Sen. Tim Dunn

Maddy summaryArizona's SB 1210 allocates $750,000 from the state general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026 to the Department of Health Services to fund a public education campaign about Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The funding must be distributed to a nonprofit organization with specific qualifications, including operating a 24/7 toll-free hotline with interpreter services, providing care support, and having experience in public awareness campaigns. The campaign specifically targets rural and underserved urban communities across Arizona to increase awareness of dementia signs, symptoms, and available resources. The Department of Health Services must report on the campaign's impact to state leaders by November 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 1114 modifies Arizona's process for issuing "certificates of assured water supply," which developers need to build new projects. It allows applicants to use existing groundwater analyses or availability determinations made before May 31, 2023, and requires a 15% reduction in reserved groundwater when applying for new certificates. The bill also specifies that water demand assumptions used when the original analysis was issued must be applied to new certificates, preserving the difference for future development. This directly affects developers seeking water rights for new construction projects in Arizona.

Maddy summarySB 1083 appropriates $3.5 million from Arizona’s general fund for the University of Arizona’s Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture during fiscal year 2025-2026. The bill specifically funds this center’s operations and research focused on agriculture in arid regions, directly affecting the University of Arizona’s Yuma facility and its desert agriculture initiatives. It includes a legislative intent that this funding be considered ongoing in future years. The bill passed the Senate but failed in the House on March 18, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $2.25 million to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, $9.1 million to the Department of Economic Security, and $9.3 million to the Department of Public Safety from the state general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026. The funds are specifically designated to backfill services previously supported by federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds, ensuring continuity for existing victim services programs. It directly affects state agencies providing crime victim assistance, maintaining current service levels without creating new programs or changing eligibility. The bill focuses solely on financial reallocation to sustain existing victim support services funded under the 2021 VOCA fix.

Maddy summarySB 1526 adjusts eligibility criteria for small school funding adjustments in Arizona for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It allows common school districts in counties with 200,000-210,000 residents to qualify if they serve 125-150 K-8 students with an average daily membership of 125 or fewer. The bill specifies these three conditions to determine district eligibility for funding adjustments under existing law. It expires after December 31, 2026, and applies directly to qualifying small school districts meeting all three population and student thresholds.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Arizona counties operating juvenile detention centers to provide education programs for all school-age youth in custody, coordinated with their home school districts. It establishes a state-funded program with a base $100,000 allocation per county (adjusted annually) plus variable funding based on the number of instructional days provided - $25 per day for non-disabled youth and adjusted calculations for students with disabilities. County jails serving youth under 21 without diplomas must also offer similar education programs, funded at 72% of standard alternative education rates. The law mandates program standards, record transfers, and uses excess funds to supplement classroom spending.

Maddy summaryHB 2578 authorizes a memorial for Don Bolles, an Arizona reporter killed in a 1970s car bombing during investigative work, to be placed in Wesley Bolin Plaza. The bill requires all funding and construction of the memorial to come from private fundraising, with no state funds or state-administered accounts permitted. It also specifies the memorial will expire from state authorization after September 30, 2028. This is a commemorative measure with no direct policy impact on citizens or government operations.

Maddy summarySB 1522 exempts certain agricultural water users and water districts in the Phoenix active management area from groundwater fees and irrigation duties between 1989 and 2034. Specifically, it waives water duties for farmers with existing irrigation rights on designated land and eliminates groundwater withdrawal fees for the Arlington Canal Company, Buckeye Water Conservation District, and St. John's Irrigation District during this period. Owners of exempted land must pay a $0.25 annual fee per acre (except for small farms under 10 acres), while users of groundwater for non-irrigation purposes must pay a $500 yearly fee. The exemption area is defined by a 1988 map, and the law includes a 2031 review to determine if extensions are needed.

Maddy summarySB 1334 amends Arizona election law to clarify how counties designate polling places and establish emergency voting centers. It allows county election officials to combine precincts, create voting centers (where voters can cast ballots at any location in the county), and set up emergency voting centers during elections if approved by a recorded vote of the board of supervisors. Emergency centers require specific location/hours notices, permit voter registration updates at the site, and allow temporary location changes if centers become unavailable. The bill also requires counties to notify voters 33 days in advance for polling place changes and specifies that schools may deny polling place requests only for valid reasons like lack of space or safety concerns.

Maddy summarySB 1407 would change how certain large greenhouses are taxed in Arizona by classifying them as agricultural personal property instead of real property for tax assessment purposes. To qualify, a greenhouse must be at least 50,000 square feet, have movable/detachable components that can be reused, and be used for growing vegetables, fruit, or citrus. The bill defines a qualifying greenhouse to include all equipment creating a controlled environment for these crops (regardless of attachment to land), but explicitly excludes administrative offices and storage buildings. This change would directly affect large commercial greenhouse operators meeting these specific criteria.