Official Summary Text
SB1280 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
Assigned to
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COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1280
public monies; Mexican
wolf; prohibition
Purpose
Prohibits the Arizona Game and Fish Commission (Commission) from
transporting, or from spending or using public monies or resources to transport,
Mexican gray wolf puppies into the boundaries of Arizona.
Background
The Mexican gray wolf has been protected as an endangered subspecies of
gray wolf since 1976 under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended. Following the near extinction of the Mexican gray wolf, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Mexico and partner agencies initiated a
binational captive breeding program and began efforts to reestablish Mexican
gray wolves in the wild in the United States in 1998. The Arizona Game and Fish
Department (AZGFD) has entered a memorandum of understanding between the USFWS
and several other federal, state and tribal agencies for the primary purpose of
establishing a framework to exchange views, information or advice relating to
the management or implementation of reestablishing a viable population of
Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico within the Mexican Wolf
Experimental Population Area to contribute to the long-term conservation and
recovery of the Mexican gray wolf (USFWS:
Mexican
Wolf Recovery Plan
and
Memorandum
of Understanding
).
The memorandum of understanding between the USFWS and the Commission
specifies that a Mexican gray wolf release, translocation or cross-fostering
may not occur within three miles of state trust land or private property and
without a full DNA profile on each Mexican gray wolf. The AZGFD must report to
the Commission at every Commission meeting: 1) any known death of a Mexican
gray wolf in Arizona and, if known, the reason for the death; 2) the number of
Mexican gray wolves that are supplemented with feed in Arizona and the cost of
the supplementation; 3) the number of Mexican gray wolves that are captured in
Arizona by the AZGFD or a federal agency partnering with the AZGFD, the reason
for the capture and the full DNA profile on each Mexican gray wolf capture; 4)
the location of all collared Mexican gray wolves in Arizona; and 5) all human
and domestic animal incidents in Arizona that involve a Mexican gray wolf (
A.R.S.
� 17-253
).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund
associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1.
Prohibits
the Commission from:
a)
transporting Mexican gray wolf puppies into the boundaries of Arizona;
or
b)
spending
public monies or using public resources to transport Mexican gray wolf puppies
into the boundaries of Arizona.
2.
Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 30, 2026
SB/SF/hk
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
SB1280 - 572R - S Ver
Senate Engrossed
public monies;
Mexican wolf; prohibition
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
SENATE BILL 1280
AN
ACT
Amending section 17-253, Arizona
Revised Statutes; RELATING to THE aRIZONA GAME AND fISH commission.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 17-253, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
17-253.
Mexican gray wolf; memorandum of understanding; reporting
A. The commission shall attempt to enter into a
memorandum of understanding with the United States fish and wildlife service
regarding the endangered species act and the release, translocation and cross-fostering
of Mexican gray wolves prior to any release, translocation or cross-fostering
in this state.� The memorandum of understanding shall specify that a Mexican
gray wolf release, translocation or cross-fostering may not occur:
1. Within three miles of state trust land or private
property.
2. Without a full DNA profile on each Mexican gray
wolf that is released, translocated or cross-fostered.
B. The department shall report to the commission at
every commission meeting the following information:
1. Any known death of a Mexican gray wolf in this
state and, if known, the reason for the death.
2. The number of Mexican gray wolves that are
supplemented with feed in this state and the cost of the supplementation.
3. The number of Mexican gray wolves that are
captured in this state by the department or a federal agency partnering with
the department, the reason for the capture and the full DNA profile on each
Mexican gray wolf captured.
4. The location of all collared Mexican gray wolves
in this state.
5. All human and domestic animal incidents in this
state that involve a Mexican gray wolf.
C. Notwithstanding any other law, the
commission may not do either of the following:
1. Transport mexican gray wolf
puppies into the boundaries of this state.
2. Spend public monies or use public
resources for the transportation of mexican gray wolf puppies into the
boundaries of this state.
END_STATUTE