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House passes wildfire mitigation bill holding utilities liable for negligence; state forester approval added
Summary
House final passage of House Bill 2201 creates requirements for wildlife mitigation plans, assigns review authority to the state forester/Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM), and includes utility liability and funding mechanisms discussed on the floor.
The Arizona House gave final passage on May 6, 2025 to House Bill 2201, a measure creating requirements for wildfire mitigation planning that, according to proponents, strengthens oversight and makes utilities liable for negligence.
Representative Griffin, who explained his vote on the bill floor, said the legislation requires utility companies to be liable for negligence and makes management review and approval of mitigation plans the responsibility of the state forester. “We've been working with a lot of stakeholders on this particular bill for quite a while. It's wildlife management plans. Utility companies will be liable for any negligence,” Griffin said. He added the bill requires that “the state forest, review and approve all the plans.”
Representative Connolly, who also explained his vote, described additional procedural and funding elements added in the Senate. He said the measure establishes a “robust and transparent process for their Department of Forestry and Fire Management approval, including public notice, opportunities for commenting, and public meeting to solicit community feedback,” and that the DFFM “can levy fees” and that “there is now utility based funding mechanism to ensure that DFFM has the resources needed to implement the bill.” Connolly emphasized that the bill provides “full recovery of loss if your utility is found at fault.”
Floor remarks stressed stakeholder negotiation and that the Senate made changes viewed as improvements. Representative Connolly said the bill addresses many causes of wildfire, and that the changes save time during fires by clarifying who will work with households and communities. Representative Griffin characterized the work as resolving concerns after stakeholder engagement and asked his colleagues to vote yes.
The House gave final passage and the clerk recorded the vote. The transcript records the House passing the bill and instructing the clerk to convey it to the governor; a floor tally announced in the transcript reported 41 ayes and 15 nays for the final passage. The transcript does not include the full statutory text or the exact fee schedules, nor does it include the final bill language in the transcript excerpt.
