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HB2975 • 2026

state lands; solar score; maps

HB2975 - state lands; solar score; maps

Energy Housing
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Ralph Heap, David Marshall, Sr.
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Senate committee of the whole
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text does not specify who exactly should be consulted during the stakeholder process.

State Lands; Solar Score and Maps

This bill requires the Arizona State Land Department to stop using solar scores, create maps for mining and housing resources every ten years or sooner as needed, and post these maps online.

What This Bill Does

  • Stops the use of solar scores by the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD).
  • Requires ASLD to make new maps showing where mining and housing can happen every ten years or earlier if determined necessary by the Commissioner.
  • Tells ASLD to work with stakeholders when making the maps.
  • Says that ASLD must look at the resource scoring maps when planning how to use state lands.
  • Requires ASLD to give copies of new maps to government leaders and put them on their website.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Arizona State Land Department
  • People who want to mine or build houses on state land

Terms To Know

solar score
A way of measuring how good a place is for putting solar panels.
resource scoring map
A map that shows where mining and housing can happen based on what resources are available.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify when the bill will start.
  • Does not explain how ASLD should make these maps.
  • Does not mention any costs for making or updating the maps.

Amendments

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

Plain English: Fifty-seventh Legislature Natural Resources, Energy & Water Second Regular Session H.B.

  • Fifty-seventh Legislature Natural Resources, Energy & Water Second Regular Session H.B.
  • 2975 PROPOSED HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AMENDMENTS TO H.B.
  • 2975 (Reference to printed bill) The bill as proposed to be amended is reprinted as follows: 1 Section 1.
  • Title 37, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised 2 Statutes, is amended by adding section 37-111, to read: 3 37-111.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Senate

    Senate committee of the whole

  2. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Senate minority caucus

  3. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Senate majority caucus

  4. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Senate consent calendar

  5. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Senate second read

  6. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate Rules: PFC

  7. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate Natural Resources: DP

  8. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate first read

  9. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Transmitted to Senate

  10. 2026-02-26 House

    House third read passed

  11. 2026-02-24 House

    House committee of the whole

  12. 2026-02-17 House

    House minority caucus

  13. 2026-02-17 House

    House majority caucus

  14. 2026-02-05 House

    House second read

  15. 2026-02-04 House

    House Rules: C&P

  16. 2026-02-04 House

    House Natural Resources, Energy & Water: DPA

  17. 2026-02-04 House

    House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2975 - 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. 2975

state lands; solar
score; maps

Purpose

Requires the
Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) to suspend the use of solar scores or
other similar solar evaluators and develop a mining resource scoring map and a
housing resource scoring map every 10 years, or earlier if determined by the
ASLD Commissioner (Commissioner).

Background

The ASLD must
administer all laws relating to lands owned by, belonging to and under control
of Arizona and the ASLD has the charge and control of all lands owned by
Arizona and the timber, stone, gravel and other products of such lands (
A.R.S.
� 37-102
). The Commissioner must: 1) exercise and perform all powers and
duties vested in or imposed on the ASLD and prescribe such rules as are
necessary to discharge those duties; 2) make long-range plans for the future
use of state lands in cooperation with other state agencies, local planning
authorities and political subdivisions; 3) have the authority to lease for
commercial purposes and sell all land owned or held in trust by Arizona; and 4)
fulfill all other statutorily prescribed duties (
A.R.S.

� 37-132
).

The Commissioner
is responsible for creating five-year disposition plans for all state trust
land in Arizona, based at a minimum on market demand and anticipated
transportation and infrastructure availability. The Commissioner must: 1)
review and update each plan each year as may be necessary; 2) consult with the
city, town or county in which the land is located and with any regional
planning organization; and 3) submit each plan and revision to the Urban Land
Planning Oversight Committee to ensure conformity with the outlined conceptual
land use plan (
A.R.S.
� 37-331.03
).

There is no
anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.

Provisions

1.

Requires the ASLD, on the general effective date, to suspend the use of
solar scores or other similar solar evaluators.�

2.

Prohibits the Commissioner from using solar scores or other similar
solar evaluators in the decision making of the ASLD.

3.

Requires the ASLD, every 10 years or earlier as determined necessary by
the Commissioner, to develop:

a)

a
mining resource scoring map that takes known and proven resources into
consideration; and

b)

a
housing resource scoring map that takes development into consideration.

4.

Requires the ASLD to cooperate with stakeholders to create and update
the resource scoring maps.

5.

Allows the ASLD, during the stakeholder process, to consider comments
only from the applicable industry when updating the resource scoring maps.

6.

Requires the Commissioner to consider the resource scoring maps when
creating the ASLD's conceptual land use plans and five-year disposition plans

7.

Requires the Commissioner, on the adoption of a new resource scoring
map, to submit a copy of the updated resource scoring map to the Governor, the
President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
Secretary of State.

8.

Requires the ASLD to post each map on the ASLD's website.

9.

Requires the Commissioner, not later than two years after the general
effective date, to develop, provide copies of and post the maps on the ASLD's
website.

10.

Specifies
that the outlined requirements relating to solar, mining and housing scores do
not prohibit the ASLD from processing any application for the disposition of
state lands or for permits for housing or mining before the adoption of a map.

11.

Becomes
effective on the general effective date.

House Action

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Prepared by Senate Research

March 13, 2026

SB/NRG/hk

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB2975 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

state lands; solar
score; maps

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2975

AN
ACT

Amending title 37, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona
Revised Statutes, by adding section 37-111; RELATING to the state land
department.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 37, chapter 1, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 37-111, to read:

START_STATUTE
37-111.

State land
department; prohibition of use of solar scores; resource scoring maps; mining;
housing; posting

A. Notwithstanding any other law,
beginning on the effective date of this section, the department shall suspend
the use of solar scores or other similar solar evaluators.� The commissioner
may not use solar scores or other similar solar evaluators in the decision
making of the department.

b. Every ten years or earlier as
determined necessary by the commissioner, the department shall develop the
following resource scoring maps:

1. A mining resource scoring map that
takes known and proven resources into consideration.

2. A housing resource scoring map
that takes development into consideration.

c. The department shall cooperate
with stakeholders to create and update the resource scoring maps.� During the
stakeholder process, the department may consider comments only from the
applicable industry when updating the resource scoring maps.

d. The commissioner shall consider
the resource scoring maps when creating the department's conceptual land use
plans and five year disposition plans pursuant to section 37-331.03.

e. On the adoption of a new resource
scoring map, the commissioner shall submit a copy of the updated resource
scoring map to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the
house of representatives and shall provide a copy of the maps to the secretary
of state
.� The department shall post each map on the
department's website.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
State land department; implementation;
applicability

A. Not later than two years
after the effective date of this act, the commissioner of the state land
department shall develop, provide copies of and post the maps as required
pursuant to section 37-111, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this
act.

B. This act does not
prohibit the state land department from processing any application for the
disposition of state lands or for permits for housing or mining before the
adoption of a map required by section 1 of this act.