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SB1332 • 2026

light rail expansion; participation; prohibition

SB1332 - (NOW: light rail expansion; feasibility review)

Vetoed

The latest official action shows the governor vetoed this bill. Check the bill history to see whether lawmakers later overrode that veto.

Sponsor
John Kavanagh
Last action
2026-06-19
Official status
Governor vetoed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the study must not presume any transit mode is superior to others.

SB1332: Light Rail Expansion Feasibility Review

This bill requires a study to compare light rail expansion with other transit options before the state decides on future involvement.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the auditor general and an independent transportation research entity to conduct a feasibility review of light rail in Maricopa County by December 31, 2027.
  • Mandates comparisons between light rail costs and other transit methods like autonomous vehicles or bus rapid transit.
  • Orders analysis of environmental impacts per dollar invested, long-term economic benefits, maintenance costs, and flexibility for population changes.
  • Requires evaluation of how construction might affect local businesses through traffic delays, lost parking, reduced visibility, or potential business closure.
  • Directs the submission of a final report to state leaders, the secretary of state, and Phoenix city officials.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Arizona Auditor General
  • Independent transportation research entities
  • State government agencies including the Department of Transportation
  • Local businesses in Maricopa County near proposed transit routes

Terms To Know

Light rail construction
The planning, permitting, or physical building of new fixed-guideway rail lines or extensions.
State participation
Actions such as spending state money, issuing bonds, approving permits, certifying funds, or matching monies for transit projects.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not fund any construction; it only orders a study.
  • This act automatically ends on June 30, 2028, if no further action is taken.
  • The governor vetoed this bill, so its status depends on whether lawmakers override that decision.

Amendments

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

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment removes the ban on state funding for light rail and instead requires a detailed study comparing light rail to other transit options by December 2027.

  • Removes the rule that currently stops the state from participating in any new light rail construction projects.
  • Requires the Department of Transportation, with help from an independent research group, to finish a full feasibility review of expanding light rail in Maricopa County by December 31, 2027.
  • Mandates that the study compares costs and benefits between light rail and other options like buses, shuttles, or autonomous vehicles without assuming one is better than the others.
  • Requires the final report to include recommendations on whether the state should continue, change, or stop its involvement in future light rail projects.
  • The amendment does not specify how much money will be used for the study itself.
  • It is unclear which specific independent research entity will conduct the review until it is selected later.
  • The text only defines 'light rail construction' and 'state participation'; it does not define what counts as an autonomous vehicle or bus rapid transit.
Proposed

Plain English: This amendment removes the ban on state funding for light rail and instead requires a detailed study by December 31, 2027, to compare light rail costs with other transit options before deciding if the state should participate.

  • Removes the rule that currently stops the state from providing any money or support for building new light rail lines.
  • Requires the Department of Transportation and an independent research group to study whether expanding light rail in Maricopa County is a good idea.
  • Mandates that the study compares costs, environmental impact, and ridership between light rail and other options like buses, vans, or autonomous vehicles.
  • Sets a deadline for the final report by December 31, 2027, which must include recommendations on whether the state should continue to fund light rail projects.
  • The amendment does not specify how much money will be used to pay for this new study.
  • It is unclear exactly what independent research entity will be chosen to help with the review until later in the process.
Adopted

Plain English: This amendment changes who must study light rail expansion in Maricopa County and updates what information that study must include.

  • The Auditor General, instead of the Department of Transportation, will lead a review of light rail plans with help from an independent research group.
  • The new report must analyze how construction affects small local businesses, including issues like blocked views, parking problems, and lost income.
  • The study is required to compare long-term costs and benefits between building light rail versus using self-driving buses or shuttles.
  • The requirement to include data on past ridership numbers and post-pandemic travel habits has been removed from the report.
  • The text does not explain how much money will be spent on this new study.
  • It is unclear which specific independent research entity will be chosen to help with the review.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-12 V

    Governor vetoed

  2. 2026-06-11 Senate

    Transmitted to Senate

  3. 2026-06-11 House

    House third read passed

  4. 2026-06-01 House

    House committee of the whole

  5. 2026-03-31 House

    House minority caucus

  6. 2026-03-31 House

    House majority caucus

  7. 2026-03-30 House

    House consent calendar

  8. 2026-03-19 House

    House second read

  9. 2026-03-18 House

    House Rules: C&P

  10. 2026-03-18 House

    House Transportation & Infrastructure: DP

  11. 2026-03-18 House

    House first read

  12. 2026-03-17 House

    Transmitted to House

  13. 2026-03-17 Senate

    Senate third read passed

  14. 2026-03-16 Senate

    Senate committee of the whole

  15. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate committee of the whole

  16. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Senate minority caucus

  17. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Senate majority caucus

  18. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Senate second read

  19. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Senate Rules: PFC

  20. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology: DPA

  21. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1332 - (NOW: light rail expansion; feasibility review)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB1332 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

light
rail expansion; participation; prohibition

(now:

�light rail expansion; feasibility review)

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1332

AN
ACT

providing for a comprehensive feasibility
for light rail expansion.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1.
Light rail
construction; state participation; prohibition; report; delayed repeal;
definitions

A. On or before December
31, 2027, the auditor general, in coordination with an independent
transportation research entity, shall conduct a comprehensive feasibility
review of light rail expansion in Maricopa county and submit a report on their findings. The
report shall be submitted to the governor, the president of the senate and the
speaker of the house of representatives and a copy
shall be provided

to the secretary of state and to the mayor of Phoenix and
each member of the Phoenix city council. The comprehensive
feasibility review may not presume the superiority of any mode of transit and
shall include:

1. Capital and operating
cost comparisons between a light rail and autonomous or semi-autonomous transit
vehicles, including bus rapid transit, passenger vans and shuttle systems.

2. A comparison of the
environmental impact per dollar invested for acquiring, constructing and
operating a light rail.

3. Analysis of the
long-term economic benefits and costs between light rail and autonomous or
semi-autonomous transit vehicles, including bus rapid transit, passenger vans
and shuttle systems.

4. Flexibility, scalability
and adaptability to population shifts.

5. Long-term
maintenance and replacement costs.

6. Policy recommendations
regarding future state involvement in light rail construction.

7. Analysis of whether
continuation, modification or discontinuation of state participation in light
rail expansion is warranted.

8. The short-term economic
effects of construction on small and locally owned businesses located within or
adjacent to proposed transit corridors.

9. An evaluation to the
extent to which construction activity may impair visibility, access, parking
availability, pedestrian traffic and vehicular traffic to affected businesses
and that shall estimate the potential for lost revenue, workforce reductions,
relocation or business closure during the construction period.

B.
This
act is repealed from and after June 30, 2028.

C.
For
the purposes of this section:

1. "Light rail
construction" means the planning, permitting or physical construction of
new fixed-guideway rail transit lines or extensions.

2. "State
participation" means any of the following:

(
a
) Appropriating
state monies.

(
b
) Issuing
state bonds or guarantees.

(
c
) Approving,
certifying or matching monies by the department of transportation.

(d) Approving state permits
or other authorizations.