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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
appropriations; university of Arizona; agriculture
Purpose
Appropriates a total of $47,700,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) to the University of Arizona (U of A) for the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA), the Cooperative Extension and the Arizona Experiment Station.
Background
YCEDA is a public-private partnership between the U of A and the desert agriculture industry that conducts research and awards grants to address issues in desert agriculture crop production. The YCEDA Small Grants Program awards up to $10,000 in funding per project to support two types of projects: 1) preliminary applied research to be used to launch a new research program of inquiry; and 2) proof-of-concept of a new agricultural application for new or existing technology. Priority is given to projects focused on the topics of disease management, food safety, soil health, agricultural mechanization and irrigation and nutrient management. YCEDA is both publicly and privately funded. Private donors can make a tax-deductible financial commitment administered through the U of A Foundation (U of A YCEDA: About and Desert Ag Small Grants Program).
The Arizona Cooperative Extension was established by the federal Smith-Lever Act of 1914 for the practical application and demonstration of existing or improved agricultural technologies. The Arizona Cooperative Extension is part of the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences (U of A Cooperative Extension; 7 U.S.C. § 342).
The Arizona Experiment Station, established by the federal Hatch Act of 1887, is a network of research centers and infrastructure across Arizona funded through federal and state funds, grants, contracts and the sale of products for the purpose of agricultural investigation and experimentation (U of A Arizona Experiment Station; 7 U.S.C § 361(b)).
S.B. 1761 appropriates a total of $47,700,000 from the state GF to the U of A.
Provisions
1. Appropriates $1,600,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to the U of A for the YCEDA.
2. Appropriates the following amounts from the state GF to the U of A for the Cooperative Extension.
a) $2,700,000 in FY 2027;
b) $5,400,000 in FY 2028; and
c) $8,100,000 in FY 2029.
3. Appropriates the following amounts from the state GF to the U of A for the Arizona Experiment Station:
a) $18,300,000 in FY 2027;
b) $4,600,000 in FY 2028; and
c) $7,000,000 in FY 2029.
4. Declares the Legislature's intent to consider the appropriation as ongoing funding in future years.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 13, 2026
SB/SF/hk