HB 2292 — wildfire prevention authority; fund

REFERENCEFifty-seventh TITLE:Legislature Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Second Regular Session H.B.

wildfire2292 preventionPROPOSED authority;HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AMENDMENTS TO H.B.

fund State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session HB 2292 Introduced(Reference byto Representativeprinted Blackmanbill) ANAmendment ACTinstruction AMENDINGkey: SECTIONS 20-224, 20-224.02, 20-225 AND 20-227, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES;

AMENDING[GREEN TITLEUNDERLINING 37,IN CHAPTERBRACKETS] 9,indicates ARTICLEtext 1,added ARIZONAto REVISEDstatute STATUTES,or BYpreviously ADDINGenacted SECTIONsession 37-1312;law.

RELATING[Green TOunderlining THEin DEPARTMENTbrackets] OFindicates FORESTRYtext ANDadded FIREto MANAGEMENT.new session law or text restoring existing law.

(TEXT[GREEN OFSTRIKEOUT BILLIN BEGINSBRACKETS] ONindicates NEXTnew PAGE)text -removed ifrom -statute HBor 2292previously Be it enacted bysession thelaw. Legislature of the State of Arizona:

[Green strikeout in brackets] indicates text removed from existing statute, previously enacted session law or new session law.

<<Green carets>> indicate a section added to the bill.

<<Green strikeout in carets>> indicates a section removed from the bill.

The bill as proposed to be amended is reprinted as follows:

1.House Amendments to H.B.

2292 1.

- 1 - HB 2292 (f) For premiums received in calendar year 2021 and for each subsequent calendar year, 1.70 percent.

E.-2- House Amendments to H.B.

BEGINNING2292 INE. FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER, $20,000,000 OF THE TOTAL TAX PAID UNDER THIS SECTION BY INSURERS ON ACCOUNT OF PREMIUMS RECEIVED SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE WILDFIRE PREVENTION AUTHORITY FUND ESTABLISHED BY SECTION 37-1312.

E.BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER, $20,000,000 OF THE TOTAL TAX PAID UNDER THIS SECTION BY INSURERS ON ACCOUNT OF PREMIUMS RECEIVED SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE [WILDFIRE PREVENTION AUTHORITY FUND] [WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND RISK REDUCTION AUTHORITY FUND] ESTABLISHED BY SECTION 37-1312.

[THE MONIES DISTRIBUTED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE SUBSEQUENT TO THE DISTRIBUTIONS OUTLINED IN SUBSECTION D OF THIS SECTION.] E.

Any insurer that paid or is required to pay a tax of $50,000 or more on net premiums received during the preceding calendar year, pursuant to subsection B of this section and sections 20-224.01, 20-837, 20-1010, 20-1060 and 20-1097.07, shall file on or before the fifteenth day of each month from March through August a report for that month, on a form - 2 - HB 2292 prescribed by the director, accompanied by a payment in an amount equal to fifteen percent of the amount paid or required to be paid during the preceding calendar year pursuant to subsection B of this section and sections 20-224.01, 20-837, 20-1010, 20-1060 and 20-1097.07.

If the director requires electronic submission, the director shall include on-3- theHouse department'sAmendments officialto websiteH.B. a list of one or more acceptable third-party services through which an insurer must submit reports and payments.

2292 on the department's official website a list of one or more acceptable third-party services through which an insurer must submit reports and payments.

- 3 - HB 2292 Sec.

Wildfire preventionmitigation and risk reduction authority;

THE WILDFIRE PREVENTION[PREVENTION] [MITIGATION AND RISK REDUCTION] AUTHORITY IS ESTABLISHED IN THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS:

1.-4- House Amendments to H.B.

2292 1.

- 4 - HB 2292 4.

ONE MEMBER WHO IS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND WHO REPRESENTS A COUNTY THAT HAS A POPULATION OF TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND PERSONS OR MORE AND THAT EXPERIENCES HIGH WILDFIRE RISKS.RISKS [AND THAT HAS ADOPTED A WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE CODE].

ONE MEMBER WHO IS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND WHO REPRESENTS A COUNTY THAT HAS A POPULATION OF LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND PERSONS AND THAT EXPERIENCES HIGH WILDFIRE RISKS.RISKS [AND THAT HAS ADOPTED A WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE CODE].

ONE MEMBER WHO IS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND WHO REPRESENTS A CITY OR TOWN THAT HAS A POPULATION OF FIFTY THOUSAND PERSONS OR MORE AND THAT EXPERIENCES HIGH WILDFIRE RISKS.RISKS [AND THAT HAS ADOPTED A WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE CODE].

ONE MEMBER WHO IS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND WHO REPRESENTS A CITY OR TOWN THAT HAS A POPULATION OF LESS THAN FIFTY THOUSAND PERSONS AND THAT EXPERIENCES HIGH WILDFIRE RISKS.RISKS [AND THAT HAS ADOPTED A WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE CODE].

2.-5- House Amendments to H.B.

2292 2.

TO THE EXTENT THAT THE AUTHORITY HAS AVAILABLE FUNDING, MAKE GRANTS TO CITIES, TOWNS, COUNTIES, FIRE DISTRICTS AND NONGOVERNMENTAL - 5 - HB 2292 ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE AREAS OF THIS STATE IDENTIFIED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH 1 OR 3 OF THIS SUBSECTION OR THAT ARE IMPACTED BY ELEVATED WILDFIRE RISKS FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:

(a) TO ASSIST WITH VEGETATION MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT[. AND COMMUNITY HARDENING PROJECTS, INCLUDING RETROFITTING EXISTING STRUCTURES.

(b)(b)] TO[AND] AID[TO INASSIST THEWITH] REMOVALCOMMUNITY OFHARDENING BRUSHPROJECTS, AND OTHER FIRE FUEL FOR PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE UNABLE TO CREATE DEFENSIBLE SPACES, INCLUDING LOW-INCOMERETROFITTING ANDEXISTING ELDERLYSTRUCTURES. RESIDENTS.

[(b)] [(c)] TO AID IN THE REMOVAL OF BRUSH AND OTHER FIRE FUEL FOR PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE UNABLE TO CREATE DEFENSIBLE SPACES, INCLUDING LOW- INCOME AND ELDERLY RESIDENTS.

(c)[(c)] [(d)] TO HELP MODIFY THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO IMPROVE THE RESPONSE CAPACITY OF THE CITY, TOWN, COUNTY OR FIRE DISTRICT TO RESPOND TO WILDFIRES, INCLUDING TO HELP DECREASE WILDFIRE RISKS AND IMPROVE THE AVAILABILITY OF PROPERTY INSURANCE TO RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, TOWN, COUNTY OR FIRE DISTRICT.

(d)[(d)] [(e)] TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOP ORDINANCES AND LOCAL POLICIES TO IMPROVE WILDFIRE RESILIENCE.

(e)[(e)] [(f)] TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO RESIDENTS OF A CITY, TOWN, COUNTY OR FIRE DISTRICT TO RENOVATE OR IMPROVE THEIR PROPERTY TO BECOME MORE FIRE RESISTANT.

THE WILDFIRE PREVENTION[PREVENTION] [MITIGATION AND RISK REDUCTION] AUTHORITY FUND IS ESTABLISHED CONSISTING OF $20,000,000 PER YEAR FROM PREMIUM TAX FROM INSURERS COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 20-224, SUBSECTION E AND ANY PRIVATE AND PUBLIC MONIES RECEIVED BY THE AUTHORITY.