SB1613 - 572R

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

Section 1. Purpose

1. Section 4-205.11, Arizona Revised Statutes, was repealed by Laws 2025, chapter 36, section 5. However, this section was erroneously identified in the title of the act. In order to comply with article IV, part 2, section 13, Constitution of Arizona, this act repeals section 4-205.11, Arizona Revised Statutes.

2. Section 13-2910.11, Arizona Revised Statutes, was amended by Laws 2025, chapter 255, section 2. However, this version did not reflect the previous valid version of the section. In order to comply with article IV, part 2, section 14, Constitution of Arizona, this act amends section 13-2910.11, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by Laws 2021, chapter 366, section 1, to incorporate the amendments made by Laws 2025, chapter 255 and repeals the chapter 255 version.

3. Section 36-2212, Arizona Revised Statutes, was amended by Laws 2025, chapter 212, section 2, as amended by Laws 2025, chapter 212, section 1. However, this version did not reflect the previous valid version of the section. In order to comply with article IV, part 2, section 14, Constitution of Arizona, this act amends section 36-2212, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 2025, chapter 212, section 1, to incorporate the amendments made by Laws 2025, chapter 212, section 2 and repeals the chapter 212, section 2 version.

4. Section 42-5159, Arizona Revised Statutes, was amended by Laws 2025, chapter 251, section 13. However, this version did not reflect the previous valid version of the section. In order to comply with article IV, part 2, section 14, Constitution of Arizona, this act amends section 42-5159, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 2025, chapter 135, section 2 and chapter 247, section 2, to incorporate the amendments made by Laws 2025, chapter 251 and repeals the chapter 251 version.

5. Section 48-261, Arizona Revised Statutes, was amended by Laws 2025, chapter 61, section 1. However, this version did not reflect the previous valid version of the section. In order to comply with article IV, part 2, section 14, Constitution of Arizona, this act amends section 48-261, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 2017, chapter 46, section 1, to incorporate the amendments made by Laws 2025, chapter 61 and repeals the chapter 61 version.

Sec. 2. Repeal

Section 4-205.11, Arizona Revised Statutes, is repealed.

Sec. 3. Section 13-2910.11, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by Laws 2021, chapter 366, section 1, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE13-2910.11. Unlawful animal ownership or possession; transfer of animals; restoration of right to possess animals; classification; good cause exception; definitions

A. It is unlawful for a person who has been convicted of any of the following offenses to own, possess, adopt, foster, reside with or otherwise intentionally contact, care for or have custody of any animal in the person's household:

1. An intentional or knowing violation of cruelty to animals pursuant to section 13-2910, subsection A, paragraph 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14 12, 15 or 15 16.

2. Cruelty to animals pursuant to section 13-2910, subsection A, paragraph 4.

3. Animal fighting pursuant to section 13-2910.01.

4. Bestiality pursuant to section 13-1411.

B. Except as provided in subsection D of this section, the prohibitions listed in subsection A of this section shall remain in place for the following amount of time:

1. For a first misdemeanor conviction, at least five years.

2. For a first felony conviction or a second or subsequent misdemeanor conviction, at least ten years.

3. For a second or subsequent felony conviction, for the person's lifetime.

C. Within thirty days after a person is prohibited from possessing an animal pursuant to this section, the person shall transfer all animals in the person's care or custody to another person who is not in the person's household.

D. On proper application and not less than one year after the person is convicted of a misdemeanor violation of an offense listed in subsection A of this section or two and one-half years after the person is convicted of a felony violation OF AN OFFENSE LISTED IN SUBSECTION A OF THIS SECTION, the person may apply to have the person's right to possess an animal restored. Any time spent on absconder status while on probation, on escape status or incarcerated is excluded in calculating the minimum time requirement. The person may apply to the judge, justice of the peace or magistrate who pronounced sentence or imposed probation or the SUCCESSOR IN OFFICE OF THE judge, justice of the peace or magistrate's successor in office MAGISTRATE. The applicant shall serve a copy of the application on the prosecutor. The court shall conduct a hearing on the request within sixty days after the application is filed. The defendant bears the burden by a preponderance of evidence at the hearing. To assist the court in making a determination, the court shall require the person to complete a psychiatric or psychological examination and undergo counseling, if necessary, before restoring the person's right to possess an animal. The court may terminate or reduce the time period required by subsection B of this section on a finding that:

1. The applicant does not present a danger to self, the animal's immediate family and the public.

2. The applicant has the ability to properly care for all animals in the applicant's possession.

3. The applicant has successfully completed all classes or counseling that was ordered by the sentencing court.

E. A convicted person who lives in a household with an animal that is owned, possessed, adopted or fostered by another person in the household may apply to the court for a good cause exception. A good cause exception is valid for one year and allows the convicted person to reside in the same household as an animal. The convicted person may request the court to renew a good cause exception sixty days before the good cause exception expires. The court may grant a good cause exception or renew a good cause exception if all of the following apply:

1. The convicted person is on supervised or unsupervised probation, community supervision or parole or agrees to be subject to the court's jurisdiction and supervision while living in the household.

2. The court determines that it is in the best interests of the animal and the person who owns, possesses, adopts or fosters the animal to allow the convicted person to remain in the same household and reside with the animal.

3. The convicted person agrees to not intentionally contact, care for or have custody of the animal.

F. A person who violates this section is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.

G. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Animal":

(a) Means any domesticated dog or cat.

(b) Does not include livestock as defined in section 3-1201 or wildlife as defined in section 17-101.

2. "Household" includes all of the persons who occupy a housing unit as the person's usual place of residence, including all of the following:

(a) The related family members and all unrelated persons, if any, such as lodgers, foster children, wards or employees who share the housing unit.

(b) A person who lives alone in a housing unit or a group of unrelated persons sharing a housing unit such as partners or roomers.

3. "Housing unit" means a house, an apartment, a mobile home or trailer, a group of rooms or a single room occupied as separate living quarters for a household and includes any front, side or rear yards and any garages and detached garages that are under the control of the household. END_STATUTE

Sec. 4. Repeal

Section 13-2910.11, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 2025, chapter 255, section 2, is repealed.

Sec. 5. Section 36-2212, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 2025, chapter 212, section 1, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE36-2212. Certificate of registration to operate an ambulance; termination on change in ownership; fees

A. A person shall not operate an ambulance in this state unless the ambulance has a certificate of registration and complies with this article and the rules, standards and criteria adopted pursuant to this article.

B. A person may obtain a certificate of registration to operate an ambulance by submitting an application on a form prescribed by the director and by demonstrating to the director's satisfaction that the applicant is in compliance with this article and all rules, standards and criteria adopted by the director for the operation of an ambulance.

C. A certificate of registration issued under this section terminates on any change of ownership or control of the ambulance. Following any change of ownership, the new owner of an ambulance shall apply for and receive a new certificate of registration from the director before the ambulance may again be operated in this state. This subsection does not apply if an ambulance service borrows, leases, rents or otherwise obtains a registered ambulance from another ambulance service to temporarily replace an inoperable ambulance.

D. The department shall issue a certificate of registration to a person that complies with the requirements of this article and that pays an initial registration fee. A certificate of registration is valid for one year but an ambulance service may request that the department issue an initial certificate of registration that expires before the end of one year in order for the department to conduct an annual inspection of all of the ambulance service's ambulances at one time. A person may renew a certificate of registration by complying with the requirements of this article and by paying a renewal fee prescribed by the director. The fee for initial registration and registration renewal shall not exceed $50 for each ambulance. The department shall base these fees on an amount that approximates the per vehicle costs incurred by the department to administer this chapter. The director shall deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, fees collected under this subsection in the state general fund. The department shall not charge a registration fee for an ambulance to an ambulance service that operates an ambulance or ambulances only as a volunteer not-for-profit service.

E. Notwithstanding the period of time for which a certificate of registration is valid pursuant to subsection D of this section, if the certificate of registration holder timely submits a complete renewal application in compliance with this article and the rules adopted pursuant to this article and the department is unable to perform an inspection of an ambulance within the time frame prescribed by section 36-2232, subsection A, paragraph 13, the department may allow an ambulance's registration to remain valid and in effect until the department completes the required inspection. END_STATUTE

Sec. 6. Repeal

Section 36-2212, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 2025, chapter 212, section 2, is repealed.

Sec. 7. Section 42-5159, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 2025, chapter 135, section 2 and chapter 247, section 2, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE42-5159. Exemptions

A. The tax levied by this article does not apply to the storage, use or consumption in this state of the following described tangible personal property:

1. Tangible personal property, sold in this state, the gross receipts from the sale of which are included in the measure of the tax imposed by articles 1 and 2 of this chapter.

2. Tangible personal property, the sale or use of which has already been subjected to an excise tax at a rate equal to or exceeding the tax imposed by this article under the laws of another state of the United States. If the excise tax imposed by the other state is at a rate less than the tax imposed by this article, the tax imposed by this article is reduced by the amount of the tax already imposed by the other state.

3. Tangible personal property, the storage, use or consumption of which the constitution or laws of the United States prohibit this state from taxing or to the extent that the rate or imposition of tax is unconstitutional under the laws of the United States.

4. Tangible personal property that directly enters into and becomes an ingredient or component part of any manufactured, fabricated or processed article, substance or commodity for sale in the regular course of business.

5. Motor vehicle fuel and use fuel, the sales, distribution or use of which in this state is subject to the tax imposed under title 28, chapter 16, article 1, use fuel that is sold to or used by a person holding a valid single trip use fuel tax permit issued under section 28-5739, aviation fuel, the sales, distribution or use of which in this state is subject to the tax imposed under section 28-8344, and jet fuel, the sales, distribution or use of which in this state is subject to the tax imposed under article 8 of this chapter.

6. Tangible personal property brought into this state by an individual who was a nonresident at the time the property was purchased for storage, use or consumption by the individual if the first actual use or consumption of the property was outside this state, unless the property is used in conducting a business in this state.

7. Purchases of implants used as growth promotants and injectable medicines, not already exempt under paragraph 16 of this subsection, for livestock and poultry owned by, or in possession of, persons who are engaged in producing livestock, poultry, or livestock or poultry products, or who are engaged in feeding livestock or poultry commercially. For the purposes of this paragraph, "poultry" includes ratites.

8. Purchases of:

(a) Livestock and poultry to persons engaging in the businesses of farming, ranching or producing livestock or poultry.

(b) Livestock and poultry feed, salts, vitamins and other additives sold to persons for use or consumption in the businesses of farming, ranching and producing or feeding livestock or poultry or for use or consumption in noncommercial boarding of livestock. For the purposes of this paragraph, "poultry" includes ratites.

9. Propagative materials for use in commercially producing agricultural, horticultural, viticultural or floricultural crops in this state. For the purposes of this paragraph, "propagative materials":

(a) Includes seeds, seedlings, roots, bulbs, liners, transplants, cuttings, soil and plant additives, agricultural minerals, auxiliary soil and plant substances, micronutrients, fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, soil fumigants, desiccants, rodenticides, adjuvants, plant nutrients and plant growth regulators.

(b) Except for use in commercially producing industrial hemp as defined in section 3-311, does not include any propagative materials used in producing any part, including seeds, of any plant of the genus cannabis.

10. Tangible personal property not exceeding $200 in any one month purchased by an individual at retail outside the continental limits of the United States for the individual's own personal use and enjoyment.

11. Advertising supplements that are intended for sale with newspapers published in this state and that have already been subjected to an excise tax under the laws of another state in the United States that equals or exceeds the tax imposed by this article.

12. Materials that are purchased by or for publicly funded libraries, including school district libraries, charter school libraries, community college libraries, state university libraries or federal, state, county or municipal libraries, for use by the public as follows:

(a) Printed or photographic materials, beginning August 7, 1985.

(b) Electronic or digital media materials, beginning July 17, 1994.

13. Tangible personal property purchased by:

(a) A hospital organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

(b) A hospital operated by this state or a political subdivision of this state.

(c) A licensed nursing care institution or a licensed residential care institution or a residential care facility operated in conjunction with a licensed nursing care institution or a licensed kidney dialysis center, which provides medical services, nursing services or health related services and is not used or held for profit.

(d) A qualifying health care organization, as defined in section 42-5001, if the tangible personal property is used by the organization solely to provide health and medical related educational and charitable services.

(e) A qualifying health care organization as defined in section 42-5001 if the organization is dedicated to providing educational, therapeutic, rehabilitative and family medical education training for blind and visually impaired children and children with multiple disabilities from the time of birth to age twenty-one.

(f) A nonprofit charitable organization that has qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the United States internal revenue code and that engages in and uses such property exclusively in programs for persons with mental or physical disabilities if the programs are exclusively for training, job placement, rehabilitation, or testing.

(g) A person that is subject to tax under this chapter by reason of being engaged in business classified under section 42-5075, or a subcontractor working under the control of a person that is engaged in business classified under section 42-5075, if the tangible personal property is any of the following:

(i) Incorporated or fabricated by the person into a structure, project, development or improvement in fulfillment of a contract.

(ii) Incorporated or fabricated by the person into any project described in section 42-5075, subsection O P.

(iii) Used in environmental response or remediation activities under section 42-5075, subsection B, paragraph 6.

(h) A person that is not subject to tax under section 42-5075 and that has been provided a copy of a certificate described in section 42-5009, subsection L, if the property purchased is incorporated or fabricated by the person into the real property, structure, project, development or improvement described in the certificate.

(i) A nonprofit charitable organization that has qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code if the property is purchased from the parent or an affiliate organization that is located outside this state.

(j) A qualifying community health center as defined in section 42-5001.

(k) A nonprofit charitable organization that has qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code and that regularly serves meals to the needy and indigent on a continuing basis at no cost.

(l) A person engaged in business under the transient lodging classification if the property is a personal hygiene item or articles used by human beings for food, drink or condiment, except alcoholic beverages, which are furnished without additional charge to and intended to be consumed by the transient during the transient's occupancy.

(m) For taxable periods beginning from and after June 30, 2001, a nonprofit charitable organization that has qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code and that provides residential apartment housing for low-income persons over sixty-two years of age in a facility that qualifies for a federal housing subsidy, if the tangible personal property is used by the organization solely to provide residential apartment housing for low-income persons over sixty-two years of age in a facility that qualifies for a federal housing subsidy.

(n) A qualifying health sciences educational institution as defined in section 42-5001.

(o) A person representing or working on behalf of any person described in subdivision (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (i), (j), (k), (m) or (n) of this paragraph, if the tangible personal property is incorporated or fabricated into a project described in section 42-5075, subsection O P.

14. Commodities, as defined by title 7 United States Code section 2, that are consigned for resale in a warehouse in this state in or from which the commodity is deliverable on a contract for future delivery subject to the rules of a commodity market regulated by the United States commodity futures trading commission.

15. Tangible personal property sold by:

(a) Any nonprofit organization organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes and recognized by the United States internal revenue service under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code.

(b) A nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6) of the internal revenue code if the organization is associated with a major league baseball team or a national touring professional golfing association and no part of the organization's net earnings inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. This subdivision does not apply to an organization that is owned, managed or controlled, in whole or in part, by a major league baseball team, or its owners, officers, employees or agents, or by a major league baseball association or professional golfing association, or its owners, officers, employees or agents, unless the organization conducted or operated exhibition events in this state before January 1, 2018 that were exempt from transaction privilege tax under section 42-5073.

(c) A nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(6), 501(c)(7) or 501(c)(8) of the internal revenue code if the organization sponsors or operates a rodeo featuring primarily farm and ranch animals and no part of the organization's net earnings inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

16. Drugs and medical oxygen, including delivery hose, mask or tent, regulator and tank, if prescribed by a member of the medical, dental or veterinarian profession who is licensed by law to administer such substances.

17. Prosthetic appliances, as defined in section 23-501, prescribed or recommended by a person who is licensed, registered or otherwise professionally credentialed as a physician, dentist, podiatrist, chiropractor, naturopath, homeopath, nurse or optometrist.

18. Prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses.

19. Insulin, insulin syringes and glucose test strips.

20. Hearing aids as defined in section 36-1901.

21. Durable medical equipment that has a centers for medicare and medicaid services common procedure code, is designated reimbursable by medicare, is prescribed by a person who is licensed under title 32, chapter 7, 13, 17 or 29, can withstand repeated use, is primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose, is generally not useful to a person in the absence of illness or injury and is appropriate for use in the home.

22. Food, as provided in and subject to the conditions of article 3 of this chapter and sections 42-5074 and 42-6017.

23. Items purchased with United States department of agriculture coupons issued under the supplemental nutrition assistance program pursuant to the food and nutrition act of 2008 (P.L. 88-525; 78 Stat. 703; 7 United States Code sections 2011 through 2036b) by the United States department of agriculture food and nutrition service or food instruments issued under section 17 of the child nutrition act (P.L. 95-627; 92 Stat. 3603; P.L. 99-661, section 4302; P.L. 111-296; 42 United States Code section 1786).

24. Food and drink provided without monetary charge by a taxpayer that is subject to section 42-5074 to its employees for their own consumption on the premises during the employees' hours of employment.

25. Tangible personal property that is used or consumed in a business subject to section 42-5074 for human food, drink or condiment, whether simple, mixed or compounded.

26. Food, drink or condiment and accessory tangible personal property that are acquired for use by or provided to a school district or charter school if they are to be either served or prepared and served to persons for consumption on the premises of a public school in the school district or on the premises of the charter school during school hours.

27. Lottery tickets or shares purchased pursuant to title 5, chapter 5.1, article 1.

28. Textbooks, sold by a bookstore, that are required by any state university or community college.

29. Magazines, other periodicals or other publications produced by this state to encourage tourist travel.

30. Paper machine clothing, such as forming fabrics and dryer felts, purchased by a paper manufacturer and directly used or consumed in paper manufacturing.

31. Coal, petroleum, coke, natural gas, virgin fuel oil and electricity purchased by a qualified environmental technology manufacturer, producer or processor as defined in section 41-1514.02 and directly used or consumed in generating or providing on-site power or energy solely for environmental technology manufacturing, producing or processing or environmental protection. This paragraph applies for twenty full consecutive calendar or fiscal years from the date the first paper manufacturing machine is placed in service. In the case of an environmental technology manufacturer, producer or processor that does not manufacture paper, the time period begins with the date the first manufacturing, processing or production equipment is placed in service.

32. Motor vehicles that are removed from inventory by a motor vehicle dealer as defined in section 28-4301 and that are provided to:

(a) Charitable or educational institutions that are exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code.

(b) Public educational institutions.

(c) State universities or affiliated organizations of a state university if no part of the organization's net earnings inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

33. Natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas used to propel a motor vehicle.

34. Machinery, equipment, technology or related supplies that are only useful to assist a person with a physical disability as defined in section 46-191 or a person who has a developmental disability as defined in section 36-551 or has a head injury as defined in section 41-3201 to be more independent and functional.

35. Liquid, solid or gaseous chemicals used in manufacturing, processing, fabricating, mining, refining, metallurgical operations, research and development and, beginning on January 1, 1999, printing, if using or consuming the chemicals, alone or as part of an integrated system of chemicals, involves direct contact with the materials from which the product is produced for the purpose of causing or allowing a chemical or physical change to occur in the materials as part of the production process. This paragraph does not include chemicals that are used or consumed in activities such as packaging, storage or transportation but does not affect any exemption for such chemicals that is otherwise provided by this section. For the purposes of this paragraph, "printing" means a commercial printing operation and includes job printing, engraving, embossing, copying and bookbinding.

36. Food, drink and condiment purchased for consumption within the premises of any prison, jail or other institution under the jurisdiction of the state department of corrections, the department of public safety, the department of juvenile corrections or a county sheriff.

37. A motor vehicle and any repair and replacement parts and tangible personal property becoming a part of such motor vehicle sold to a motor carrier that is subject to a fee prescribed in title 28, chapter 16, article 4 and that is engaged in the business of leasing or renting such a property.

38. Tangible personal property that is or directly enters into and becomes an ingredient or component part of cards used as prescription plan identification cards.

39. Overhead materials or other tangible personal property that is used in performing a contract between the United States government and a manufacturer, modifier, assembler or repairer, including property used in performing a subcontract with a government contractor who is a manufacturer, modifier, assembler or repairer, to which title passes to the government under the terms of the contract or subcontract. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Overhead materials" means tangible personal property, the gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from which would otherwise be included in the retail classification, that is used or consumed in performing a contract, the cost of which is charged to an overhead expense account and allocated to various contracts based on generally accepted accounting principles and consistent with government contract accounting standards.

(b) "Subcontract" means an agreement between a contractor and any person who is not an employee of the contractor for furnishing of supplies or services that, in whole or in part, are necessary to perform one or more government contracts, or under which any portion of the contractor's obligation under one or more government contracts is performed, undertaken or assumed, and that includes provisions causing title to overhead materials or other tangible personal property used in performing the subcontract to pass to the government or that includes provisions incorporating such title passing clauses in a government contract into the subcontract.

40. Through December 31, 1994, tangible personal property sold pursuant to a personal property liquidation transaction, as defined in section 42-5061. From and after December 31, 1994, tangible personal property sold pursuant to a personal property liquidation transaction, as defined in section 42-5061, if the gross proceeds of the sales were included in the measure of the tax imposed by article 1 of this chapter or if the personal property liquidation was a casual activity or transaction.

41. Wireless telecommunications equipment that is held for sale or transfer to a customer as an inducement to enter into or continue a contract for telecommunications services that are taxable under section 42-5064.

42. Alternative fuel, as defined in section 1-215, purchased by a used oil fuel burner who has received a permit to burn used oil or used oil fuel under section 49-426 or 49-480.

43. Tangible personal property purchased by a commercial airline and consisting of food, beverages and condiments and accessories used for serving the food and beverages, if those items are to be provided without additional charge to passengers for consumption in flight. For the purposes of this paragraph, "commercial airline" means a person holding a federal certificate of public convenience and necessity or foreign air carrier permit for air transportation to transport persons, property or United States mail in intrastate, interstate or foreign commerce.

44. Alternative fuel vehicles if the vehicle was manufactured as a diesel fuel vehicle and converted to operate on alternative fuel and equipment that is installed in a conventional diesel fuel motor vehicle to convert the vehicle to operate on an alternative fuel, as defined in section 1-215.

45. Gas diverted from a pipeline, by a person engaged in the business of:

(a) Operating a natural or artificial gas pipeline, and used or consumed for the sole purpose of fueling compressor equipment that pressurizes the pipeline.

(b) Converting natural gas into liquefied natural gas, and used or consumed for the sole purpose of fueling compressor equipment used in the conversion process.

46. Tangible personal property that is excluded, exempt or deductible from transaction privilege tax pursuant to section 42-5063.

47. Tangible personal property purchased to be incorporated or installed as part of environmental response or remediation activities under section 42-5075, subsection B, paragraph 6.

48. Tangible personal property sold by a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(6) of the internal revenue code if the organization produces, organizes or promotes cultural or civic related festivals or events and no part of the organization's net earnings inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

49. Prepared food, drink or condiment donated by a restaurant as classified in section 42-5074, subsection A to a nonprofit charitable organization that has qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code and that regularly serves meals to the needy and indigent on a continuing basis at no cost.

50. Application services that are designed to assess or test student learning or to promote curriculum design or enhancement purchased by or for any school district, charter school, community college or state university. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Application services" means software applications provided remotely using hypertext transfer protocol or another network protocol.

(b) "Curriculum design or enhancement" means planning, implementing or reporting on courses of study, lessons, assignments or other learning activities.

51. Motor vehicle fuel and use fuel to a qualified business under section 41-1516 for off-road use in harvesting, processing or transporting qualifying forest products removed from qualifying projects as defined in section 41-1516.

52. Repair parts installed in equipment used directly by a qualified business under section 41-1516 in harvesting, processing or transporting qualifying forest products removed from qualifying projects as defined in section 41-1516.

53. Renewable energy credits or any other unit created to track energy derived from renewable energy resources. For the purposes of this paragraph, "renewable energy credit" means a unit created administratively by the corporation commission or governing body of a public power entity to track kilowatt hours of electricity derived from a renewable energy resource or the kilowatt hour equivalent of conventional energy resources displaced by distributed renewable energy resources.

54. Coal acquired from an owner or operator of a power plant by a person that is responsible for refining coal if both of the following apply:

(a) The transfer of title or possession of the coal is for the purpose of refining the coal.

(b) The title or possession of the coal is transferred back to the owner or operator of the power plant after completion of the coal refining process. For the purposes of this subdivision, "coal refining process" means the application of a coal additive system that aids the reduction of power plant emissions during the combustion of coal and the treatment of flue gas.

55. Tangible personal property incorporated or fabricated into a project described in section 42-5075, subsection O P, that is located within the exterior boundaries of an Indian reservation for which the owner, as defined in section 42-5075, of the project is an Indian tribe or an affiliated Indian. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Affiliated Indian" means an individual Native American Indian who is duly registered on the tribal rolls of the Indian tribe for whose benefit the Indian reservation was established.

(b) "Indian reservation" means all lands that are within the limits of areas set aside by the United States for the exclusive use and occupancy of an Indian tribe by treaty, law or executive order and that are recognized as Indian reservations by the United States department of the interior.

(c) "Indian tribe" means any organized nation, tribe, band or community that is recognized as an Indian tribe by the United States department of the interior and includes any entity formed under the laws of the Indian tribe.

56. Cash equivalents, precious metal bullion and monetized bullion purchased by the ultimate consumer, but coins or other forms of money for manufacture into jewelry or works of art are subject to tax, and tangible personal property that is purchased through the redemption of any cash equivalent by the holder as a means of payment for goods that are subject to tax under this article is subject to tax. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Cash equivalents" means items, whether or not negotiable, that are sold to one or more persons, through which a value denominated in money is purchased in advance and that may be redeemed in full or in part for tangible personal property, intangibles or services. Cash equivalents include gift cards, stored value cards, gift certificates, vouchers, traveler's checks, money orders or other tangible instruments or orders. Cash equivalents do not include either of the following:

(i) Items that are sold to one or more persons and through which a value is not denominated in money.

(ii) Prepaid calling cards for telecommunications services.

(b) "Monetized bullion" means coins and other forms of money that are manufactured from gold, silver or other metals and that have been or are used as a medium of exchange in this or another state, the United States or a foreign nation.

(c) "Precious metal bullion" means precious metal, including gold, silver, platinum, rhodium and palladium, that has been smelted or refined so that its value depends on its contents and not on its form.

B. In addition to the exemptions allowed by subsection A of this section, the following categories of tangible personal property are also exempt:

1. Machinery, or equipment, used directly in manufacturing, processing, fabricating, job printing, refining or metallurgical operations. The terms "manufacturing", "processing", "fabricating", "job printing", "refining" and "metallurgical" as used in this paragraph refer to and include those operations commonly understood within their ordinary meaning. "Metallurgical operations" includes leaching, milling, precipitating, smelting and refining.

2. Machinery, or equipment, used directly in the process of extracting ores or minerals from the earth for commercial purposes, including equipment required to prepare the materials for extraction and handling, loading or transporting such extracted material to the surface. "Mining" includes underground, surface and open pit operations for extracting ores and minerals.

3. Tangible personal property sold to persons engaged in business classified under the telecommunications classification under section 42-5064, including a person representing or working on behalf of such a person in a manner described in section 42-5075, subsection O P, and consisting of central office switching equipment, switchboards, private branch exchange equipment, microwave radio equipment and carrier equipment including optical fiber, coaxial cable and other transmission media that are components of carrier systems.

4. Machinery, equipment or transmission lines used directly in producing or transmitting electrical power, but not including distribution. Transformers and control equipment used at transmission substation sites constitute equipment used in producing or transmitting electrical power.

5. Machinery and equipment used directly for energy storage for later electrical use. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Electric utility scale" means a person that is engaged in a business activity described in section 42-5063, subsection A or such person's equipment or wholesale electricity suppliers.

(b) "Energy storage" means commercially available technology for electric utility scale that is capable of absorbing energy, storing energy for a period of time and thereafter dispatching the energy and that uses mechanical, chemical or thermal processes to store energy.

(c) "Machinery and equipment used directly" means all machinery and equipment that are used for electric energy storage from the point of receipt of such energy in order to facilitate storage of the electric energy to the point where the electric energy is released.

6. Neat animals, horses, asses, sheep, ratites, swine or goats used or to be used as breeding or production stock, including sales of breedings or ownership shares in such animals used for breeding or production.

7. Pipes or valves four inches in diameter or larger used to transport oil, natural gas, artificial gas, water, wastewater or coal slurry, including compressor units, regulators, machinery and equipment, fittings, seals and any other part that is used in operating the pipes or valves.

8. Aircraft, navigational and communication instruments and other accessories and related equipment sold to:

(a) A person:

(i) Holding, or exempted by federal law from obtaining, a federal certificate of public convenience and necessity for use as, in conjunction with or becoming part of an aircraft to be used to transport persons for hire in intrastate, interstate or foreign commerce.

(ii) That is certificated or licensed under federal aviation administration regulations (14 Code of Federal Regulations part 121 or 135) as a scheduled or unscheduled carrier of persons for hire for use as or in conjunction with or becoming part of an aircraft to be used to transport persons for hire in intrastate, interstate or foreign commerce.

(iii) Holding a foreign air carrier permit for air transportation for use as or in conjunction with or becoming a part of aircraft to be used to transport persons, property or United States mail in intrastate, interstate or foreign commerce.

(iv) Operating an aircraft to transport persons in any manner for compensation or hire, or for use in a fractional ownership program that meets the requirements of federal aviation administration regulations (14 Code of Federal Regulations part 91, subpart K), including as an air carrier, a foreign air carrier or a commercial operator or under a restricted category, within the meaning of 14 Code of Federal Regulations, regardless of whether the operation or aircraft is regulated or certified under part 91, 119, 121, 133, 135, 136 or 137, or another part of 14 Code of Federal Regulations.

(v) That will lease or otherwise transfer operational control, within the meaning of federal aviation administration operations specification A008, or its successor, of the aircraft, instruments or accessories to one or more persons described in item (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) of this subdivision, subject to section 42-5009, subsection Q.

(b) Any foreign government.

(c) Persons who are not residents of this state and who will not use such property in this state other than in removing such property from this state. This subdivision also applies to corporations that are not incorporated in this state, regardless of maintaining a place of business in this state, if the principal corporate office is located outside this state and the property will not be used in this state other than in removing the property from this state.

9. Machinery, tools, equipment and related supplies used or consumed directly in repairing, remodeling or maintaining aircraft, aircraft engines or aircraft component parts by or on behalf of a certificated or licensed carrier of persons or property.

10. Rolling stock, rails, ties and signal control equipment used directly to transport persons or property.

11. Machinery or equipment used directly to drill for oil or gas or used directly in the process of extracting oil or gas from the earth for commercial purposes.

12. Buses or other urban mass transit vehicles that are used directly to transport persons or property for hire or pursuant to a governmentally adopted and controlled urban mass transportation program and that are sold to bus companies holding a federal certificate of convenience and necessity or operated by any city, town or other governmental entity or by any person contracting with such governmental entity as part of a governmentally adopted and controlled program to provide urban mass transportation.

13. Groundwater measuring devices required under section 45-604.

14. Machinery and equipment consisting of agricultural aircraft, tractors, off-highway vehicles, tractor-drawn implements, self-powered implements, machinery and equipment necessary for extracting milk, and machinery and equipment necessary for cooling milk and livestock, and drip irrigation lines not already exempt under paragraph 7 of this subsection and that are used for commercially producing agricultural, horticultural, viticultural and floricultural crops and products in this state. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Off-highway vehicles" means off-highway vehicles as defined in section 28-1171 that are modified at the time of sale to function as a tractor or to tow tractor-drawn implements and that are not equipped with a modified exhaust system to increase horsepower or speed or an engine that is more than one thousand cubic centimeters or that have a maximum speed of fifty miles per hour or less.

(b) "Self-powered implements" includes machinery and equipment that are electric-powered.

15. Machinery or equipment used in research and development. For the purposes of this paragraph, "research and development" means basic and applied research in the sciences and engineering, and designing, developing or testing prototypes, processes or new products, including research and development of computer software that is embedded in or an integral part of the prototype or new product or that is required for machinery or equipment otherwise exempt under this section to function effectively. Research and development do not include manufacturing quality control, routine consumer product testing, market research, sales promotion, sales service, research in social sciences or psychology, computer software research that is not included in the definition of research and development, or other nontechnological activities or technical services.

16. Tangible personal property that is used by either of the following to receive, store, convert, produce, generate, decode, encode, control or transmit telecommunications information:

(a) Any direct broadcast satellite television or data transmission service that operates pursuant to 47 Code of Federal Regulations part 25.

(b) Any satellite television or data transmission facility, if both of the following conditions are met:

(i) Over two-thirds of the transmissions, measured in megabytes, transmitted by the facility during the test period were transmitted to or on behalf of one or more direct broadcast satellite television or data transmission services that operate pursuant to 47 Code of Federal Regulations part 25.

(ii) Over two-thirds of the transmissions, measured in megabytes, transmitted by or on behalf of those direct broadcast television or data transmission services during the test period were transmitted by the facility to or on behalf of those services.

For the purposes of subdivision (b) of this paragraph, "test period" means the three hundred sixty-five day period beginning on the later of the date on which the tangible personal property is purchased or the date on which the direct broadcast satellite television or data transmission service first transmits information to its customers.

17. Clean rooms that are used for manufacturing, processing, fabrication or research and development, as defined in paragraph 15 of this subsection, of semiconductor products. For the purposes of this paragraph, "clean room" means all property that comprises or creates an environment where humidity, temperature, particulate matter and contamination are precisely controlled within specified parameters, without regard to whether the property is actually contained within that environment or whether any of the property is affixed to or incorporated into real property. Clean room:

(a) Includes the integrated systems, fixtures, piping, movable partitions, lighting and all property that is necessary or adapted to reduce contamination or to control airflow, temperature, humidity, chemical purity or other environmental conditions or manufacturing tolerances, as well as the production machinery and equipment operating in conjunction with the clean room environment.

(b) Does not include the building or other permanent, nonremovable component of the building that houses the clean room environment.

18. Machinery and equipment that are used directly in feeding poultry, environmentally controlling housing for poultry, moving eggs within a production and packaging facility or sorting or cooling eggs. This exemption does not apply to vehicles used for transporting eggs.

19. Machinery or equipment, including related structural components and containment structures, that is employed in connection with manufacturing, processing, fabricating, job printing, refining, mining, natural gas pipelines, metallurgical operations, telecommunications, producing or transmitting electricity or research and development and that is used directly to meet or exceed rules or regulations adopted by the federal energy regulatory commission, the United States environmental protection agency, the United States nuclear regulatory commission, the Arizona department of environmental quality or a political subdivision of this state to prevent, monitor, control or reduce land, water or air pollution. For the purposes of this paragraph, "containment structure" means a structure that prevents, monitors, controls or reduces noxious or harmful discharge into the environment.

20. Machinery and equipment that are used in commercially producing livestock, livestock products or agricultural, horticultural, viticultural or floricultural crops or products in this state, including production by a person representing or working on behalf of such a person in a manner described in section 42-5075, subsection O P, if the machinery and equipment are used directly and primarily to prevent, monitor, control or reduce air, water or land pollution.

21. Machinery or equipment that enables a television station to originate and broadcast or to receive and broadcast digital television signals and that was purchased to facilitate compliance with the telecommunications act of 1996 (P.L. 104-104; 110 Stat. 56; 47 United States Code section 336) and the federal communications commission order issued April 21, 1997 (47 Code of Federal Regulations part 73). This paragraph does not exempt any of the following:

(a) Repair or replacement parts purchased for the machinery or equipment described in this paragraph.

(b) Machinery or equipment purchased to replace machinery or equipment for which an exemption was previously claimed and taken under this paragraph.

(c) Any machinery or equipment purchased after the television station has ceased analog broadcasting, or purchased after November 1, 2009, whichever occurs first.

22. Qualifying equipment that is purchased from and after June 30, 2004 through December 31, 2028 by a qualified business under section 41-1516 for harvesting or processing qualifying forest products removed from qualifying projects as defined in section 41-1516. To qualify for this exemption, the qualified business must obtain and present its certification from the Arizona commerce authority at the time of purchase.

23. Machinery, equipment, materials and other tangible personal property used directly and predominantly to construct a qualified environmental technology manufacturing, producing or processing facility as described in section 41-1514.02. This paragraph applies for ten full consecutive calendar or fiscal years after the start of initial construction.

24. Computer data center equipment sold to the owner, operator or qualified colocation tenant of a computer data center that is certified by the Arizona commerce authority under section 41-1519 or an authorized agent of the owner, operator or qualified colocation tenant during the qualification period for use in the qualified computer data center. For the purposes of this paragraph, "computer data center", "computer data center equipment", "qualification period" and "qualified colocation tenant" have the same meanings prescribed in section 41-1519.

C. The exemptions provided by subsection B of this section do not include:

1. Expendable materials. For the purposes of this paragraph, expendable materials do not include any of the categories of tangible personal property specified in subsection B of this section regardless of the cost or useful life of that property.

2. Janitorial equipment and hand tools.

3. Office equipment, furniture and supplies.

4. Tangible personal property used in selling or distributing activities, other than the telecommunications transmissions described in subsection B, paragraph 16 of this section.

5. Motor vehicles required to be licensed by this state, except buses or other urban mass transit vehicles specifically exempted pursuant to subsection B, paragraph 12 of this section, without regard to the use of such motor vehicles.

6. Shops, buildings, docks, depots and all other materials of whatever kind or character not specifically included as exempt.

7. Motors and pumps used in drip irrigation systems.

8. Machinery and equipment or tangible personal property used by a contractor in performing a contract.

D. The following shall be deducted in computing the purchase price of electricity by a retail electric customer from a utility business:

1. Revenues received from sales of ancillary services, electric distribution services, electric generation services, electric transmission services and other services related to providing electricity to a retail electric customer who is located outside this state for use outside this state if the electricity is delivered to a point of sale outside this state.

2. Revenues received from providing electricity, including ancillary services, electric distribution services, electric generation services, electric transmission services and other services related to providing electricity with respect to which the transaction privilege tax imposed under section 42-5063 has been paid.

E. The tax levied by this article does not apply to the purchase of solar energy devices from a retailer that is registered with the department as a solar energy retailer or a solar energy contractor.

F. The following shall be deducted in computing the purchase price of electricity by a retail electric customer from a utility business:

1. Fees charged by a municipally owned utility to persons constructing residential, commercial or industrial developments or connecting residential, commercial or industrial developments to a municipal utility system or systems if the fees are segregated and used only for capital expansion, system enlargement or debt service of the utility system or systems.

2. Reimbursement or contribution compensation to any person or persons owning a utility system for property and equipment installed to provide utility access to, on or across the land of an actual utility consumer if the property and equipment become the property of the utility. This deduction shall not exceed the value of such property and equipment.

G. The tax levied by this article does not apply to the purchase price of electricity, natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas by:

1. A qualified manufacturing or smelting business. A utility that claims this deduction shall report each month, on a form prescribed by the department, the name and address of each qualified manufacturing or smelting business for which this deduction is taken. This paragraph applies to gas transportation services. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Gas transportation services" means the services of transporting natural gas to a natural gas customer or to a natural gas distribution facility if the natural gas was purchased from a supplier other than the utility.

(b) "Manufacturing" means the performance as a business of an integrated series of operations that places tangible personal property in a form, composition or character different from that in which it was acquired and transforms it into a different product with a distinctive name, character or use. Manufacturing does not include job printing, publishing, packaging, mining, generating electricity or operating a restaurant.

(i) A business that manufactures or smelts tangible products in this state, of which at least fifty-one percent of the manufactured or smelted products will be exported out of state for incorporation into another product or sold out of state for a final sale.

(ii) A business that derives at least fifty-one percent of its gross income from the sale of manufactured or smelted products manufactured or smelted by the business.

(iii) A business that uses at least fifty-one percent of its square footage in this state for manufacturing or smelting and business activities directly related to manufacturing or smelting.

(iv) A business that employs at least fifty-one percent of its workforce in this state in manufacturing or smelting and business activities directly related to manufacturing or smelting.

(v) A business that uses at least fifty-one percent of the value of its capitalized assets in this state, as reflected on the business's books and records, for manufacturing or smelting and business activities directly related to manufacturing or smelting.

(d) "Smelting" means to melt or fuse a metalliferous mineral, often with an accompanying chemical change, usually to separate the metal.

2. A business that operates an international operations center in this state and that is certified by the Arizona commerce authority pursuant to section 41-1520.

H. A city or town may exempt proceeds from sales of paintings, sculptures or similar works of fine art if such works of fine art are sold by the original artist. For the purposes of this subsection, fine art does not include an art creation such as jewelry, macrame, glasswork, pottery, woodwork, metalwork, furniture or clothing if the art creation has a dual purpose, both aesthetic and utilitarian, whether sold by the artist or by another person.

I. For the purposes of subsection B of this section:

1. "Agricultural aircraft" means an aircraft that is built for agricultural use for the aerial application of pesticides or fertilizer or for aerial seeding.

2. "Aircraft" includes:

(a) An airplane flight simulator that is approved by the federal aviation administration for use as a phase II or higher flight simulator under appendix H, 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 121.

(b) Tangible personal property that is permanently affixed or attached as a component part of an aircraft that is owned or operated by a certificated or licensed carrier of persons or property.

3. "Other accessories and related equipment" includes aircraft accessories and equipment such as ground service equipment that physically contact aircraft at some point during the overall carrier operation.

J. For the purposes of subsection D of this section, "ancillary services", "electric distribution service", "electric generation service", "electric transmission service" and "other services" have the same meanings prescribed in section 42-5063.END_STATUTE

Sec. 8. Repeal

Section 42-5159, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 2025, chapter 251, section 13, is repealed.

Sec. 9. Section 48-261, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 2017, chapter 46, section 1, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE48-261. District creation; procedures; notice; hearing; determinations; petitions

A. A fire district, community park maintenance district, sanitary district or hospital district for either a hospital or an urgent care center shall be created by the following procedures:

1. Any adult person desiring to propose creation of a district shall provide a legal description of the area proposed for inclusion in the district to the county assessor of the county in which the district is to be located. The county assessor shall provide to the person proposing formation of the district a detailed list of all taxable real and personal properties in the area proposed for inclusion in the district. The person proposing formation of the district shall prepare and submit a district impact statement to the board of supervisors of the county in which the district is to be located. The county assessor's parcel map and the assessed valuation of the properties as prescribed by section 42-17052 and as shown in the county assessor's records at the time the district impact statement is submitted are deemed sufficient for any required maps and for determining the assessed valuations prescribed by this section. Except for a proposed community park maintenance district that is to be located in more than one county, if a proposed district is located in more than one county, the impact statement shall be submitted to the board of supervisors of the county in which the majority of the total assessed valuation of the proposed district is located. The boards of supervisors of any other counties in which a portion of the district is to be located shall provide information and assistance to the responsible board of supervisors. For a community park maintenance district that is to be located in more than one county, the impact statement shall be submitted to the board of supervisors for each of the affected counties. If the person desiring to create a district pursuant to this section is unable to complete the district impact statement, the board of supervisors may assist in the completion of the impact statement if requested to do so, provided the bond required in subsection C of this section is in an amount sufficient to cover any additional cost to the county. The district impact statement shall contain at least the following information:

(a) A legal description of the boundaries of the proposed district and a map and a general description of the area to be included in the district sufficiently detailed to permit allow a property owner to determine whether a particular property is within the proposed district.

(b) The detailed list of taxable real and personal properties provided by the assessor pursuant to this paragraph.

(d) An estimate of the change in the property tax liability, as a result of the proposed district, of a typical resident of the proposed district.

(e) A list and explanation of benefits that will result from the proposed district.

(f) A list and explanation of the injuries that may result from the proposed district.

(g) The names, addresses and occupations of the proposed members of the district's organizing board of directors.

(h) A general description of the scope of services to be provided by the district during its first five years of operation. At a minimum this description shall include an estimate of anticipated capital expenditures, personnel growth and enhancements to service.

2. On receipt of the district impact statement, the board of supervisors shall set a day, at least thirty but not more than sixty days after that date, for a hearing on the impact statement. The board of supervisors, at any time before making a determination pursuant to paragraph 4 of this subsection, may require that the impact statement be amended to include any information that the board of supervisors deems to be relevant and necessary.

3. On receipt of the district impact statement, the clerk of the board of supervisors shall mail, by first class mail, notice of the day, hour and place of the hearing on the proposed district to each owner of taxable real or personal property within the boundaries of the proposed district. The written notice shall state the purpose of the hearing and shall state where a copy of the impact statement may be viewed or requested. The clerk of the board of supervisors shall post the notice in at least three conspicuous public places in the area of the proposed district and shall publish twice in a daily newspaper of general circulation in the area of the proposed district, at least ten days before the hearing, or, if no daily newspaper of general circulation exists in the area of the proposed district, at least twice at any time before the date of the hearing, a notice setting forth the purpose of the impact statement, the description of the area of the proposed district and the day, hour and place of the hearing.

4. At the hearing called pursuant to paragraph 2 of this subsection, the board of supervisors shall hear those who appear for and against the proposed district and shall determine whether the creation of the district will promote public health, comfort, convenience, necessity or welfare. If the board of supervisors determines that the public health, comfort, convenience, necessity or welfare will be promoted, it shall approve the district impact statement and authorize the circulation of petitions as provided in this subsection. For a community park maintenance district that is required to obtain the approval of more than one county's board of supervisors, the petitions may only be circulated after approval of the board of supervisors from each affected county. The order of the board of supervisors shall be final, but if the request to circulate petitions is denied, a subsequent request for a similar district may be refiled with the board of supervisors after six months from the date of the denial. The county board of supervisors shall authorize the circulation of petitions of only one proposed new district of the same type in which any property owner's land is proposed for inclusion. A new petition circulation shall not be authorized until the one-year period to submit signatures prescribed by paragraph 6 of this subsection of the original petition circulation has expired or has otherwise been extinguished.

5. Within fifteen days after receiving the approval of the board of supervisors as prescribed by paragraph 4 of this subsection, the clerk of the board shall determine the minimum number of signatures and total assessed valuation required for compliance with paragraph 7 of this subsection. After making that determination, the number of signatures shall remain fixed and the assessed valuation of the taxable real or personal properties within the boundaries of the proposed district shall remain fixed as prescribed in this subsection for the purposes of determining compliance with the property valuation requirement prescribed in paragraph 7 of this subsection.

6. After receiving the approval of the board of supervisors as provided in paragraph 4 of this subsection, any adult person may circulate and present petitions to the board of supervisors of the county in which the district is located. All petitions circulated shall be returned to the board of supervisors within one year from the date of the approval of the board of supervisors pursuant to paragraph 4 of this subsection. Any petition that is returned more than one year from that date is void.

7. The petitions presented pursuant to paragraph 6 of this subsection shall comply with the provisions regarding verification in section 48-266 and shall:

(a) At all times, contain a map and general description of the boundaries of the proposed district sufficiently detailed to permit allow a real or personal property owner to determine whether a particular property is within the proposed district and the names, addresses and occupations of the proposed members of the district's organizing board of directors. An alteration of the proposed district shall not be made after receiving the approval of the board of supervisors as provided in paragraph 4 of this subsection. The items required to be contained with the petition under this subdivision shall be printed on the back of the petition form required pursuant to section 48-266 unless the size of the items precludes compliance with this requirement. An error in the legal description of the proposed district shall not invalidate the petitions if considered as a whole the information provided is sufficient to identify the property as illustrated in the map required pursuant to this subdivision.

(b) Be signed by owners of more than one-half of the taxable property units in the area of the proposed district and be signed by persons owning collectively more than one-half of the assessed valuation of the property in the area of the proposed district. Property exempt pursuant to title 42, chapter 11, article 3 shall not be considered in determining the total assessed valuation of the proposed district nor shall owners of property not subject to taxation be eligible to sign petitions.

8. On receipt of the petitions, including any supplemental signatures, and the report of the county assessor, the board of supervisors shall set a day for a hearing on the petition.

9. Before the hearing called pursuant to paragraph 8 of this subsection, the board of supervisors shall determine the validity of the petitions presented.

10. At the hearing called pursuant to paragraph 8 of this subsection, the board of supervisors, if the petitions are valid, shall order the creation of the district. The board of supervisors shall enter its order setting forth its determination in the minutes of the meeting, not later than ten days after the day of the hearing, and a copy of the order shall be filed in the county recorder's office. The order of the board of supervisors shall be final, and the proposed district shall be created thirty days after the board of supervisors votes to create the district, except that for a community park maintenance district that is proposed for more than one county, the proposed district is created thirty days after the approval of the board of supervisors of the final county of the counties in which the district is to be located. A decision of the board of supervisors under this subsection is subject to judicial review under title 12, chapter 7, article 6.

B. For the purpose of determining the validity of the petitions presented pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 6 of this section:

1. Real or personal property held in multiple ownership shall be treated as if it had only one property owner, and the signature of only one of the owners of property held in multiple ownership is required on the formation petition. The number of persons owning property inside the boundaries of the proposed district shall be determined as follows:

(a) In the case of property assessed by the county assessor, the number of persons owning property shall be as shown on the most recent assessment of property.

(b) In the case of property valued by the department of revenue, the number of persons owning property shall be as shown on the most recent valuation of property.

(c) If an undivided parcel of property is owned by multiple owners, those owners are deemed to be one owner for the purposes of this section.

(d) If a person owns multiple parcels of property, that owner is deemed to be a single owner for the purposes of this section.

2. The value of real or personal property shall be determined as follows:

(a) In the case of property assessed by the county assessor, values shall be the same as those shown on the day the district impact statement is submitted.

(b) In the case of property valued by the department of revenue, the values shall be those determined by the department in the manner provided by law, for municipal assessment purposes. The county assessor and the department of revenue, respectively, shall furnish to the board of supervisors, within twenty days after a request, a statement in writing showing the owner, the address of each owner and the appraisal or assessment value of properties contained within the boundaries of the proposed district as described in subsection A of this section.

3. Petition signatures representing real property on which taxes and assessments are not current at the time of petition review are invalid.

C. The board of supervisors may require of the person desiring to propose creation of a district pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section a reasonable bond to be filed with the board at the start of proceedings under this section. The bond shall be in an amount sufficient to cover costs incurred by the county if the district is not finally organized. County costs covered by the bond include any expense incurred from completion of the district impact statement, mailing of the notice of hearing to district property owners, publication of the notice of hearing and other expenses reasonably incurred as a result of any requirements of this section.

D. If a district is created pursuant to this section, the cost of publication of the notice of hearing, the cost of the mailing of notices to property owners, the cost of the bond and all other costs incurred by the county as a result of this section shall be a charge against the district.

E. If a proposed district would include property located within an incorporated city or town, in addition to the other requirements of subsection A of this section, the board shall approve the creation and authorize the circulation of petitions only if the governing body of the city or town has by ordinance or resolution endorsed the creation.

F. Except as provided in section 48-851 and section 48-2001, subsection A, the area of a district created pursuant to this section shall be contiguous.

G. A district organized pursuant to this section shall have an organizing board of directors to administer the affairs of the district until a duly constituted board of directors is elected as provided in this title. The organizing board shall have all the powers, duties and responsibilities of an elected board. The organizing board shall consist of the three or five individuals named in the district impact statement and the petitions presented pursuant to subsection A of this section. If a vacancy occurs on the organizing board, the remaining board members shall fill the vacancy by appointing an interim member. Members of the organizing board shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in performing their duties. The organizing board shall elect from its members a chairman and a clerk.

H. For the purposes of this section, assessed valuation does not include property exempt pursuant to title 42, chapter 11, article 3 and is determined as prescribed by section 48-261.01. END_STATUTE

Sec. 10. Repeal

Section 48-261, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 2025, chapter 61, section 1, is repealed.

Sec. 11. Retroactivity

A. Sections 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of this act apply retroactively to from and after September 25, 2025.

B. Sections 5 and 6 of this act apply retroactively to from and after December 31, 2025.