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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
military affairs commission
Purpose
Restructures the Military Affairs Commission's (Commission) membership, modifies and prescribes additional Commission duties and establishes the Military Affairs Commission Fund (Commission Fund).
Background
The Commission consists of: 1) the Adjutant
General or the General's designee as a nonvoting advisory member; 2) the State
Land Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee as a nonvoting advisory
member; 3) one Governor-appointed member of a military installation commander
as a nonvoting advisory member; 4) one Governor-appointed member from a federal
agency involved in land use issues as a nonvoting advisory member; 5) 12 Governor-appointed
members who reside in a community in which a military installation is located,
6 of which must have expertise in military affairs and 6 of which must be local
elected officials; 6) four
Governor-appointed 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 7) two members who represent
private property interests in the territory in the vicinity 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
(House) (A.R.S.
§ 26-261).
The Military Installation Fund (Fund) monies are awarded 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 installations. The Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) must forward each application for Fund monies to the Commission. The Commission must review each application and recommend to DEMA applicants that should be awarded Fund monies and the dollar amount that should be awarded. DEMA must award 80 percent of Fund monies for outlined military installation preservation and enhancement activities and up to 20 percent of Fund monies to cities, towns and counties to acquire private land for the preservation and enhancement of military missions and installations (A.R.S. § 26-262).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Replaces the voting members of the Commission with the following members who are appointed by the Governor:
a) four members who are currently serving in or, within five years preceding the effective date of this legislation, 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 processes, or successor processes, and who are at least:
i. if a commissioned officer, a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy or Captain in another branch of the U.S. Armed Forces;
ii. if a warrant officer, a Chief Warrant Officer Two;
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) seven 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.
2. Adds the President of the Senate, or the President's designee, and the Speaker of the House, or the Speaker's designee, as members of the Commission.
3. Modifies the six, rather than four, nonvoting advisory members of the Commission who are not counted for the purpose of determining a quorum, by:
a) replacing a Governor-appointed representative of a military installation commander with the chairperson or cochairperson of the Arizona Commanders Summit successor organization that regularly convenes all military installation commanders in Arizona;
b) adding the Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Commerce Authority or the Officer's designee;
c) adding the Chairperson of the Arizona Board of Regents or the Chairperson's designee; and
d) adding two members who are from a state or federal agency required for Commission matters and who are appointed by the Cochairpersons of the Commission.
4. Requires the Office of Defense Innovation to jointly staff the Commission with DEMA.
5. Requires the Commission to:
a) meet at least twice, rather than annually, each year;
b) meet on a regular basis with the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives to provide recommendations on military issues and industries related to national defense and report on the progress of the Commission;
c) study issues relating to military families;
d) proactively recommend executive, legislative and federal actions necessary to retain existing and attract new defense-related businesses; and
e) develop criteria, including accountability requirements, for awarding monies from the Commission Fund.
6. Requires the Commission to 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.
7. Broadens the Commission's requirement to advise the Governor and Legislature on matters affecting the operational viability of Arizona military facilities to include:
a) areas under the jurisdiction of any, rather than an active unit of, the Uniformed Armed Services of the United States; and
b) any National Guard component of Arizona, rather than any reserve or National Guard component of the Uniformed Armed Services of the United States, as well as any matters affecting the retention of existing and attraction of new defense-related businesses.
8. Requires the Commission to recommend to the Arizona Finance Authority and the Arizona Industrial Development Authority projects in Arizona that require funding and that do any of 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; or
d) supplement the community economic redevelopment value of a closed military installation or defense facility.
9. Stipulates that the following duties of the Commission with respect to the Fund are subject to legislative appropriation:
a) review applications for monies to be awarded;
b) annually recommend to DEMA a priority listing of monies with available resources; and
c) recommend to DEMA how the monies should be awarded.
10. Requires the Commission 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 must include:
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 all of 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.
9. Requires state agencies to cooperate with and assist the Commission with:
a) preparing the Commission's 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) supporting 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 or assignment or the base realignment and closure process.
10. Requires DEMA, in conjunction with the Commission, to adopt by rule, procedures acquiring property and for receiving and evaluating applications and awarding of monies.
11. Requires DEMA to prepare and forward each acquisition proposal to the Commission.
12. Requires the Commission to review each acquisition proposal and recommend outlined information to DEMA including 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 a high noise or accident potential zone or in an area that is vital to the operation and support of a military installation in accordance with awarding Fund monies to acquire private land.
13. 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 of Arizona, 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 are 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.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Modifies the Commission membership by:
a) extending the eligibility for the four Commission members who may be retired from the military or National Guard within five, rather than three, years preceding the effective date of this legislation which includes a commissioned officer who is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy or a Captain in another branch of the U.S. Armed Forces;
b) increases, from five to seven, the number of members representing recognized community military support organizations; and
c) increasing the number of nonvoting advisory members of the Commission to include two members who are from a state or federal agency required for Commission matters and are appointed by the Cochairpersons of the Commission.
2. Removes the following nonvoting advisory members who are not counted for the purpose of determining a quorum:
a) a representative from a federal agency involved in land use issues who is appointed by the Governor;
b) the State Land Commissioner or a designee of the Commissioner; and
c) the Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation or the Director's designee.
3. Requires the Commission to:
a) meet twice, instead of once, each year;
b) advise the Governor and Legislature on any matters affecting the retention of existing and the attraction of new defense-related businesses; and
c) proactively recommend executive, legislative and federal actions necessary to retain existing and attract new defense-related businesses.
4. Makes conforming changes.
Senate Action
MABS 2/16/26 DPA 6-1-0
Prepared by Senate Research
February 23, 2026
KJA/KM/ci