HB2018 proposes amendments to the Arizona Revised Statutes relating to irrigation non-expansion areas (INAs). The bill authorizes the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Director to periodically review areas within a subsequent INA to determine if they still meet the criteria for INA designation. If an area no longer meets the criteria, the ADWR Director may remove the INA designation. Additionally, the bill allows for the removal of a subsequent INA designation either by the ADWR Director or by petition signed by a specified number of irrigation users or registered voters who reside within the INA and receive their drinking water from it.

The bill also outlines the process for petitioning, which includes requirements for the petition form, compliance with initiative petition procedures, and the involvement of county recorders to verify signatures and determine eligible voters. Public hearings are mandated if an INA no longer meets the criteria, with requirements for notice, including publication in local newspapers and a map identifying lands to be removed from the INA. The ADWR Director must make and file an order designating an area as outside of an INA if the decision is made to remove it. The bill makes technical and conforming changes to existing statutes, including changes in terminology and the addition of new criteria for INA designation and removal.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 45-432, 45-433, 45-435, 45-436, 45-412, 16-168, 19-111, 45-431