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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
military affairs commission
Purpose
Modifies the membership of the Military Affairs Commission (Commission), requires the Commission to recommend projects that require funding to the Arizona Finance Authority and Arizona Industrial Development Authority and establishes the Military Affairs Commission Fund (Commission Fund).
Background
The
Commission must: 1) meet on a regular basis with the Governor, the President of
the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to provide
recommendations on military issues and report on the progress of the
Commission; 2) advise the Governor and the Legislature on matters affecting the
operational viability of Arizona military facilities, including military
installations, military training routes, military restricted airspace, military
ranges or areas under the jurisdiction of an active unit of the U.S. Uniformed
Armed Services or any reserve National Guard component of the U.S. Uniformed
Armed Services; 3) review applications for monies to be awarded from the
Military Installation Fund (Fund) and recommend to the Department of Emergency
and Military Affairs (DEMA) how the monies in the Fund should be awarded; and
4) study issues relating to veterans, active duty, National Guard and reserve
members of the U.S. Armed Forces and other military quality of life issues (A.R.S.
§ 26-261).
The Commission Fund consists of monies that are continuously appropriated for the awarding of grants for the: 1) acquisition of private property, real estate and related infrastructure that are vital to the preservation or enhancement of a military installation; 2) structural renovations or construction of building modifications or improvements that mitigate or attenuate impacts in high noise or accident potential zones; and 3) management of acquired property that is necessary to preserve and enhance military missions and military installations. DEMA upon receipt of each application for Commission Fund monies must forward each application to the Commission. The Commission must review each application and recommend to DEMA each applicant that should be awarded monies from the Commission Fund and the dollar amount that each applicant should be awarded from the Commission Fund. DEMA must award 80 percent of Commission Fund monies for military installation preservation and enhancement purposes, including acquiring private property, real estate and property rights, preventing incompatible development in high noise or accident potential zones, funding structural renovations or mitigation projects, removing structures necessary for acquisition and managing acquired property, with up to 20 percent of that amount eligible to be awarded to cities, towns and counties to carry out military installation preservation and enhancement activities (A.R.S. § 26-262).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Adds the President of the Senate, or the President's designee, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the Speaker's designee, as members of the Commission.
2. Modifies the membership of the Commission for the following voting members who are appointed by the Governor:
a) four members who are retired from the U.S. Armed Forces or the National Guard, who are experienced in working with the U.S. Department of Defense planning, programming, budgeting and execution process or successor processes and who are at least the following ranks:
i. if a commissioned officer, a Lieutenant or Captain;
ii. if a warrant officer, a Chief Warrant Officer Two; and
iii. if an enlisted noncommissioned officer, a Master Sergeant, First Sergeant, Senior Chief Petty Officer or Senior Master Sergeant; and
iv. Senior Executive Service;
b) five members who represent each community military support organization recognized by a military installation in Arizona or the National Guard;
c) two members who have congressional experience and expertise on military and defense policy;
d) two members who are from organizations that represent members of the national defense and academic research and development industries; and
e) two members who are from organizations that represent members within the national defense and aerospace industries.
3. Modifies the membership of the Commission for the outlined nonvoting advisory members who are not counted for the purpose of determining a quorum, by adding:
a) the chairperson or cochairperson of the Arizona Commanders Summit successor organization that regularly convenes all military installation commanders in Arizona, rather than a Governor-appointed representative of a military installation commander;
b) the Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Commerce Authority or the Chief Executive Officer's designee;
c) the Chairperson of the Arizona Board of Regents or the Chairperson's designee; and
d) the Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation or the Director's designee.
4. Eliminates the following from the membership of the Commission:
a) 12 members who reside in a community in which a military installation is located, 6 of which having expertise in military affairs and 6 of which being elected officials;
b) four members who represent private property interests in the territory in the vicinity of a military base or facility or in a community in which a military installation is located; and
c) two members who represent private property interests in the territory in the vicinity of a military base or facility or in a community in which a military installation is located, one appointed by the President of the Senate and one appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
5. Requires the Office of Defense Innovation to jointly staff the Commission with DEMA.
6. Requires the Commission to have regular meetings to provide recommendations on industries related to national defense, as well as military issues, to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
7. Stipulates that the following duties of the Commission are subject to legislative appropriation:
a) review applications for monies to be awarded from the Military Installation Fund;
b) annually recommend to DEMA a priority listing of monies with available resources; and
c) recommend to DEMA how the monies in the Military Installation Fund should be awarded.
8. Stipulates that the Commission must:
a) proactively recommend executive, legislative and federal actions necessary to sustain military operations and enhance Arizona's preparedness to attract, rather than respond to potential, new missions and prevent military facilities from closure or downsizing; and
b) study issues relating to military families.
9. Requires the Commission to recommend to the Arizona Finance Authority and the Industrial Development Authority projects in Arizona that require funding and do the following:
a) enhance the military value of area military installations and defense facilities;
b) provide assistance to communities that are negatively impacted by base realignments or closure or by loss of a mission for an economic development project;
c) provide assistance to communities that are positively impacted by base realignments or closure for an infrastructure project; and
d) supplement the community economic redevelopment value of a closed military installation or defense facility.
10. Requires the Committee to submit a report by September 1 of each even-numbered year to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives about military installations and defense-related business in Arizona that includes the following:
a) an economic impact statement describing in detail the effect of the military and defense industry on the economy of Arizona;
b) a statewide assessment of federal and National Guard military installations and current missions;
c) a statewide strategy to attract new military missions and defense-related business, including specific actions that add military value to existing military installations;
d) a list of state and federal activities that have a significant impact on active military installations and current missions; and
e) a statement identifying the following:
i. the state and federal programs and services that assist communities impacted by military base closures or realignments and the efforts to coordinate those programs;
ii. the efforts to coordinate state agency programs and services that assist communities in retaining active military installations and current missions; and
iii. an evaluation of initiatives to retain existing and attract new defense-related businesses.
11. Requires state agencies to cooperate with and assist the Commission:
a) in the preparation of the outlined biannual report including providing information about regulations, policies, programs and services that may impact communities dependent on military installations, defense-related businesses and the viability of existing military missions in Arizona; and
b) to support an installation commander who requests assistance in preparing an evaluation of that installation based on criteria for the installation by the U.S. Department of Defense for mission retention, assignment or the base realignment and closure process.
12. Requires DEMA, in conjunction with the Commission, to adopt by rule, procedures acquiring property and the receiving, evaluating and awarding of applications for the Fund monies.
13. Requires DEMA to prepare each acquisition proposal for Fund monies and forward each acquisition proposal to the Commission.
14. Requires the Commission to review each acquisition proposal and application and make statutorily outlined recommendations to DEMA including the recommendation of each acquisition, in the name of Arizona, by gift, grant, purchase, or any other lawful manner, of real property, property rights and related buildings and infrastructure that is vital to the preservation or enhancement of a military installation in high noise or accident potential zones or in areas vital to the operation and support of a military installation.
15. Requires DEMA to consider the Commission's recommendations and decide how the monies in the Fund will be disbursed among the acquisition proposals and Fund applicants.
16. Establishes the Commission Fund consisting of legislative appropriations, gifts, donations, contributions, grants and monies made available to the Fund from any lawful source to support the activities of the Commission.
17. Requires DEMA to administer the Commission Fund.
18. Specifies that, on notice from the Adjutant General, the State Treasurer must invest and divest monies in the Commission Fund and monies earned from investment must be credited to the Commission Fund.
19. Specifies that the Commission Fund monies are continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing.
20. Allows all persons serving as members of the Commission on the general effective date to continue to serve until the expiration of their normal terms.
21. Stipulates that all subsequent appointments to the Commission must be made as prescribed.
22. Makes technical and conforming changes.
23. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 13, 2026
KJA/KM/ci