subsequent active management area; designation.

SB1389 - subsequent active management area; designation.

Water

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Priya Sundareshan
Last action: 2026-01-28
Official status: Senate second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how often reviews must occur.

Designating Subsequent Active Management Areas

This bill changes how Arizona designates new areas that need special groundwater management.

What This Bill Does

Requires the director to designate an area as a subsequent active management area if it meets certain criteria.
Limits the size of these designated areas so they must include at least one groundwater basin and cannot be smaller than a basin.

Who It Names or Affects

The director who makes decisions about designating new management areas
Areas that might need special groundwater management practices

Terms To Know

Subsequent active management area: An area designated by the state to manage its groundwater use after initial management areas have been set.
Groundwater basin: A specific underground water storage and flow system that is managed as a unit.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how often the director must review areas for designation.
It's unclear what happens if an area meets only part of the criteria for designation.

Bill History

2026-01-28 Senate
Senate second read
2026-01-27 Senate
Senate Rules: None
2026-01-27 Senate
Senate Natural Resources: None
2026-01-27 Senate
Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1389 - subsequent active management area; designation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB1389 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
subsequent active management area; designation.

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1389

Introduced by

Senator
Sundareshan

AN
ACT

amending section 45-412, Arizona
Revised Statutes; relating to subsequent active management areas.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Section 45-412, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
45-412.

Subsequent active management areas; criteria; review of
groundwater basins not subject to active management

A. The director
may
shall
designate an area
which
that
is not included within an initial active management area,
pursuant to section 45-411, as a subsequent active management area if the
director determines that any of the following exists:

1. Active management practices are necessary to
preserve the existing supply of groundwater for future needs.

2. Land subsidence or fissuring is endangering
property or potential groundwater storage capacity.

3. Use of groundwater is resulting in actual or
threatened water quality degradation.

B. An active management area designated pursuant to
this section may include more than one groundwater basin but shall not be
smaller than a groundwater basin or include only a portion of a groundwater
basin, except for the regional aquifer systems of northern Arizona.

C. The director shall periodically review all areas
which
that
are not included within an
active management area to determine whether such areas meet any of the criteria
for active management areas as prescribed in this section.
END_STATUTE