Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Arizona Legislature, fetched 2026-08-28. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official page appears here in brackets. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
House Engrossed natural resource conservation board; fund State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2026 HOUSE BILL 2117 AN ACT Amending sections 28-2413, 41-6011 and 41-6013, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to THE state NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION BOARD. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE) Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Section 28-2413, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE28-2413. Environmental special plates A. The department shall issue environmental special plates. The environmental special plates shall have the same basic color and design as the environmental license plates issued on or before December 31, 1992, except that the department may make minor alterations of environmental special plates to make the plates more reflective and readable during the daylight and nighttime hours. B. Of the $25 fee required by section 28-2402 for original environmental special plates and for renewal of environmental special plates, $8 is a special plate administration fee and $17 is an environmental plate annual donation. C. The department shall deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, all special plate administration fees in the state highway fund established by section 28-6991 and shall deposit the environmental plate annual donations in the environmental special plate fund established by section 41-6013 for disbursement by the state land department natural resource conservation board for environmental education programs. END_STATUTE Sec. 2. Section 41-6011, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE41-6011. State natural resource conservation board; membership; powers and duties A. The state natural resource conservation board is established consisting of the following members who are residents of this state: 1. Eight members who are from different geographic natural resource areas as defined by [a statewide organization that represents all natural resource conservation districts in this] the state natural resource conservation BOARD. GEOGRAPHIC NATURAL RESOURCE AREAS AS DEFINED BY THE BOARD SHALL BE CONTIGUOUS. THE BOARD SHALL PRIORITIZE MAJOR LAND RESOURCES, TYPES OF CROPS GROWN and OTHER SHARED LAND FEATURES WHEN DEFINING THE geographic natural resource AREAS. Four members shall be appointed by the governor, two members shall be appointed by the president of the senate and two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. The members appointed pursuant to this paragraph shall meet the following criteria: (a) At least six of the members must be elected supervisors for a natural resource conservation district. (b) Not more than two members may be appointed supervisors from a soil and water conservation district. (c) At least one member shall be a member of the executive board of a statewide organization that represents all natural resource conservation districts in this state. 2. Three members who are appointed by the governor from any of the following and who serve at the pleasure of the governor: (a) The state land commissioner or state land commissioner's designee. (b) The director of the Arizona department of agriculture or the director's designee. (c) The state forester or the state forester's designee. (d) The director of the Arizona game and fish department or the director's designee. B. The board shall elect a chairperson from among its members. The chairperson must be a member who represents a natural resource conservation district or soil and water conservation district. EACH MEMBER REPRESENTING A GEOGRAPHIC NATURAL RESOURCE AREA MAY HOLD OFFICE UNTIL THE MEMBER'S SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED. C. The initial members of the board who are appointed pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section shall assign themselves by lot to terms of one, two and three years in office. All subsequent members serve three-year terms. The chairperson of the board shall notify the governor's office of these terms. D. If a member's term as a supervisor expires while serving on the board, that member may not serve out the member's term as a board member. A replacement shall be appointed from the same geographic natural resource area to fulfill the remainder of that member's term. E. Board members shall be reimbursed for expenses as prescribed by title 38, chapter 4, article 2 while attending board meetings. F. The board may appoint or contract for an administrative officer, a secretary and such other assistants as may be required, assign their duties, define their powers and determine the amount of bond required of any assistant entrusted with monies or property. The compensation of all [such] the assistants shall be determined pursuant to section 38-611. G. The board shall adopt a seal, which shall be judicially noticed, and shall hold public hearings, keep records of all proceedings and annual records of district operations, adopt orders and rules and perform other acts as are necessary to carry out this chapter. H. The board shall: 1. Offer appropriate assistance to the supervisors of districts in carrying out their powers and programs. 2. Keep the supervisors of each district informed of the activities and experiences of other districts and of relevant information from other states, and facilitate cooperation and interchange of advice, experience and program opportunities between districts. 3. Coordinate the programs of the several districts insofar as possible by advice and consultation. 4. Require the supervisors of each district to file with the board annually any audits and the records of the operations of the district for the preceding year in the form and detail as the board prescribes. 5. Secure the cooperation and assistance of the United States, its agencies and agencies of this state, in the work of districts as local units of state government with special expertise concerning land, soil, water and natural resources management within the boundaries of the district, as the board deems for the best interest of [the] this state. 6. Disseminate information throughout [the] this state concerning the activities and program of districts. 7. Meet at least quarterly to receive updates from the board's administrative officer regarding any relevant issue or matter necessary to carry out this chapter, provide guidance to the administrative officer and vote on any matters requiring a decision by the board. 8. Assist a district when the district is cooperating or coordinating with a federal agency. 9. Assist districts with developing conservation action or district-wide plans. 10. Adopt administrative rules that the board deems necessary and proper to carry out this chapter. I. The board may remove a district supervisor from office if the board determines, after reasonable notice and an impartial hearing, that the supervisor is guilty of misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance in office. For the purposes of this subsection, "nonfeasance" includes the failure to attend three consecutive meetings of district supervisors without reasonable excuse. J. The board, pursuant to chapter 4, article 4 of this title, may contract for or employ professional and administrative services. Contracts for professional services are exempt from chapter 23 of this title. Sec. 3. Section 41-6013, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE41-6013. Environmental special plate fund; distribution A. The environmental special plate fund is established and is administered by the board consisting of monies received pursuant to section 28-2413. B. Subject to legislative appropriation, the board shall distribute [$5,000] not more than $10,000 annually to each natural resource conservation district with an established education center for the purpose of developing and implementing an environmental education program that is conducted in a balanced manner, that is based on current scientific information and that includes a discussion of economic and social implications. C. The fund established in this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. On notice from the board, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from investment shall be credited to the fund. D. The appropriated monies shall only be used for the designated purposes specified in statute. END_STATUTE Sec. 4. Retention of members Notwithstanding section 41-6011, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, all persons serving as members of the state natural resource conservation board on the effective date of this act may continue to serve until the expiration of their normal terms. All subsequent appointments shall be as prescribed by statute.
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