Committee advances bills on RV cooling, treasurer training, rooftop-solar permits, ADUs and ambulance registrations

The Committee on Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency met March 25, 2025 and gave due-pass recommendations to a package of House bills addressing tenant cooling for RVs, continuing education for county officials, instant permitting for residential solar, accessory dwelling units and an ambulance-registration fix, among other items.

The measures received floor-bound recommendations after testimony from sponsors, county officials, industry groups and concerned stakeholders. Committee members adopted multiple amendments that narrowed or clarified the bills before roll-call votes.

Why this matters: The bills touch public-safety and housing issues (heat relief for residents of manufactured-home/RV communities; ADU expansion), local-government oversight and training (county supervisors and treasurers), streamlined clean-energy permitting (instant permits and remote inspection options for rooftop solar), and regulatory clarity for ambulance operators that experienced lapses during COVID-era disruptions.

Key actions and debate

House Bill 2168 — RV cooling exception Representative Matt Gress (Legislative District 4) sponsored HB2168, an emergency measure prohibiting an RV-park landlord from preventing a tenant from installing "reasonably necessary commercial cooling methods" on an RV. An amendment in Senator Leach’s name narrowed the covered units to "a motor home, a trailer, a park trailer, or a travel trailer," excluding pop-up campers and other small towables. Gress said the change responds to complaints that park rules were denying residents affordable cooling options and argued that "when it's 110 degrees outside I think it's a bit inhumane to say, 'Well this doesn't look pretty, so we're not going to allow it in the mobile home.'" Dana Paschke of the Arizona Association of Manufactured Homeowners testified in support, citing higher heat-related deaths among residents of mobile and manufactured homes.

The committee adopted the Leach amendment and gave HB2168 a due-pass recommendation (final committee tally reported as 7 ayes, 0 nays).

House Bill 2433 — County supervisor and treasurer training HB2433 requires county boards of supervisors to complete at least six hours of professional-development training within one year after certification of an initial election, and requires newly elected or appointed county treasurers or chief deputy treasurers to complete orientation and continuing-education hours. The bill, as amended, prescribes a six-hour orientation for the first year and then 10 hours of continuing education annually thereafter; it requires documentation of completion to be submitted to the clerk of the board and allows continuing education to be completed online. The amendment removed authorization for accredited-college coursework and changed language so counties cover "reasonable costs" rather than all costs; it also includes a one-hour required training on waste, fraud and abuse for treasurer education.

Coconino County Treasurer Sarah Benatar and Pinal County Treasurer Michael McCord testified in favor, stressing treasurers’ responsibility for public funds — Benatar noted, "we handle, in Coconino County, over a billion dollars a year." Craig Sullivan of the County Supervisors Association said the amendment provides structured onboarding and guardrails on costs. The committee adopted the amendment; the bill received a due-pass recommendation (6 ayes, 1 nay — Senator Ortiz recorded a "nay").

House Bill 2033 (strike-everything) — Instant permitting and remote inspections for home-powered installations A strike-everything amendment made HB2033 a mandate requiring municipalities and counties by Jan. 1, 2026, to adopt an instant permitting process for home-powered installations (covering a majority of typical single-family and two-family installations), and by July 1, 2026, to offer an option for single remote-field-report inspections for the same work at the same cost and time frames as in-person inspections. The bill permits local governments to delay adoption under a prescribed-resolution process and exempts municipalities with populations under 5,000.

Industry and local-government witnesses — including Mike Gardner (solar industry association "Eresia" in testimony), Michael Rossi (Pima County), and Megan DelTino (Arizona Technology Council/Tesla) — described multi-jurisdiction pilot programs and software apps that automate rooftop-solar permit reviews, noting staff-time savings and faster permits for consumers (Gardner said research shows the average consumer "saves about $1,200" on rooftop solar when permitting is accelerated). Supporters said automation freed reviewer time for complex permits such as affordable-housing projects.

The committee adopted the amendment and voted to give HB2033 a due-pass recommendation (7 ayes, 0 nays).

House Bill 2626 — Manufactured housing installation/certification language cleanup HB2626 originally required manufacturers to be certified and demonstrate compliance to the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH); a three-page amendment removed that certification requirement. Brian Tacinelli (Manufactured Housing Industries of Arizona) testified the state already enforces installation and competency requirements through federal and state regimes; the amendment eliminates a duplicate, paper certificate system in favor of the department's online process.

The committee adopted the amendment and gave HB2626 a due-pass recommendation (6 ayes, 1 nay; one senator recorded a "no" citing a desire for additional documentation before supporting the exact language).

House Bill 2787 — Ambulance registration retroactivity for missed inspections HB2787, as amended, allows the Department of Health Services (DHS) to permit an ambulance certificate of registration to remain valid if DHS was unable to perform a required inspection within the prescribed timeframe, and it specifically allows DHS to treat certain lapsed registrations between March 31, 2022 and Aug. 1, 2024 as valid if the certificate holder submits complete renewal paperwork and pays lapsed application fees. The amendment removed a retroactivity clause and added a sunset (the amendment repeals the ambulance-certification validity provision on Jan. 1, 2026).

Stan Barnes of Culver State Consulting Group, representing Priority Ambulance, described a cluster of administrative and COVID-era disruptions that led to lapsed registrations for a small number of ambulances and said the measure would allow DHS to correct records and avoid federal audit recoupments. Barnes said the affected vehicles were inspected and in service; he framed the change as a narrow, cooperative fix with regulatory oversight preserved. The committee adopted the amendment and gave HB2787 a due-pass recommendation (7 ayes, 0 nays).

House Bill 2928 — Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in counties HB2928 requires counties to allow at least one attached and one detached ADU where single-family dwellings are permitted, and a minimum of one additional detached ADU where lots are one acre or larger; it also addresses development standards and short-term-rental restrictions tied to ADU occupancy. Representative Carbone (sponsor) said the bill updates a measure that passed previously at the city level and expands options in county jurisdictions and "county islands." Testimony described outreach with county stakeholders and multiple adjustments to address county concerns. The committee gave HB2928 a due-pass recommendation (7 ayes, 0 nays).

House Bill 2441 — Access to materials in Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners investigations HB2441 requires complainants to be provided copies of documents received and reviewed by the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners in connection with an investigation, except as restricted by state or federal law. No sponsor appeared in committee; a committee member expressing concern said the Arizona Psychological Association had three concerns that were not resolved at the hearing and recorded a no vote for lack of information. The committee gave HB2441 a due-pass recommendation with a divided vote (4 ayes, 3 nays).

Votes at a glance (committee recommendation) - HB2168 (Rep. Matt Gress) — Due pass as amended (Leach amendment adopted). Committee tally reported: 7 ayes, 0 nays. - HB2433 (county training/treasurer education) — Due pass as amended (Bullock amendment adopted). Committee tally reported: 6 ayes, 1 nay. - HB2033 (instant permitting / remote inspections for home-powered installations) — Due pass as amended (strike-everything Bullock amendment adopted). Committee tally reported: 7 ayes, 0 nays. - HB2626 (manufactured-housing installation/certification cleanup) — Due pass as amended. Committee tally reported: 6 ayes, 1 nay. - HB2787 (ambulance registrations; DHS retroactive authority for specified lapses) — Due pass as amended (Bullock amendment adopted). Committee tally reported: 7 ayes, 0 nays. - HB2928 (ADUs in counties) — Due pass. Committee tally reported: 7 ayes, 0 nays. - HB2441 (psychologists-board investigatory records to complainants) — Due pass. Committee tally reported: 4 ayes, 3 nays.

What comes next: Each bill received the committee's recommendation to advance; the transcript shows the committee adopted amendments before finalizing its votes. Bills recommended "due pass" typically move to the full Senate (or next committee/action step) for further consideration.

Speakers quoted in this article are identified in the committee transcript and attributed here with their titles as they testified in committee.