HB2888 • 2026

tribal drinking water fund; appropriation

HB2888 - tribal drinking water fund; appropriation

Budget

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Myron Tsosie
Last action: 2026-01-21
Official status: House second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the fund name, administrator, exemption from lapsing, grant purposes, and the $10 million transfer amount.

HB2888: Tribal Drinking Water Fund and Appropriation

This bill creates a new fund for tribal drinking water projects in Arizona and moves $10 million into it from the state's water conservation grant fund.

What This Bill Does

Creates the Tribal Drinking Water Access and Infrastructure Fund within state law.
Requires the Department of Water Resources to manage the new fund.
Allows money in the fund to stay available without expiring at the end of a budget year.
Authorizes grants for tribes to plan, build, or fix water systems like wells and pipelines.
Moves $10 million from the Water Conservation Grant Fund into this new tribal fund.

Who It Names or Affects

Federally recognized Indian tribes in Arizona
Authorities designated by federally recognized Indian tribes
The Department of Water Resources (ADWR)
State agencies managing water conservation grants

Terms To Know

Appropriation: Money that the legislature sets aside for a specific purpose.
Lapsing of appropriations: A rule where unused budget money must be returned if not spent by a certain date; this bill exempts the fund from this rule.

Limits and Unknowns

The text does not list specific tribes that will receive grants.
The effective date of the law is not provided in the source material.
The rules for how much money each tribe can get are not detailed in this excerpt.

Bill History

2026-01-21 House
House second read
2026-01-20 House
House Rules: None
2026-01-20 House
House Appropriations: None
2026-01-20 House
House Natural Resources, Energy & Water: None
2026-01-20 House
House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2888 - tribal drinking water fund; appropriation

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2888 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
tribal drinking water fund; appropriation

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2888

Introduced by

Representative
Tsosie

AN
ACT

Amending title 45, chapter 1, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 45-120; appropriating monies;
relating to the department of water resources.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 45, chapter 1, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 45-120, to read:

START_STATUTE
45-120.

Tribal drinking water access and infrastructure fund; exemption

A. The tribal drinking water access
and infrastructure fund is established consisting of legislative
appropriations. The department shall administer the fund.� Monies in the fund
are continuously appropriated and are exempt from the provisions of section
35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations.

B. The department shall use monies in
the fund to award grants to federally recognized Indian tribes and to
authorities designated by federally recognized Indian tribes.� Grant monies
awarded pursuant to this subsection may be used for either of the following
purposes:

1. Planning, engineering,
constructing and procuring emergency water access.

2. Funding the development of water
infrastructure projects, including water hauling points, wells, treatment
facilities and pipeline connections.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Appropriation;
tribal drinking water access and infrastructure fund; exemption

A. The sum of $10,000,000
is appropriated from the water conservation grant fund established by section
49-1331, Arizona Revised Statutes, in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the tribal
drinking water access and infrastructure fund established by section 45-120,
Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.

B. 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.