REFERENCE TITLE:
appropriation; Gila county; flood relief

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2070

Introduced by

Representative
Blackman

AN
ACT

Appropriating monies to the DEPARTMENT of
administration.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1.
Supplemental
appropriation; Gila county; flood relief efforts; reports; exemption

A. In addition to any other
appropriation made in fiscal year 2025-2026, the sum of $25,000,000 is
appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the
department of administration to distribute to Gila county for flood relief
efforts. Gila county may spend the monies for:

1. Flood prevention.

2. Capital expenditures and
equipment associated with flood prevention.

3. Mitigation projects to
address flooding and other damages as a result of flooding.

4. Debris removal, sediment
clearance and environmental cleanup activities directly related to flood
damage.

5. The county's or a local
government agency's emergency liabilities as a result of flooding, including
intergovernmental agreements or contracts with cities, towns or special
districts.

6. Engineering, design,
permitting and project management costs.

7. Financial assistance to
public and private landowners for emergency repairs for infrastructure damage
caused by flooding.

8. Matching monies for
federal or state grant programs that address flood damage, mitigation or
resiliency.

9. Reimbursement to a state
agency or political subdivision for costs for eligible claims arising from an
emergency declaration pursuant to section 35-192, Arizona Revised
Statutes, or a federal declaration of emergency or major disaster.

10. Not more than three
percent of the appropriation made in this subsection may be spent by Gila
county for administrative expenses incurred for the management, compliance and
reporting required pursuant to this section.

11. Economic development
infrastructure in areas impacted by flooding.

B. The appropriation made
in subsection A of this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant
any monies allocated by the federal government for this
purpose. Gila county shall seek federal reimbursement as appropriate
for expenditures made from this appropriation. Any reimbursements
shall be credited to this appropriation.

C. Gila county shall
distribute monies pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 7 of this section only as
a payor of last resort after all other sources of payment, including any
federal and insurance reimbursements, have been exhausted.

D. Not
later than fifteen days after the end of each month, Gila county shall submit a
report to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of
representatives and the joint legislative budget committee on expenditures from
and reimbursements to the appropriation made in subsection A of this section
for the prior month and shall provide a copy to the secretary of
state. Each report shall include information regarding the total
expenditures and reimbursements for each paragraph listed in subsection A of
this section and the amount of monies remaining in the appropriation.

E. 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.

Sec. 2.
Emergency

This act is an emergency measure that
is necessary to preserve the public peace, health or safety and is operative
immediately as provided by law.