Rep. David Livingston

Maddy summaryHB 2964 is an appropriations bill allocating funds for Arizona's fiscal year 2026 capital projects. It reduces funding for specific state park projects (like Dead Horse Ranch amphitheater and water conservation) and redirects those funds back to the state parks revenue fund, while appropriating $19 million for state building maintenance, $5.86 million for prison renovations, and $458.77 million for highway construction. The bill also requires the Department of Transportation to submit detailed reports on highway spending and debt by November 2025. This bill was vetoed by the governor on June 25, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 2971 sets fixed annual rental rates for state-owned office and storage space in Arizona for fiscal year 2025-2026. It establishes $17.87 per square foot for office space and $6.43 per square foot for storage space, directly affecting state agencies leasing these facilities. This procedural bill modifies existing rate structures without introducing new policy mechanisms or eligibility criteria.

Maddy summaryHB 2965 is a fiscal year 2025-2026 budget bill that reallocates environmental and water protection funds. It allows $336,000 from the Arizona Water Protection Fund for department administrative costs, permits $6.5 million from the Underground Storage Tank Fund for border sewage remediation (including Naco), and limits water quality fund appropriations to $15 million. The bill also reduces vehicle emissions testing fees by 5% in "Area A" (defined in existing law) and exempts environmental agencies from rulemaking requirements for fee adjustments until July 2026. The bill was passed by the legislature but vetoed by the governor on June 25, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 2970 allows Arizona counties with under 250,000 residents (based on the 2020 census) to use certain revenue sources flexibly - up to $1.25 million - for any county spending needs during fiscal year 2025-2026, rather than being restricted to specific purposes. Counties must report by October 1, 2025, if they use this flexibility, detailing the revenue source and amount. The bill was vetoed by the governor on June 25, 2025, so it did not become law. This directly affects smaller Arizona counties managing their budgets.

Maddy summaryHB 2962 is Arizona's 2026 budget for the Department of Child Safety (DCS), allocating $1.32 billion to fund child welfare services. It directly affects children in foster care, relatives caring for them (via a new $300 monthly stipend), and DCS staff. Key provisions include requiring DCS to report on reducing congregate care placements by December 2024, mandating a $300 monthly stipend for kinship caregivers (including grandparents and fictive kin) without application, and restricting fund transfers without legislative committee review. The budget also specifies how federal funds and state resources will be distributed across services like investigations, foster care, and health care.

Maddy summaryHB 2969 modifies Arizona's funding formula for charter schools sponsored by state entities like the state board of education or universities. It changes how charter schools calculate base support and additional aid per student, with different rates for elementary/middle school ($2,131.90) and high school ($2,484.69) students. The bill requires charter schools to initially use estimated student counts at the start of the school year, then adjust to actual counts after 40, 100, or 200 days. It also prevents double-funding by ensuring students enrolled in both charter and traditional public schools are counted only once for state funding purposes.

Maddy summaryHB 2956, a vetoed Arizona bill (2025), requires all public high schools (grades 9-12) to provide and maintain accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on campus and at all school-sponsored athletic events, including practices and competitions. The law mandates AEDs be in unlocked, easily retrievable locations, tested per manufacturer guidelines, and available during school hours and events. It also allows schools to accept donations for AED costs. The bill was vetoed by the Governor on June 25, 2025, and is not law. (Note: Section 2 of the bill details charter school funding rules, but the primary policy change relates to AED requirements for high school athletics.)

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division to submit annual reports by July 31 each year to the Legislative Budget Committee on progress improving wait times and vehicle registration renewal by mail turnaround times. The reports must follow the same format as those submitted prior to this bill's effective date. It is a procedural measure focused solely on reporting requirements, with no substantive changes to services or funding. The bill was vetoed by the Governor on June 25, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 2959 requires counties, cities, towns, regional planning groups, and transportation authorities in large counties to pay annual fees (capped at $6.56 million for 2025-2026) to fund Arizona’s state tax system modernization project. These fees, assessed by October 31 each year and due by December 31, are collected from entities receiving state shared revenues and withheld from future payments if unpaid. All collected fees and transfers from specific tax funds are deposited into a dedicated "integrated tax system project fund" managed by the Department of Revenue. The fund covers administrative and operational costs for upgrading the state’s tax system, with fee amounts calculated based on historical revenue distributions.

Maddy summaryHB 2972 requires Arizona counties, cities, towns, councils of governments, and regional transportation authorities to pay annual fees from 2022 through 2028 to fund the Department of Revenue's tax system modernization project. Fees are calculated based on prior revenue distributions, capped at $6.5 million for fiscal year 2025-2026, and collected through direct payments or withheld from state funds if unpaid. The collected fees and transfers from existing tax revenues create a dedicated "integrated tax system project fund" administered by the department. This fund covers actual costs for modernizing tax collection systems related to specific state taxes, such as those under sections 42-5010.01 and 42-5155.