Conference committees remove House amendment, adopt Senate version of Senate Bill 1274

The Senate and House free conference committees for Senate Bill 1274 agreed April 17, 2025, to remove a House amendment requested by the Arizona Department of Revenue and restore the bill to the Senate's underlying text.

Committee members said the House amendment had been described as a technical correction by the Department of Revenue, and the committees moved to avoid prolonged dispute by reverting to the Senate version. The action was taken during back-to-back conference sessions called at 9:34 a.m.

Members present on the Senate side were Senators Messonard, Epstein and Leach; members present on the House side were Representatives Cover, Cruz and Olsen. The Senate free conference committee first voted to adopt the Senate gross version of SB 1274; the motion passed by voice vote. The House free conference committee then moved to adopt the Senate gross version, and that voice vote also passed.

The committee record contains statements characterizing the House amendment as technical and not a substantive change to existing statute. Committee members noted that others have a different interpretation, but the committees did not pursue that disagreement at this meeting and chose to remove the amendment.

Formal actions recorded at the session were limited to the adoption of the Senate-version text in each conference committee and the adjournment of both committees. No numeric roll-call votes or recorded dissents were entered in the transcript; each committee was composed of three members and the voice votes were recorded as unanimous in favor.

Both conference committees adjourned following the adoption of the Senate version of SB 1274.