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Senate advances groundwater replenishment bill after amendment favoring Pinal County
Summary
The Senate passed House Bill 2753 with a floor amendment that removed certain prohibitions tied to municipal providers and subdivided land; sponsors said the change was coordinated with the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the governor’s office and stressed the bill’s importance for Pinal County groundwater management.
The Arizona Senate passed House Bill 2753 on May 7, a measure concerning groundwater replenishment and municipal provider obligations; the bill passed on third reading by 25 ayes, 1 nay and 4 not voting.
Sponsor Senator Thomas C. J. Shope moved a floor amendment that removed prohibitions that had barred municipal designation of providers from requiring owners of subdivided lands to provide or pay for water sources to reduce off-parcel groundwater demands. “It removes the prohibition for a designation of a municipal provider on owners of lands that are subdivided after the date of the designation… and other conforming changes,” Shope said while describing the amendment.
Shope told senators the amendment reflected negotiations with the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the governor’s office and that the change was intended to ensure the bill could be signed into law. “We have worked with the department and we’ve worked with the governor's office to ensure that this very important bill for Pinal County is signed,” Shope said on the floor.
The amended bill passed third reading; the clerk recorded a vote of 25 ayes, 1 nay, and 4 not voting. The sponsor framed the change as necessary to address groundwater replenishment obligations and to allow municipal providers appropriate tools for managing water service commitments in growing areas.
Why it matters: HB 2753 affects municipal water-provider obligations and groundwater management, matters of direct consequence to communities in Pinal County and other areas facing water supply constraints.
Implementation notes: The sponsor said the bill was coordinated with the Department of Water Resources; no additional implementation schedule or specific funding was recorded in the floor debate.
