ARIZONA STATE SENATE

NICHOLAS GUSTOFF

ASSISTANT RESEARCH ANALYST

JASON THEODOROU

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

REGULATORY AFFAIRS & GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 926-3171

RESEARCH STAFF

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

REGULATORY AFFAIRS & GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY COMMITTEE

DATE:            March 23, 2026

SUBJECT:      Strike everything amendment to H.B. 2456 relating to county comprehensive plans

Purpose

            Modifies the requirement for a county to adopt or readopt a long-term comprehensive plan.

Background

            Statute requires all counties to adopt or readopt a long-term comprehensive plan, formulated by the county planning and zoning commission and adopted by the county board of supervisors, for the development of the area of jurisdiction. The comprehensive plan must be with a general purpose of guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted and harmonious development of the area of jurisdiction in accordance with the present and future needs of the county. The comprehensive plan must be developed to conserve the natural resources of the county, ensure efficient expenditure of public monies and promote the health, safety, convenience and general welfare of the public. The comprehensive plan must include a number of elements, including land use, growth areas, transportation, water resources, energy, open space, environmental and cost of development. The comprehensive plan must be a public record, but its purpose and effect must be primarily as an aid to the county planning and zoning commission and to the board of supervisors in the performance of their duties. A county long-term comprehensive plan is effective for up to 10 years after the date the plan was initially adopted or until the plan is readopted or a new plan is adopted (A.R.S. §§ 11-804 and 11-805).

            There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Allows the long-term comprehensive plan for a county to include studies and recommendations relative to the location, character and extent of electric power production and demand, including small modular reactors and data centers.

2. Requires the long-term comprehensive plan for a county with a population of more than 125,000 persons to include:

a) planning for land use that designates the proposed general distribution, location and extent of uses of land for energy and mining appropriate for the county;

b) planning for land use that designates the proposed general distribution, location and extent of the use of the land for the consideration and operation of extra high load factor customers, including data centers and data center facilities that are appropriate to the county; and

c) planning for energy use that designates the proposed general distribution, location and extent of the uses of the land for construction and operation of thermal and nonthermal electric generating units appropriate to the county, including small modular reactors.

3. Allows a long-term comprehensive plan for all other counties to include:

a) planning for land use that designates the proposed general distribution, location and extent of land uses of energy and mining appropriate for the county;

b) planning for land use that designates the proposed general distribution, location and extent of the use of the land for the consideration and operation of extra high load factor customers, including data centers and data center facilities that are appropriate to the county; and

c) planning for energy use that designates the proposed general distribution, location and extent of the uses of the land for construction and operation of thermal and nonthermal electric generating units appropriate to the county, including small modular reactors.

4. Removes the specification that the long-term comprehensive plan for a county include planning for energy use that identifies policies and practices for greater use of renewable energy.

5. Requires a county with a population of more than 125,000 persons to amend its long-term comprehensive plan to comply with the modified comprehensive plan requirements within four years of the general effective date.

6. Makes technical changes.

7. Becomes effective on the general effective date.