The Arizona Commerce Authority's duty to set up and run offices in other states and countries is now subject to a legislative appropriation for that specific purpose, and it must report to lawmakers each year by December 1 on those offices and on research identifying possible new ones.
Official title: commerce authority; trade offices
- September 12, 2026
What changes
BeforeThe Commerce Authority set up and supervised offices in other states and foreign countries at the direction of its board, if the authority's objective research determined the effort would benefit Arizona's economy.
NowThe authority shall set up and supervise these offices subject to a legislative appropriation for that specific purpose, and any such appropriation shall be based on objective research prepared by the authority showing the effort would benefit the state's economy.
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NowBy December 1 each year, the authority must send the Joint Legislative Budget Committee a report on the activities of each trade office it ran during the prior fiscal year, plus objective research identifying potential offices, if any, in other states and foreign countries.
BeforeThe Senate president and House speaker served as nonvoting members of the authority's board.
NowThe Senate president and House speaker may each have a designee serve in their place as a nonvoting board member.
Who it affects
- Arizona Commerce Authority and its board of directors
- Arizona Legislature and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee
- Senate president and House speaker
What you need to do
Nothing.
What the law doesn't answer
- What happens to any trade offices the authority already operates before a specific appropriation is made
- How much money, if any, the Legislature will appropriate for trade offices
- What the objective research must include or how it must be done
- Whether the annual trade office report will be made public
This summary describes the law as enacted. Later laws, court rulings or referendum petitions can change the picture. Check the official text for the current wording.