Bill
SCR 1006
Empowers state land exchanges to protect military facilities and manage land better, but adds mandatory appraisals, impact analyses, public hearings, and voter approval.
Status and procedure
- Type: Senate Concurrent Resolution proposing a constitutional amendment (Article X, §12).
- Introduced: Jan 22, 2025 by Sen. David Gowan.
- Key procedural status: Passed the Senate (transmitted to House 3/6/2025); committee action recorded as DPA/D P on multiple dates; listed as DP on 2025-03-27. Because this is a proposed amendment to the Arizona Constitution, the Secretary of State is directed to submit the proposition to voters at the next general election (Article XXI); final adoption requires voter approval and governor proclamation.
Purpose and intent
- To change the constitutional rules governing exchanges of state trust land (land granted or confirmed by the federal enabling act) for other land in Arizona.
- Expressly authorizes exchanges that (1) help preserve/protect military facilities from encroaching development and (2) improve management of state lands for sale, lease or conversion to public use.
- Seeks to increase transparency, public participation and fiscal/environmental analysis prior to land exchanges, and to ensure exchanges are in the best interest of the state land trust.
Key provisions and requirements
- Appraisals and analyses: Before public hearings, at least two independent appraisals must be made available showing lands the state receives are equal or greater in true value than lands conveyed. At least two independent analyses must be public showing:
- Trust income before the exchange from conveyed lands and projected income after the exchange from received lands;
- Fiscal impact on each county, city, town and school district containing any lands involved;
- Physical, economic and natural-resource impacts on adjacent local communities and on local land uses/land-use plans.
- Public notice and disclosure: Public notice must include full disclosure of transaction details, ownership of all parcels (including ancillary parties), legal/general descriptions of locations and appraised values of all parcels.
- Hearings and comment: Public hearings must be held at the state capital and at a publicly accessible location near the lands being exchanged. Notice must begin at least six weeks before each hearing, and a public comment process must be provided during that time.
- Approval threshold: The introduced text requires approval by the qualified electors in a referendum at the next regular general election (majority vote). An engrossed version modifies this provision to indicate approval by the Legislature and the Governor “as prescribed by law.” (The resolution still directs submission to the voters; this represents a divergence between versions that would affect final approval mechanics.)
- Other: Exchanges are explicitly not considered sales for purposes of Article X.
Who is affected
- Arizona State Land Department and the state land trust (beneficiaries such as public schools).
- Counties, cities, towns and school districts where involved lands are located (due to required fiscal-impact analyses).
- Nearby communities and local planning authorities (due to required impact analyses and public hearings).
- Military installations (explicitly identified as a stated purpose to protect them from encroachment).
- Private landowners, developers and any ancillary parties involved in proposed exchanges.
Potential impacts
- Increased transparency and public involvement could slow or add costs to land-exchange transactions (appraisals, independent analyses, extended notice/hearing periods).
- Could constrain state land-exchange flexibility by adding constitutional procedural requirements and higher approval thresholds.
- May protect military facilities and local land-use interests by requiring documented fiscal, environmental and community impact analysis before an exchange proceeds.
- Because it is a constitutional amendment, ultimate effect depends on voter approval (and potential further statutory implementation depending on final approval mechanics).
Notes
- There is a substantive drafting difference between introduced and engrossed text regarding who must approve exchanges (voters vs. Legislature and Governor). The final approval mechanism will depend on the version that voters see and any implementing law.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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