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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
commerce authority; trade offices
Purpose
Specifies that the requirement for the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) to establish and supervise trade offices is subject to legislative appropriation, rather than the direction of the ACA Board of Directors (ACA Board).
Background
The ACA mission is to provide private sector leadership in growing and diversifying the economy of Arizona, creating high quality employment through expansion, attraction and retention of businesses and marketing Arizona for the purpose of expansion, attraction and retention of businesses. The ACA is governed by the ACA Board consisting of 29 members, including: 1) the Governor, who serves as the chairperson; 2) the Chief Executive Officer; 3) 17 private sector business leaders; 4) the President of the Senate; and 5) the Speaker of the House of Representatives (A.R.S. § 41-1502).
At the direction of the ACA Board, the ACA must establish and supervise the operations of full-time or part-time offices in other states and foreign countries to expand direct investment and export trade opportunities for businesses and industries in Arizona if the ACA determines the effort would be beneficial to the economy (A.R.S. § 41-1504).
Currently, the
ACA has seven trade offices in foreign countries, including: 1) Canada;
2) Mexico; 3) Israel; 4) Germany; 5) Taiwan; 6) South Korea; and 7) Japan (ACA).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Subjects the establishment and supervision of trade offices to legislative appropriations, rather than the ACA Board of Director's direction.
2. Requires any legislative appropriation to establish and supervise the operations of a trade office to be based on objective research prepared by the ACA.
3. Requires the ACA, by December 1 of each year, to submit a report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on the activities of each trade office operated by the ACA during the prior fiscal year and the objective research that identifies potential trade offices prepared by the ACA.
4. Allows the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to designate individuals to serve in their place on the ACA Board.
5. Makes technical changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Allows the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to designate individuals to serve in their place on the ACA Board.
2. Requires any legislative appropriation to establish and supervise the operations of a trade office to be based on objective research prepared by the ACA.
3. Adds the objective research that identifies potential trade offices, prepared by the ACA, to the annual report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
4. Makes technical and conforming changes.
House Action Senate Action
IT 2/11/26 DP 9-0-0-1 ATT 3/17/26 DP 6-3-1
3rd Read 2/23/26 56-0-4
Prepared by Senate Research
April 15, 2026
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