HB 2202 Arizona House · 57th Legislature - First Regular Session

subsequent AMA; previously nonirrigated land

HB 2202 amends Arizona law to establish rules for transferring irrigation rights between land parcels in active management areas. It allows landowners to permanently retire irrigated land and replace it with substitute acres that were legally irrigated between 1958-1968 (or a designated period), provided the land meets specific location and efficiency criteria within the same irrigation district. The bill transfers irrigation rights from retired land to substitute land, requires director approval, and limits groundwater use on retired land. The bill was passed by the legislature in April 2025 but was vetoed by the governor on April 15, 2025.

Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Vetoed

Apr 2025

Introduced Jan 16, 2025 Vetoed Apr 15, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → House Engrossed Version · 6 edits · Apr 9, 2025

MODERATE

This bill updates Arizona's groundwater management laws to clarify rules for irrigating land in active management areas, particularly addressing how land that was previously not irrigated can be brought into irrigation under specific conditions. It adds provisions for subsequent active management areas and modifies how irrigation rights can be transferred or retired, including new rules for effluent irrigation and corrections to the text of existing statutes.

Scope change

The bill expands applicability to subsequent active management areas and modifies eligibility criteria for irrigating land that was not previously irrigated, while also correcting formatting and text inconsistencies in the original bill.

ELIGIBILITY

Added new subsections allowing irrigation of land in subsequent active management areas if substantial capital investment was made before designation or in the twelve months before designation notice.

Added provisions allowing irrigation of land not previously subject to irrigation if it is adjacent to previously irrigated land and does not exceed the person's awarded groundwater volume.

REQUIREMENT

Modified the text of Section 45-452 to correct formatting inconsistencies and clarify conditions for deeming land as having been in irrigation.

Added new subsections to Section 45-452 governing effluent irrigation, including requirements for written consent from cities or towns and approval from the director of water resources.

DEFINITION

Modified definitions and language throughout the bill to standardize terminology and correct grammatical inconsistencies in the original introduced version.

TIMELINE

Added retroactivity provision stating the act applies retroactively to and after August 29, 2022.

Floor votes · House Feb 12, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 15, 2025

Vetoed

Vetoed by Governor

executive

Apr 9, 2025

Upper · Passed

PASSED

upper

Apr 9, 2025

Upper · Passed

upper

Mar 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Lower · Passed

PASSED

lower

Jan 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors