Arizona caucus notes concurrence on bill to add ADWR review of assured water supply applications

At a caucus meeting of Arizona legislators, Representative Griffin indicated she concurs with Senate amendments to House Bill 2091, a measure that would require the Arizona Department of Water Resources to review certain applications for a certificate of assured water supply.

The bill’s House version had originally instructed applicants for building permits for new single-family residential construction or applicants for land divisions to identify ownership interests in the property, staff said during the meeting. The Senate adopted a “strike everything” amendment that, according to the staff presentation, adds the ADWR review provision. Representative Griffin told members she concurred with the Senate changes and made herself available for questions.

Representative Griffin described the bill as protective of projects already underway. “Yes. It’s a good bill. It grandfathers those that have been in, in the process prior to new regs. Good bill,” she said during the caucus.

The transcript record at the caucus does not show a formal vote or any additional direction; staff presented the amendments and Griffin’s concurrence was recorded. The bill text, how ADWR would conduct the specified reviews, funding for that review, and any implementation timeline were not specified in the meeting record.

The matter relates to state water-administration processes because the bill refers to review for a certificate of assured water supply. No statutes or rule citations were given in the caucus discussion, and no vote tally or formal motion was recorded in the transcript.

Items for follow-up noted in the meeting record include the ADWR review requirement in the Senate amendment and the grandfathering language Representative Griffin referenced. Additional details about implementation, enforcement, and any fiscal impact were not discussed at the caucus.