Official Summary Text
HB2257 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
Assigned to
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COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR
H.B. 2257
HOV
lane; blood transport vehicles
(
NOW: watercraft
fund; distribution of monies
)
Provisions
Alters the
allocation of watercraft registration and infrastructure fee revenues.
Background
Each month,
monies received from the registration and infrastructure fees received for the
numbering of watercraft must be deposited in the Watercraft Licensing Fund for
distribution by the Arizona Game and Fish Department as follows: 1) 65 percent
must be deposited into the Watercraft Licensing Fund to be used for
administering and enforcing boating and water sports regulation; and 2) of the
remaining 35 percent, 15 percent must be deposited into the State Lake
Improvement Fund and 85 percent must be deposited into the Law Enforcement and
Boating Safety Fund (
A.R.S.
� 5-323
).
Only a county
board of supervisors that has a law enforcement and boating safety program that
was in existence before July 1, 1990, is eligible to receive Law Enforcement
and Boating Safety Fund monies. The State Treasurer administers the Law
Enforcement and Boating Safety Fund and uses an allocation formula determined
annually by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission (Commission). The Commission,
when determining the allocation formula, may consider: 1) the adequacy of
existing county boating safety programs, including accident investigations; 2)
the number of recreational days of use on water within the county; 3) the
surface acreage of water within the county's jurisdiction; 4) the county water
safety record; 5) the ability of the county to constructively use additional
monies; 6) the ratio of boating use to water surface within the county's
jurisdiction; 7) the ability of participating counties to provide continued
funding for the program; 8) annual input and feedback from the county board of
supervisors receiving funds; and 9) boat accident data for the waterways within
the county's jurisdiction (
A.R.S.
� 5-383
).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund
associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1.
Alters
the allocation of watercraft registration and infrastructure fees as follows:
a)
55 percent, rather than 65 percent, must be deposited into the
Watercraft Licensing Fund;
b)
45 percent, rather than 35 percent, must be allocated as follows:
i.
10 percent, rather than 15 percent, to the State Lake Improvement Fund;
and
ii.
90
percent, rather than 85 percent, to the Law Enforcement and Boating Safety
Fund.
2.
Removes the statutorily prescribed Arizona Game and Fish Commission
allocation formula for the Law Enforcement and Boating Safety Fund monies and
removes the requirement for the State Treasurer to use the allocation formula
when distributing monies.��
3.
Requires
the revenues allocated to the Law Enforcement and Boating Safety Fund to be
allocated as follows:
a)
1.03 percent to Apache County;
b)
10.45 percent to Coconino County;
c)
7.35 percent to Gila County;
d)
12.5 percent to La Paz County;
e)
9.65 percent to Maricopa County;
f)
49.22 percent to Mohave County;
g)
0.5 percent to Navajo County; and
h)
9.3
percent to Yuma County.
4.
Makes technical and conforming changes.
5.
Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
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Prepared by Senate Research
March 13, 2026
LMM/ci
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
HB2257 - 572R - H Ver
House Engrossed
HOV
lane; blood transport vehicles
(now: watercraft
fund; distribution of monies)
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
HOUSE BILL 2257
AN
ACT
Amending sections 5-323 and 5-383,
Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to boating and water sports.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 5-323, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
5-323.
Disposition of fees; annual report
Each month monies received from the registration and infrastructure
fees received under this chapter for the numbering of watercraft shall be
deposited, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, in the
watercraft licensing fund. Each month, the department shall distribute the
monies as follows:
1. All revenues collected pursuant to section 5-321,
subsection A and section 5-326 shall be allocated as follows:
(a)
Sixty-five per cent
fifty-five percent
shall be deposited in the watercraft
licensing fund. The watercraft licensing fund is to be used by the department
for administering and enforcing this chapter, providing an information and
education program relating to boating and boating safety and administering any
aquatic invasive species program established under this title or title
17. These monies are subject to legislative appropriation.
(b)
Thirty-five per cent
forty-five percent
of such revenues shall be further
allocated as follows:
(i)
Fifteen per cent
Ten percent
to the state lake
improvement fund to be used as prescribed by section 5-382.
(ii)
Eighty-five per cent
ninety percent
to the law enforcement
and boating safety fund to be used as prescribed by section 5-383.
2. All revenues collected from any additional
registration fees collected pursuant to section 5-321, subsection
C
D
shall be paid to an account
designated by a multi-county water conservation district established under
title 48, chapter 22 to be used solely for the lower Colorado river
multispecies conservation program and for no other purpose.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 2. Section 5-383, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
5-383.
Law enforcement and boating safety fund; boating law enforcement,
personnel, equipment and training funding to counties
A.
A
The
law
enforcement and boating safety fund is established
that consists
consisting
of monies distributed to the fund pursuant to
sections 5-323, 5-395.01, 5-395.03, 5-396 and 5-397. The
monies are subject to legislative appropriation.
B. Only a board of supervisors of a county that has
a law enforcement and boating safety program that was in existence before July
1, 1990 shall be eligible to receive law enforcement and boating safety fund
monies.�
The revenues allocated to the law enforcement and
boating safety fund shall be allocated as follows:
1. 1.03 percent to apache County.
2. 10.45 percent to coconino county.
3. 7.35 percent to gila county.
4. 12.5 percent to la paz county.
5. 9.65 percent to maricopa county.
6. 49.22 percent to mohave county.
7. .5 percent to navajo county.
8. 9.3 percent to yuma county.
C. The state treasurer shall administer the
fund.
Using an allocation formula as determined
annually by the commission,
The state treasurer shall distribute monies
monthly from the law enforcement and boating safety fund to eligible counties
as prescribed in subsection B of this section.
D. In determining the allocation
formula, the commission may consider the following:
1. The adequacy of existing county
boating safety programs that include accident investigations.
2. The number of recreational days of
use on water within the jurisdiction of the counties in areas of administrative
authority.
3. The surface acreage of water within
the jurisdiction of the counties in areas of administrative authority.
4. The county water safety record.
5. The ability of the county to
constructively use additional monies.
6. The ratio of boating use to water
surface within the jurisdiction of the counties in areas of administrative
authority.
7. The ability of participating
counties to provide continued funding of the program.
8. Annual input and feedback from the
county boards of supervisors receiving funds.
9. Boat accident data for the
waterways within the jurisdiction of the county.
E.
D.
The
monies distributed to a county board of supervisors shall be used by the law
enforcement agencies of the county solely for boating law enforcement,
personnel, equipment and training.
END_STATUTE