Arizona HB 2280: department of revenue; electronic filing

Bill Text

HB2280 - 572R - I Ver 

 REFERENCE TITLE: watersheds; beneficial use; instream flows

 State of Arizona

 House of Representatives

 Fifty-seventh Legislature

 Second Regular Session

 2026

 HB 2280

 Introduced by 

 Representatives 
 Travers: Stahl Hamilton

AN 
ACT

amending sections 17-231, 17-298, 
45-101, 45-105, 45-151, 45-152.01 and 45-172, Arizona Revised Statutes; 
relating to waters.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 17-231, Arizona Revised 
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE17-231. General powers and duties of the commission

A. The commission shall:

1. Adopt rules and establish services it deems 
necessary to carry out the provisions and purposes of this title.

2. Establish broad policies and long-range 
programs for the management, preservation and harvest of wildlife.

3. Establish hunting, trapping and fishing rules and 
prescribe the manner and methods that may be used in taking wildlife, but the 
commission shall not limit or restrict the magazine capacity of any authorized 
firearm.

4. Be responsible for the enforcement of laws for 
the protection of wildlife.

5. Provide for the assembling and distribution of 
information to the public relating to wildlife and activities of the 
department.

6. Prescribe rules for the expenditure, by or under 
the control of the director, of all funds arising from appropriation, licenses, 
gifts or other sources.

7. Exercise such powers and duties necessary to 
carry out fully the provisions of this title and in general exercise powers and 
duties that relate to adopting and carrying out policies of the department and 
control of its financial affairs.

8. Prescribe procedures for use of department 
personnel, facilities, equipment, supplies and other resources in assisting 
search or rescue operations on request of the director of the division of 
emergency management.

9. Cooperate with the Arizona-Mexico 
commission in the governor's office and with researchers at universities in 
this state to collect data and conduct projects in the United States and Mexico 
on issues that are within the scope of the department's duties and that relate 
to quality of life, trade and economic development in this state in a manner 
that will help the Arizona-Mexico commission to assess and enhance the 
economic competitiveness of this state and of the Arizona-Mexico region.

B. The commission may:

1. Conduct investigations, inquiries or hearings in 
the performance of its powers and duties.

2. Establish game management units or refuges for 
the preservation and management of wildlife.

3. Construct and operate game farms, fish 
hatcheries, fishing lakes or other facilities for or relating to the 
preservation or propagation of wildlife.

4. Expend funds Spend 
monies to provide training in the safe handling and use of firearms and 
safe hunting practices.

5. Remove or permit allow to be removed from public or private waters fish which that hinder or prevent propagation 
of game or food fish and dispose of such fish in such manner as it may 
designate.

6. Purchase, sell or barter wildlife for the purpose 
of stocking public or private lands and waters and take at any time in any 
manner wildlife for research, propagation and restocking purposes or for use at 
a game farm or fish hatchery and declare wildlife salable when in the public 
interest or the interest of conservation.

7. Enter into agreements with the federal 
government, with other states or political subdivisions of the this state and with private organizations for the construction 
and operation of facilities and for management studies, measures or procedures 
for or relating to the preservation and propagation of wildlife and expend funds spend monies for carrying out 
such agreements.

8. Prescribe rules for the sale, trade, importation, 
exportation or possession of wildlife.

9. Expend Spend 
monies for the purpose of producing publications relating to wildlife and 
activities of the department for sale to the public and establish the price to 
be paid for annual subscriptions and single copies of such publications.� All 
monies received from the sale of such publications shall be deposited in the 
game and fish publications revolving fund.

10. Contract with any person or entity to design and 
produce artwork on terms that, in the commission's judgment, will produce an 
original and valuable work of art relating to wildlife or wildlife habitat.

11. Sell or distribute the artwork authorized under 
paragraph 10 of this subsection on such terms and for such price as it deems 
acceptable.

12. Consider the adverse and beneficial short-term 
and long-term economic impacts on resource dependent communities, small 
businesses and the this state of Arizona, of policies and programs for the management, 
preservation and harvest of wildlife by holding a public hearing to receive and 
consider written comments a