The proposed bill would update current statutes by mandating that municipalities and counties in Arizona implement an online instant permitting process for home power installations by January 1, 2027. This process must accommodate applications for various installations, including energy storage systems, and requires that all eligible home power installations for single-family or two-family dwellings be permitted. The bill also specifies that municipalities are exempt from providing instant permitting for certain structures, such as unpermitted ones or those built prior to relevant building codes. Additionally, it introduces provisions for remote building inspections, compliance reports, and definitions for key terms related to home power applications.

Moreover, the bill enhances accountability by allowing municipalities or county boards to suspend contractors or engineers who submit materially false information in applications or reports, while ensuring an appeal process for those affected. It also requires counties to share home power installation permits with fire agencies and removes the option for municipalities to delay the adoption of the instant permitting process for residential energy storage systems. Overall, these updates aim to streamline the permitting process, improve transparency, and provide fair opportunities for contractors and engineers.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 23-901
House Engrossed Version: 23-901
Senate Engrossed Version: 9-468, 11-323, 33-1409