Arizona
SB1236 Storm water
The proposed bill would amend current statutes to allow a storer in the Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) to recharge stormwater within a constructed underground storage facility, provided they comply with operational terms and applicable water quality permits. It introduces new provisions that require the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to determine the quantity of stormwater recharged annually and credit the storer's replenishment account with 95% of the total volume. Additionally, it allows storers to use or transfer replenishment credits to offset their replenishment obligations within the same subbasin.
The bill also clarifies that replenishment credits will be treated as groundwater rather than stored water and stipulates that the storage of stormwater must not infringe on existing water rights.
Defines stormwater as water that has been collected in a system designed to carry rainfall runoff from streets, sidewalks, gutters and other impervious surfaces, including those in subdivisions, to a location where the water is retained.
Overall, the bill aims to enhance water management practices in Arizona by facilitating the use of stormwater for aquifer replenishment.
With the Senate
HB2571 Stormwater infrastructure; groundwater recharge; credit
Dead
SB 1278 Department of Natural Resources
Establishes the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Commission of Natural Resources and outlines their duties and responsibilities.
Modifies the definition of state land to include only state trust land, held in trust for named beneficiaries, and provides that, for purposes of the DNR, state land: a) means land owned by the state and not held in trust; b) means land acquired by the state after the effective date of this act; and c) does not include land acquired by a university under the Arizona Board of Regents or the Arizona Department of Transportation.
House Concurrent Memorial (HCM) 2003: Urging the Department of Water Resources and the State Land Department to Invest in Groundwater Recharge Infrastructure in Rural Communities
Link: https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/82040
States the Legislature's interest in having the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) and the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) focus on increasing groundwater recharge through groundwater recharge infrastructure projects.
Federal
Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act
Proposed Rule
Site: Federal Register :: Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act
Comment period ended 5/19/2025 with 329,796 comments
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively referred to as the Services or we) are proposing to rescind the regulatory definition of “harm” in our Endangered Species Act (ESA or the Act) regulations. The existing regulatory definition of “harm,” which includes habitat modification, runs contrary to the best meaning of the statutory term “take.” We are undertaking this change to adhere to the single, best meaning of the ESA.
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits the “take” of endangered species.[1]
Under the ESA, “[t]he term `take' means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.” [2] This makes sense in light of the well-established, centuries-old understanding of “take” as meaning to kill or capture a wild animal.[3]
WOTUS Notice: The Final Response to SCOTUS; Establishment of a Public Docket; Request for Recommendations
Implementation of the Definition of Waters of the United States
Site: Federal Register :: WOTUS Notice: The Final Response to SCOTUS; Establishment of a Public Docket; Request for Recommendations
Proposed Rule
Comment period closed 4/23/2025 with 45,751 comments
Notice; announcement of listening sessions and solicitation of stakeholder feedback.
Request for Public Input on Experiences With FEMA Disaster Responses
Site: Federal Register :: Request for Public Input on Experiences With FEMA Disaster Responses
Notice
Comments period closed 5/15/2025 with 11,708 comments
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Council requests information and comments from the public and other interested stakeholders to gain an understanding of their experience with FEMA during disasters.
Restoring Gold Standard Science
Site: Restoring Gold Standard Science – The White House. Not in the Federal Register yet.
Executive Order 14303
Signed: 5/23/2025
The Executive Order (EO) says the “[a] majority of researchers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics believe science is facing a reproducibility crisis. The falsification of data by leading researchers has led to high-profile retractions of federally funded research.” Purpose of the EO is to “restor[e] a gold standard for science to ensure that federally funded research is transparent, rigorous, and impactful, and that Federal decisions are informed by the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available.” “Within 30 days of this order, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP Directory) shall, in consultation with heads of relevant agencies, issue guidance …” This is more rigorously applied to policies or procedures issued between January 20, 2021 and January 20, 2025. This is EO “appl[ies] to all employees involved in the generation, use, interpretation, or communication of scientific information, regardless of job classification, and to all agency decision-making, except where precluded by law.”
Federal Budget
On May 22, the House passed the reconciliation legislation (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) by a vote of 215-214. The bill would remove FEMA from the US Department of Homeland Security and reestablish it as an independent, Cabinet-level agency.
Includes reduction in funding to FEMA’s budget of $646 million., NOAA $1.5 billion, and USGS $562 million.
Tracking legal challenges to the current administration - Total number of cases 249 that includes 9 closed cases.
Legislative reports are drafted by the Legislative Issues Committee on a monthly basis, and presented to the AFMA Board of Directors. As updates occur, additional tabs will be added here to provide additional information.