Arizona-2021-HB2388-Chaptered

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 49-1201, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE49-1201. Definitions

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. "Authority" means the water infrastructure finance authority of Arizona.

2. "Board" means the board of directors of the Arizona finance authority established by title 41, chapter 53, article 2.

3. "Bonds of a political subdivision" means bonds issued by a political subdivision as authorized by law.

4. "Clean water act" means the federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972 (P.L. 92-500; 86 Stat. 816), as amended by the water quality act of 1987 (P.L. 100-4; 101 Stat. 7).

5. "Drinking water facility" means a community water system or a nonprofit noncommunity water system as defined in the safe drinking water act of 1974 (P.L. 93-523; 88 Stat. 1661 1660; P.L. 95-190; 91 Stat. 1393; P.L. 104-182; 110 Stat. 1613) that is located in this state. For purposes of this chapter, drinking water facility does not include water systems owned by federal agencies.

6. "Financial assistance loan repayment agreement" means an agreement to repay a loan provided to design, construct, acquire, rehabilitate or improve water or wastewater infrastructure, related property and appurtenances or a loan provided to finance a water supply development project.

7. "Indian tribe" means any Indian tribe, band, group or community that is recognized by the United States secretary of the interior and that exercises governmental authority within the limits of any Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the United States government, notwithstanding the issuance of any patent and including rights-of-way running through the reservation.

8. "Nonpoint source project" means a project designed to implement a certified water quality management plan.

9. "Political subdivision" means a county, city, town or special taxing district authorized by law to construct wastewater treatment facilities, drinking water facilities or nonpoint source projects.

10. "Safe drinking water act" means the federal safe drinking water act of 1974 (P.L. 93-523; 88 Stat. 1661 1660; P.L. 95-190; 91 Stat. 1393; P.L. 104-182; 110 Stat. 1613), as amended in 1996.

11. "Technical assistance loan repayment agreement" means either of the following:

(a) An agreement to repay a loan provided to develop, plan and design water or wastewater infrastructure, related property and appurtenances. The agreement shall be for a term of not more than three years and the maximum amount that may be borrowed is limited to not more than five hundred thousand dollars $500,000.

(b) An agreement to repay a loan provided to develop, plan or design a water supply development project.

12. "Wastewater treatment facility" means a treatment works, as defined in section 212 of the clean water act, that is located in this state and that is designed to hold, cleanse or purify or to prevent the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated sewage or other polluted waters for purposes of complying with the clean water act.

13. "Water provider" means any of the following:

(a) A municipal water delivery system as defined in section 42-5301, paragraphs 1 and 3.

(b) A municipal water delivery system as defined in section 42-5301, paragraph 2, which has entered into a partnership with a city, town or county for a water supply augmentation plan.

(d) (c) A county water authority established under title 45, chapter 13.

(e) (d) An Indian tribe.

(f) (e) A community facilities district as established by title 48, chapter 4.

(f) a public water system as prescribed in section 49-352.

(g) a county with a population of less than three hundred thousand persons.

(h) a natural resource conservation district.

(h) (i) For purposes of funding from the water supply development revolving fund pursuant to article 3 of this chapter only, a county that enters into an intergovernmental agreement or other formal written agreement with a city, town or other water provider regarding a water supply development project.

14. "Water supply development" means either of the following:

(a) The acquisition of acquiring water or rights to or contracts for water to augment the water supply of a water provider, including any environmental or other reviews, permits or plans reasonably necessary for that acquisition.

(b) The development of planning, designing, building or developing facilities, including any environmental or other reviews, permits or plans reasonably necessary for those facilities, for any of the following purposes:

(i) Conveyance, storage or recovery of water.

(ii) Reclamation and reuse of water.

(iii) Replenishment of groundwater.

(iv) active or passive stormwater recharge structures that increase water supplies. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Section 49-1273, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE49-1273. Water supply development revolving fund; purposes; limitation

A. Monies in the water supply development revolving fund may be used for the following purposes:

1. Making water supply development loans to water providers in this state under section 49-1274 for water supply development purposes.

2. Making loans or grants to water providers for the planning or design of water supply development projects.� A single grant shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars $250,000.

3. Purchasing or refinancing debt obligations of water providers at or below market rate if the debt obligation was issued for a water supply development purpose.

4. Providing financial assistance to water providers with bonding authority to purchase insurance for local bond obligations incurred by them for water supply development purposes.

5. Paying the costs to administer the fund.

6. Providing linked deposit guarantees through third party third-party lenders by depositing monies with the lender on the condition that the lender make a loan on terms approved by the committee, at a rate of return on the deposit approved by the committee and the state treasurer and by giving the lender recourse against the deposit of loan repayments that are not made when due.

B. If the monies pledged to secure water supply development bonds issued pursuant to section 49-1278 become insufficient to pay the principal and interest on the water supply development bonds guaranteed by the water supply development revolving fund, the authority shall direct the state treasurer to liquidate securities in the fund as may be necessary and shall apply those proceeds to make current all payments then due on the bonds. The state treasurer shall immediately notify the attorney general and auditor general of the insufficiency. The auditor general shall audit the circumstances surrounding the depletion of the fund and report the findings to the attorney general. The attorney general shall conduct an investigation and report those findings to the governor and the legislature.

C. Monies in the water supply development revolving fund shall not be used to provide financial assistance to a water provider, other than an Indian tribe, unless one of the following applies:

1. The board of supervisors of the county in which the water provider is located has adopted the provision authorized by section 11-823, subsection A.

2. The water provider is located in a city or town and the legislative body of the city or town has enacted the ordinance authorized by section 9-463.01, subsection O.

3. The water provider is located in an active management area established pursuant to title 45, chapter 2, article 2.

4. The water provider is located outside of an active management area and either of the following applies:

(a) The director of water resources has designated the water provider as having an adequate water supply pursuant to section 45-108.

(b) The water provider will use the financial assistance for a water supply development project and the director of water resources has determined pursuant to section 45-108 that there is an adequate water supply for all subdivided land that will be served by the project and for which a public report was issued after the effective date of this amendment to this section july 24, 2014.

5. The water provider is located in a county with a population of less than one million five hundred thousand persons. END_STATUTE