House Engrossed

state lands; solar score; maps

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2975

AN ACT

Amending title 37, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 37-111; RELATING to the state land department.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 37, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 37-111, to read:

START_STATUTE37-111. State land department; prohibition of use of solar scores; resource scoring maps; mining; housing; posting

A. Notwithstanding any other law, beginning on the effective date of this section, the department shall suspend the use of solar scores or other similar solar evaluators.  The commissioner may not use solar scores or other similar solar evaluators in the decision making of the department.

b. Every ten years or earlier as determined necessary by the commissioner, the department shall develop the following resource scoring maps:

1. A mining resource scoring map that takes known and proven resources into consideration.

2. A housing resource scoring map that takes development into consideration.

c. The department shall cooperate with stakeholders to create and update the resource scoring maps.  During the stakeholder process, the department may consider comments only from the applicable industry when updating the resource scoring maps.

d. The commissioner shall consider the resource scoring maps when creating the department's conceptual land use plans and five year disposition plans pursuant to section 37-331.03.

e. On the adoption of a new resource scoring map, the commissioner shall submit a copy of the updated resource scoring map to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and shall provide a copy of the maps to the secretary of state.  The department shall post each map on the department's website. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. State land department; implementation; applicability

A. Not later than two years after the effective date of this act, the commissioner of the state land department shall develop, provide copies of and post the maps as required pursuant to section 37-111, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.

B. This act does not prohibit the state land department from processing any application for the disposition of state lands or for permits for housing or mining before the adoption of a map required by section 1 of this act.