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HB2936 • 2026

public policy; wage contracts; repeal.

HB2936 - public policy; wage contracts; repeal.

Elections Energy Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Cesar Aguilar, Anna Abeytia, Lorena Austin, Seth Blattman, Junelle Cavero, Janeen Connolly, Lupe Contreras, Patty Contreras, Quantá Crews, Oscar De Los Santos, Brian Garcia, Nancy Gutierrez, Alma Hernandez, Consuelo Hernandez, Lydia Hernandez, Sarah Liguori, Elda Luna-Nájera, Aaron Márquez, Christopher Mathis, Mae Peshlakai, Mariana Sandoval, Stephanie Simacek, Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, Stacey Travers, Myron Tsosie, Betty J Villegas, Catherine Miranda, Analise Ortiz
Last action
2026-01-29
Official status
House second read
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill status shows it passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, but no effective date is listed in the provided metadata.

HB2936: Changes to Wage Contract Rules for Public Energy Projects

This bill removes an old state rule about wage contracts and stops a committee from requiring construction workers on public energy projects to sign specific labor agreements.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes section 34-321 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, which previously defined neutrality agreements for public buildings.
  • Amends section 40-360.06 so that a committee cannot require contractors to sign project labor or neutrality agreements as part of approving energy projects.
  • States that private parties can still enter into their own collective bargaining relationships without state interference.
  • Clarifies that the bill does not regulate activities protected by federal law, such as those under the National Labor Relations Act.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Contractors and subcontractors building or maintaining public energy facilities like power plants or transmission lines.
  • The committee responsible for issuing certificates of environmental compatibility in Arizona.
  • Labor organizations and employees working on projects approved by the state commission.

Terms To Know

Neutrality agreement
An agreement where a company stays neutral toward labor groups, shares employee information beyond federal requirements, or recognizes a union without holding a secret ballot election.
Certificate of environmental compatibility
Official approval from the state committee allowing an energy project to proceed after reviewing its impact on the environment and community.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not stop private companies or workers from making their own labor agreements voluntarily.
  • It only applies to projects requiring a certificate of environmental compatibility, not all construction work in Arizona.
  • The text defines what the committee cannot require but does not list specific penalties for violating these new rules.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-29 House

    House second read

  2. 2026-01-28 House

    House Rules: None

  3. 2026-01-28 House

    House Commerce: None

  4. 2026-01-28 House

    House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2936 - public policy; wage contracts; repeal.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB2936 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
public policy; wage contracts; repeal.

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2936

Introduced by

Representatives
Aguilar: Abeytia, Austin, Blattman, Cavero, Connolly, Contreras L, Contreras
P, Crews, De Los Santos, Garcia, Gutierrez, Hernandez A, Hernandez C,
Hernandez L, Liguori, Luna-N�jera, M�rquez, Mathis, Peshlakai, Sandoval,
Simacek, Stahl Hamilton, Travers, Tsosie, Villegas;� Senators Miranda, Ortiz

AN
ACT

Repealing section 34-321, Arizona Revised
Statutes; amending section 40-360.06, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating
to wage contracts.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1.
Repeal

Section 34-321, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is repealed.

Sec. 2. Section 40-360.06, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
40-360.06.

Factors to be considered in issuing a certificate of
environmental compatibility; definition

A. The committee may approve or deny an application
and may impose reasonable conditions on the issuance of a certificate of
environmental compatibility
.

and
In
so doing
, the committee
shall consider the following
factors as a basis for its action with respect to the suitability of either
plant or transmission line siting plans:

1. Existing plans of this state,
a

local government and private entities for other developments at or in the
vicinity of the proposed site.

2. Fish, wildlife and plant life and associated
forms of life on which they are dependent.

3. Noise emission levels and interference with
communication signals.

4. The proposed availability of the site to the
public for recreational purposes, consistent with safety considerations and
regulations.

5. Existing scenic areas, historic sites and
structures or archaeological sites at or in the vicinity of the proposed site.

6. The total environment of the area.

7. The technical practicability of achieving a
proposed objective and the previous experience with equipment and methods
available for achieving a proposed objective.

8. The estimated cost of the facilities and site as
proposed by the applicant and the estimated cost of the facilities and site as
recommended by the committee, recognizing that any significant increase in
costs represents a potential increase in the cost of electric energy to the
customers or the applicant.

9. Any additional factors that require consideration
under applicable federal and state laws pertaining to any such site.

B. The committee shall give special consideration to
the protection of areas
that are
unique because of
biological wealth or because they are habitats for rare and endangered species.

C. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
article, the committee shall require in all certificates
of
environmental compatibility
for facilities that the applicant comply
with all applicable nuclear radiation standards and air and water pollution
control standards and regulations
,
but shall not
require either of the following:

1. Compliance with performance standards other than
those established by the agency having primary jurisdiction over a particular
pollution source.

2. That a contractor, subcontractor, material
supplier or other person
that is
engaged in the
construction, maintenance, repair or improvement of any project subject to
approval of the commission negotiate, execute or otherwise become a party to
any project labor agreement, neutrality agreement
as defined in
section 34-321
, apprenticeship program participation or contribution
agreement or other agreement with employees, employees' representatives or any
labor organization as a condition of or a factor in the commission's approval
of the project.� This paragraph does not:

(a) Prohibit private parties from entering into
individual collective bargaining relationships.

(b) Regulate or interfere with activity
that is
protected by law, including the national labor
relations act
.

D. Any certificate
of environmental
compatibility that is
granted by the committee shall be conditioned on
compliance by the applicant with all applicable ordinances, master plans and
regulations of
the
this
state, a
county or an incorporated city or town, except that the committee may grant a
certificate
of environmental compatibility

notwithstanding any such ordinance, master plan or regulation, exclusive of
franchises, if the committee finds as a fact that compliance with such
an
ordinance, master plan or regulation is unreasonably
restrictive and compliance therewith is not feasible in view of technology
available.
When
if
it
becomes apparent to the chairman of the committee or to the hearing officer
that an issue exists with respect to whether such an ordinance, master plan or
regulation is unreasonably restrictive and compliance therewith is not feasible
in view of technology available, the chairman or hearing officer shall promptly
serve notice of
such
that
fact by
certified mail on the chief executive officer of the area of jurisdiction
affected and, notwithstanding any provision of this article to the contrary,
shall make
such

that
area of
jurisdiction a party to the proceedings on its request and shall give it an
opportunity to respond on
such
that

issue.

e. for the purposes of this section,
"Neutrality agreement" includes an agreement to remain neutral toward
any labor organization, release private employee information not required by
federal labor law, allow access to property beyond what is required by federal
labor law and recognize a labor organization without a secret ballot election
conducted pursuant to federal labor law.

END_STATUTE