state parks; admission fees; exemption

SB1119 - 572R - I Ver

PREFILED��� JAN 09 2026

REFERENCE TITLE:
state parks; admission fees;
exemption

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1119

Introduced by

Senators
Werner: Shope;� Representative Gress

AN
ACT

Amending section 41-511.05, Arizona
Revised Statutes; relating to the arizona state parks board.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Section 41-511.05, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
41-511.05.

Powers; compensation

The board, subject to legislative budgetary control within the
limitations of this article, may:

1. Subject to chapter 4, article 4 and, as
applicable, article 5 of this title, employ, determine conditions of employment
and specify the duties of such administrative, secretarial and clerical workers
and technical employees such as naturalists, archaeologists, landscape
architects, rangers, park supervisors, caretakers, guides, skilled tradesmen,
laborers, historians and engineers, and contract to have the services of such
advisors or consultants as are reasonably necessary or desirable to enable it
to perform adequately its duties. The compensation of the director
and of all workers and employees shall be as determined pursuant to section 38-611.

2. Make such contracts, leases and agreements and
incur such obligations as are reasonably necessary or desirable within the
general scope of its activities and operations to enable it to perform
adequately its duties.

3. Acquire through purchase, lease, agreement,
donation, grant, bequest or otherwise real and personal property and acquire
real property through eminent domain for state park or monument
purposes. Property may not be acquired in the manner provided in
this paragraph that will require an expenditure in excess of funds budgeted or
received for such purposes. A state park or monument, or additions
to a state park or monument, may not be created containing in excess of one hundred
sixty acres of land unless created by an act of the
legislature. This acreage limitation does not apply in the case of
lands given or donated for state park or monument purposes or to state owned
lands that are selected by the board and that are not subject to outstanding
leases, permits or other rights for the use of the lands including preferential
rights to renew such leases and permits.

4. Sell, lease, exchange or otherwise dispose of
real and personal property. Any disposition of real property shall
be submitted for approval of the joint committee on capital
review. The disposition of office equipment, furnishings, vehicles
and other materials is subject to chapter 23, article 8 of this
title. The disposition of artifacts and other property of
scientific, archaeological, historical or sociological interest is exempt from
chapter 23, article 8 of this title, but the board shall consult with the
Arizona historical society in disposing of property of historical interest.

5. Construct at state parks and monuments necessary
sanitary and other facilities including picnic tables, fireplaces, campsites,
service buildings and maintenance shops, and contract with private persons for
the construction and operation of cabins, hotels and restaurants, and like
establishments.

6. Erect suitable signs and markers at parks and
monuments and write, prepare and publish written materials describing the
historical significance of monuments and other places of historical or other
significance.

7. Solicit and work in cooperation with the
department of transportation and the highway departments of various counties
and the United States federal highway administration for necessary roads and
trails within the state parks and monuments and access roads to state parks and
monuments. For the purposes of this paragraph, the board may
designate roads, spurs and other traffic related appurtenances within state
park boundaries as public highways.� Designation of roads, spurs or other
traffic related appurtenances as public highways does not prohibit the board
from closing such public highways when the park is closed, charging for
admission to the park to persons using the public highway within the park or
otherwise managing such public highways in the same manner as other lands
within the park.

8. Levy and collect reasonable fees or other charges
for the use of such privileges and conveniences as may be provided under the
jurisdiction of the board. The board may enter into agreements for
the purpose of accepting payment for fees or other charges imposed pursuant to
this article by alternative payment methods, including credit cards, charge
cards, debit cards and electronic funds transfers. The collecting
officer shall deduct any fee charged or withheld by a company providing the
alternative payment method under an agreement with the board before the
revenues are transferred to the board.
� A person who is a first
responder in this state is exempt from admission fees for all state parks.� The
exemption includes all passengers in the same personal vehicle as the first
responder for sites that charge per vehicle or the first responder and up to
three people for sites that charge per person.� The first responder must
present their employee identification to be exempt from any admission fees.�
For the purposes of this paragraph, "first responder" means any
active and retired law enforcement officer, firefighter and paramedic and
includes any tribal first responder.

9. Make reasonable rules for the protection of, and
maintain and keep the peace in, state parks and monuments. Such
rules adopted by the parks board are subject to review and approval by the
legislature. After a board rule has been finally adopted pursuant to
chapter 6 of this title, the board shall immediately forward a certified copy
of the rule to the legislature. The legislature may review and, by
concurrent resolution, approve, disapprove or modify such rule. However,
such rule shall be given full force and effect pending legislative
review. If a concurrent resolution is not passed by the legislature
with respect to the rule within one year following receipt of a certified copy
of the rule, the rule is deemed to have been approved by the
legislature. If the legislature disapproves a rule or a section of a
rule, the board shall immediately discontinue the use of any procedure, action
or proceeding authorized or required by the rule or section of the
rule. If the legislature modifies a rule or section of a rule, the
board shall immediately suspend the use of any procedure, action or proceeding
authorized or required by the rule or section of the rule until the modified
rule has been adopted in accordance with chapter 6 of this title, after which all
proceedings pursuant to the rule shall be conducted in accordance with the
modified version of the rule.

10. Furnish advisory services to city and county
park or recreation boards and organizations.

11. Delegate to the director, the deputy director or
the director's designee any of its powers and duties, whether ministerial or
discretionary, that are prescribed by law, except that the board may not
delegate its power or duty to make rules.

12. Reimburse board volunteers for travel and
lodging expenses and per diem subsistence allowances incurred while on public
business for the board. Reimbursement amounts shall not exceed those
allowed under title 38, chapter 4, article 2.

13. In consultation with the conservation
acquisition board, develop a grant program and adopt guidelines for allocating
and obligating monies in the land conservation fund pursuant to section 41-511.23. The
guidelines shall include consideration of both qualification issues relating to
applicants for grants and issues relating to the proposed use of the grant
money in a manner consistent with existing municipal, county and regional land
use plans.

14. Require volunteers who collect fees or interact
with children or vulnerable adults as defined in section 13-3623 within a
state park to submit a full set of fingerprints to the board for the purpose of
obtaining a state and federal criminal records check pursuant to section 41-1750
and Public Law 92-544. The department of public safety may
exchange this fingerprint data with the federal bureau of investigation.
END_STATUTE