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REFERENCE TITLE: municipal licensing; approvals; administrative review |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2026
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HB 2234 |
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Introduced by Representative Blackman
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AN ACT
amending section 9-500.49, arizona revised statutes; relating to municipal licensing.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 9-500.49, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
9-500.49. Administrative review and approval; self-certification program; expedited approval; definitions
A. Notwithstanding any other law, the legislative body of a city or town shall by ordinance establish procedures for approving and issuing licenses that are consistent with adopted local planning ordinances, infrastructure capacity and public safety considerations that do the following:
1. Authorize administrative personnel to review and approve site plans, development plans, land divisions, lot line adjustments, lot ties, preliminary plats, final plats and plat amendments without a public hearing that are determined by the legislative body of the city or town to be appropriate and are subject to the public hearing requirements that are established by ordinance.
2. Authorize administrative personnel to review and approve design review plans based on objective standards without a public hearing unless the legislative body of the city or town determines that additional review of the design review plan is warranted due to the design plan's potential local impact.
3. Allow at-risk submittals for certain on-site preliminary grading and drainage work or infrastructure. the at-risk submittals are subject to conditions and limitations that are adopted by the city or town. The city or town may retain revocation authority of the at-risk submittal.
4. Allow applicants with a history of compliance with building codes and regulations to be eligible for expedited permit review pursuant to criteria for compliance and expedited permit review that are established by the city or town.
5. Adopt a self-certification program that allows registered architects and professional engineers to certify and be responsible for compliance with all applicable ordinances and construction standards for projects that are identified by the city or town as being projects that are qualified for self-certification. The project types that are qualified for self-certification pursuant to this paragraph are subject to audit and corrective action by the city or town.
B. Notwithstanding any other law, the legislative body of a city or town may by ordinance adopt a self-certification program allowing registered architects and professional engineers to certify and be responsible for compliance with all applicable ordinances and construction standards for projects that the ordinance identifies as being qualified for self-certification.
B. This section does not require the approval of a development application that does not comply with adopted zoning ordinances, the general plan, infrastructure capacity or public safety requirements of a city or town. This section does not limit the ability of a city or town to conditionally approve a license based on the local impact of the approval of the license.
C. Applications for a license pursuant to this section are subject to chapter 7, article 4 of this title.
D. This section does not apply to any of the following:
1. Land in an area that is designated as a district of historical significance pursuant to section 9-462.01, subsection A, paragraph 10.
2. Land in an area that is designated as historic on the national register of historic places.
3. Land in an area that is designated historic by a local government.
E. D. For the purposes of this section:
1. "License" has the same meaning prescribed in section 9-831.
2. "Objective" means not influenced by personal interpretation, taste or feelings of a municipal employee and verifiable by reference to an adopted benchmark, standard or criterion available and knowable by the applicant or proponent.
Sec. 2. Effective date
Section 9-500.49, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, is effective from and after December 31, 2026.