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HB2165 - 572R - H Ver
House Engrossed
veterans; state park
fees; exemption
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
HOUSE BILL 2165
AN
ACT
Amending section 41-511.05, Arizona Revised
Statutes; relating to the arizona state parks board.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 41-511.05, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
41-511.05.
Powers;
compensation
The board, subject to legislative budgetary control within the
limitations of this article, may:
1. Subject to chapter 4, article 4 and, as
applicable, article 5 of this title, employ, determine conditions of employment
and specify the duties of such administrative, secretarial and clerical workers
and technical employees such as naturalists, archaeologists, landscape
architects, rangers, park supervisors, caretakers, guides, skilled tradesmen,
laborers, historians and engineers, and contract to have the services of such
advisors or consultants as are reasonably necessary or desirable to enable it
to perform adequately its duties. The compensation of the director
and of all workers and employees shall be as determined pursuant to section 38-611.
2. Make such contracts, leases and agreements and
incur such obligations as are reasonably necessary or desirable within the
general scope of its activities and operations to enable it to perform
adequately its duties.
3. Acquire through purchase, lease, agreement,
donation, grant, bequest or otherwise real and personal property and acquire
real property through eminent domain for state park or monument
purposes. Property may not be acquired in the manner provided in
this paragraph that will require an expenditure in excess of funds budgeted or
received for such purposes. A state park or monument, or additions
to a state park or monument, may not be created containing in excess of one hundred
sixty acres of land unless created by an act of the
legislature. This acreage limitation does not apply in the case of
lands given or donated for state park or monument purposes or to state owned
lands that are selected by the board and that are not subject to outstanding
leases, permits or other rights for the use of the lands including preferential
rights to renew such leases and permits.
4. Sell, lease, exchange or otherwise dispose of
real and personal property. Any disposition of real property shall
be submitted for approval of the joint committee on capital
review. The disposition of office equipment, furnishings, vehicles
and other materials is subject to chapter 23, article 8 of this
title. The disposition of artifacts and other property of
scientific, archaeological, historical or sociological interest is exempt from
chapter 23, article 8 of this title, but the board shall consult with the
Arizona historical society in disposing of property of historical interest.
5. Construct at state parks and monuments necessary
sanitary and other facilities including picnic tables, fireplaces, campsites,
service buildings and maintenance shops, and contract with private persons for
the construction and operation of cabins, hotels and restaurants, and like
establishments.
6. Erect suitable signs and markers at parks and
monuments and write, prepare and publish written materials describing the
historical significance of monuments and other places of historical or other
significance.
7. Solicit and work in cooperation with the
department of transportation and the highway departments of various counties
and the United States federal highway administration for necessary roads and
trails within the state parks and monuments and access roads to state parks and
monuments. For the purposes of this paragraph, the board may
designate roads, spurs and other traffic related appurtenances within state
park boundaries as public highways. Designation of roads, spurs or other
traffic related appurtenances as public highways does not prohibit the board
from closing such public highways when the park is closed, charging for
admission to the park to persons using the public highway within the park or
otherwise managing such public highways in the same manner as other lands
within the park.
8. Levy and collect reasonable fees or other charges
for the use of such privileges and conveniences as may be provided under the
jurisdiction of the board. The board may enter into agreements
for the purpose of accepting
to accept
payment for fees or other charges imposed pursuant to this article by
alternative payment methods, including credit cards, charge cards, debit cards
and electronic funds transfers. The collecting officer shall deduct
any fee charged or withheld by a company providing the alternative payment
method under an agreement with the board before the revenues are transferred to
the board.
A person who is a veteran
or a member of the United States Military, the national guard or a
reserve unit in this state is exempt from admission fees for all state
parks. The exemption includes all passengers in the same personal
vehicle as the veteran for sites that charge per vehicle or the veteran and up
to three people for sites that charge per person. The veteran must
present their military identification card
, driver
license with veterans designation or veterans administration identification
card to be exempt from any admission fees.
9. Make reasonable rules for the protection of, and
maintain and keep the peace in, state parks and monuments. Such
rules adopted by the parks board are subject to review and approval by the
legislature. After a board rule has been finally adopted pursuant to
chapter 6 of this title, the board shall immediately forward a certified copy
of the rule to the legislature. The legislature may review and, by
concurrent resolution, approve, disapprove or modify such rule. However,
such rule shall be given full force and effect pending legislative
review. If a concurrent resolution is not passed by the legislature
with respect to the rule within one year following receipt of a certified copy
of the rule, the rule is deemed to have been approved by the
legislature. If the legislature disapproves a rule or a section of a
rule, the board shall immediately discontinue the use of any procedure, action
or proceeding authorized or required by the rule or section of the
rule. If the legislature modifies a rule or section of a rule, the
board shall immediately suspend the use of any procedure, action or proceeding
authorized or required by the rule or section of the rule until the modified
rule has been adopted in accordance with chapter 6 of this title, after which all
proceedings pursuant to the rule shall be conducted in accordance with the
modified version of the rule.
10. Furnish advisory services to city and county
park or recreation boards and organizations.
11. Delegate to the director, the deputy director or
the director's designee any of its powers and duties, whether ministerial or
discretionary, that are prescribed by law, except that the board may not
delegate its power or duty to make rules.
12. Reimburse board volunteers for travel and
lodging expenses and per diem subsistence allowances incurred while on public
business for the board. Reimbursement amounts shall not exceed those
allowed under title 38, chapter 4, article 2.
13. In consultation with the conservation
acquisition board, develop a grant program and adopt guidelines for allocating
and obligating monies in the land conservation fund pursuant to section 41-511.23. The
guidelines shall include consideration of both qualification issues relating to
applicants for grants and issues relating to the proposed use of the grant
money in a manner consistent with existing municipal, county and regional land
use plans.
14. Require volunteers who collect fees or interact
with children or vulnerable adults as defined in section 13-3623 within a
state park to submit a full set of fingerprints to the board
for
the purpose of obtaining
to obtain
a state and
federal criminal records check pursuant to section 41-1750 and Public Law
92-544. The department of public safety may exchange this
fingerprint data with the federal bureau of investigation.
END_STATUTE