Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed Arizona House Bill 2103, which would have allowed counties to create grant programs to help certain low-income and fixed-income homeowners improve their drinking water systems. The bill had passed both the House and Senate before being sent to the Governor.
A Limited Assistance Proposal
Even before the veto, HB 2103 had important limits. It would only have applied to low-income and fixed-income homeowners, and counties would not have been allowed to use General Fund money to support the program. Instead, any assistance would have depended on donations, grants, or other outside funding sources.
How It Compares to HB 2933
Another bill still under consideration, Arizona House Bill 2933, addresses a similar issue but takes a different approach.
Like HB 2103, HB 2933 would allow counties to support homeowners dealing with well or water delivery challenges. However, HB 2933 proposes a possible funding source: groundwater transportation fees paid when groundwater is pumped in one county and transported elsewhere.
Under HB 2933, a county could choose to direct part of those fees toward helping residents in the groundwater basin where the water was withdrawn. That could include assistance for well improvements or water delivery systems.
In other words:
- HB 2103 proposed assistance, but without a dedicated funding source.
- HB 2933 proposes both assistance and a possible funding mechanism tied to groundwater transportation.
Unlike HB 2103, HB 2933 is still being considered and has not yet reached the Governor.
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