The proposed bill would amend sections 37-281 and 37-283 of the Arizona Revised Statutes to allow for the leasing or subleasing of state lands for a term of up to ten years for various purposes, including agricultural, commercial, and homesite uses. It introduces the term "sublease" alongside "lease" throughout the text, indicating that both leasing and subleasing will be governed by the same regulations. Additionally, the bill specifies that all applications for leases or subleases must be made on forms provided by the department and signed by the applicant or their authorized representative, with the option to certify the application under penalty of perjury instead of notarization.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies that lessees and sublessees must use the leased or subleased lands only for the intended purposes and requires written permission from the department for any subleasing activities. It also establishes that a grazing lessee cannot sublease or sell pasturage without written application and permission from the department, and it sets forth conditions regarding the grazing capacity on state lands. The bill introduces a surcharge for grazing subleases, calculated based on the annual rental and the number of animal unit months grazed, which must be paid to the department when the annual rental is due.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 37-281, 37-283