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HB2620 • 2026

appropriation; homeless veterans; shelter services

HB2620 - appropriation; homeless veterans; shelter services

Budget Housing
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
2026-03-17
Official status
Senate second read
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill summary lists fiscal years starting in 2027 (FYs 2027-2031), while the full bill text specifies FYs 2026-2027 through 2030-2031. The explanation uses the more specific dates from the enacted bill text.

HB2620: Funding for Homeless Veteran Shelters

This bill gives $300,000 each year from fiscal years 2026-2027 through 2030-2031 to the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services so it can give grants to emergency shelters that help homeless veterans.

What This Bill Does

  • Sets aside $300,000 per year for five years starting in fiscal year 2026-2027 from the state General Fund.
  • Requires the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services to give this money as grants only to emergency shelters that do not require a pre-scheduled intake appointment and provide at least 100 beds for single adults.
  • Directs grant recipients to check if veterans can get extra help from federal agencies and share that information with the department.
  • Orders annual reports on how much money was spent, what success measures were used, and the military discharge status of each veteran served.
  • Requires a final report by June 30, 2031, listing all activities funded, results, total people helped grouped by discharge status, and recommendations from shelter organizations.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Arizona Department of Veterans' Services
  • Emergency shelters in Arizona that have at least 100 beds for single adults and do not require appointments
  • Homeless veterans living in Arizona who use these specific shelters

Terms To Know

Appropriation
An official act by the legislature that sets aside a specific amount of money from government funds for a certain purpose.
Low-barrier shelter
A place where people can get emergency housing without needing to make an appointment or meet strict rules before entering.
Military discharge status
The official record of how a person left the military, which determines what benefits they may receive.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not say exactly how many shelters will get grants or how much money each one receives.
  • It is unclear if any veterans are excluded from receiving aid based on their specific discharge status, as the text only requires reporting that data.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Plain English: This amendment changes how $300,000 per year is given to emergency shelters for homeless veterans by removing rules about age and bed settings.

  • The money can now go to any low-barrier shelter that helps single adults, instead of only those serving people aged 55 or older.
  • Shelters no longer need to have at least 100 beds in a non-congregate setting (like private rooms) to get the grant.
  • The text does not explain what specific types of shelters will replace the removed age and bed requirements.
  • It is unclear if other rules for getting these grants exist outside this bill section.

Plain English: This amendment changes how $300,000 per year is given to emergency shelters for homeless veterans by removing rules about age and shelter size.

  • The money will go to any low-barrier single adult emergency shelter that helps homeless veterans in the state.
  • Shelters no longer need to be specifically designed for people who are fifty-five years of age or older.
  • Shelters no longer need to have one hundred or more beds located in a non-congregate setting.
  • The text does not explain what specific rules will replace the removed requirements about age and bed count.
  • It is unclear if shelters that previously met only the old strict rules can now apply for funding without making changes to their facilities.

Plain English: This amendment changes how money is given for homeless veteran shelters by removing rules that limited funding only to older adults and non-congregate settings.

  • The rule requiring shelter beds to be in a 'non-congregate setting' (like private rooms) has been removed, allowing funds to go to other types of emergency housing.
  • The requirement limiting the grant money to shelters for people aged fifty-five or older has been deleted.
  • The amendment text does not explain exactly what new rules will replace the ones that were removed, only that those specific restrictions are gone.

Plain English: This amendment changes how $300,000 per year is given to emergency shelters by removing rules that limited funding only to older adults and non-congregate settings.

  • The bill removes the rule that shelter grants can only go to facilities for people aged fifty-five or older.
  • The bill removes the requirement that funded shelters must have at least one hundred beds in a non-congregate setting.

Plain English: This amendment requires the Department of Veterans Services to submit yearly and final reports on how grant money for homeless veteran shelters is spent, who was helped, and what results were achieved.

  • The bill now requires an annual report detailing spending amounts, success metrics, and the military discharge status of veterans served by the grants.
  • A final summary report must be submitted by June 30, 2031, covering program activities, outcomes, total people served, and recommendations based on findings.
  • The law will automatically end (repeal) after December 31, 2031.
  • This amendment only changes the reporting requirements; it does not change how much money is given or which shelters receive grants based on this text alone.
  • The specific details of what 'metrics' will be used to measure success are not defined in this document.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-17 Senate

    Senate second read

  2. 2026-03-16 Senate

    Senate Rules: None

  3. 2026-03-16 Senate

    Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology: DP

  4. 2026-03-16 Senate

    Senate Military Affairs and Border Security: DP

  5. 2026-03-16 Senate

    Senate first read

  6. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Transmitted to Senate

  7. 2026-03-10 House

    House third read passed

  8. 2026-03-05 House

    House committee of the whole

  9. 2026-03-03 House

    House minority caucus

  10. 2026-03-03 House

    House majority caucus

  11. 2026-01-21 House

    House second read

  12. 2026-01-20 House

    House Rules: C&P

  13. 2026-01-20 House

    House Appropriations: DPA

  14. 2026-01-20 House

    House Government: DPA

  15. 2026-01-20 House

    House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections: W/D

  16. 2026-01-20 House

    House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2620 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
MABS
& ATT��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� FOR
COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
H.B. 2620

appropriation;
homeless veterans; shelter services

Purpose

Appropriates
$300,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FYs 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030
and 2031 to the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services (ADVS) to distribute
grants to eligible emergency shelters that provide aid to homeless veterans and
prescribes related reporting requirements.

Background

����������� ADVS's
duties include: 1) assisting veterans, family members of veterans and
dependents of veterans in presenting, providing and establishing claims,
privileges, rights and benefits provided under federal, state or local law; 2)
cooperating with all government and private agencies receiving services for or
benefits to veterans, family members of veterans and dependents of veterans; 3)
entering into agreements with veterans' organizations in Arizona that hold a
charter granted by the U.S. Congress for the beneficial interest of veterans;
4) evaluating programs offered by educational institutions and training
establishments pursuant to federal and state law, so that veterans and
dependents of veterans may draw the educational allowance provided by federal
law while pursuing approved programs; and 5) establishing an application
process for the Arizona Gold Star Military Medal, verifying the eligibility of
recipients and, if funding is available, awarding the Medal to an eligible
individual (
A.R.S.
� 41-603
).

����������� H.B. 2620 appropriates
$300,000 from the state GF in FYs 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031 to ADVS.

Provisions

1.

Appropriates $300,000 from the state GF in FYs 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030
and 2031 to ADVS to distribute as grants to emergency shelters.

2.

Requires grant monies be distributed to emergency shelters that do not
require a pre-scheduled intake appointment and that provide:

a)

low-barrier,
single adult, emergency shelter;

b)

100
or more beds; and

c)

aid
for homeless veterans in Arizona.

3.

Directs each organization that is a grant recipient to:

a)

inquire
with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs if additional federal services are
available for a veteran; and

b)

provide
that information to ADVS.

4.

Requires ADVS to submit, by June 30, 2026, and each year thereafter, a
report to the Governor, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the Chairperson and

Vice-chairperson of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) containing the
following information for each organization that is a grant recipient:

a)

all
expenditures of granted monies to aid homeless veterans in Arizona;

b)

the
metrics used to analyze the success of those expenditures; and

c)

the
military discharge status of each veteran served by the organization.

5.

Requires ADVS to submit, by June 30, 2031, a final report to the
Governor, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and
the Chairperson and

Vice-chairperson of JLAC that contains:

a)

activities
funded by the appropriation and associated expenditures by each grant recipient
organization;

b)

outcomes
of all expenditures from the appropriation;

c)

the
total number of persons aggregated by military discharge status who were served
by a grant funded by the appropriation by each grant recipient organization;
and

d)

any
recommendations by each grant recipient organization.

6.

Exempts the appropriation from lapsing.

7.

Repeals the appropriation and all related requirements on January 1,
2032.

8.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

House Action

FMAE������������ 2/12/26����� W/D�����

GOV�������������� 2/18/26����� DPA���� 7-0-0-0

APPROP�������� 2/23/26����� DPA���� 17-0-0-1

3
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Read��������� 3/10/26������������������� 51-4-4-0-1

Prepared by Senate Research

March 18, 2026

KJA/ci

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB2620 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

appropriation;
homeless veterans; shelter services

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2620

AN
ACT

Appropriating monies to the department of
veterans' services.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1.
Appropriation; department of veterans'
services; emergency shelters; fiscal years 2026-2027, 2027-2028,
2028-2029, 2029-2030 and 2030-2031; reports; exemption;
delayed repeal

A. The sum of $300,000 is
appropriated from the state general fund in each of fiscal years 2026-2027,
2027-2028, 2028-2029, 2029-2030 and 2030-2031 to the department of
veterans' services to distribute as grants to emergency shelters.

B.
Grant monies shall be distributed to emergency shelters that
do not require a pre-scheduled intake appointment and that provide the
following:

1. Low-barrier, single
adult, emergency shelter.

2. One hundred or more
beds.

3. Aid for homeless
veterans in this state.

C. On or before June 30,
2026 and each year thereafter, the department of veterans' services shall
submit a report to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of
the house of representatives and the chairperson and the vice chairperson of
the joint legislative audit committee of all of the following information for
each organization that is a grant recipient pursuant to subsection A of this
section:

1. All expenditures of
monies granted to aid homeless veterans in this state.

2. The metrics used to
analyze the success of each expenditure of monies pursuant to paragraph 1 of
this subsection.

3. The military discharge
status of each veteran who is served by the organization. Each
organization shall inquire with the United States department of veterans
affairs if additional federal services are available for the veteran and shall
provide that information to the department of veterans' services.

D. On or before June 30,
2031, the department of veterans' services shall submit a final report to the
governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of
representatives and the chairperson and vice chairperson of the joint legislative
audit committee that contains all of the following information:

1. Activities funded by the
appropriation made pursuant to subsection A of this section and associated
expenditures by each grant recipient organization.

2. Outcomes of all
expenditures from the appropriation made pursuant to subsection A of this
section.

3. The total number of
persons aggregated by military discharge status who were served by a grant
funded by the appropriation made pursuant to subsection A of this section by
each grant recipient organization.

4. Any
recommendations by each grant recipient organization.

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.

F. This section is repealed
from and after December 31, 2031.