A bill State Rep. Chris Lopez (R-Casa Grande) predicted could reach the governor’s desk earlier this year has found a second life in Arizona’s state budget.

House Bill 2827, which would extend funding and fee protections for groundwater and irrigation projects in the Pinal Active Management Area, was incorporated into the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget after failing to advance as a standalone measure.

Lopez first discussed the bill with InMaricopa this spring, calling it one of three bills he believed had a strong chance of becoming law. While HB 2827 stalled during the legislative session, its language was ultimately included in House Bill 4159, the Legislature’s environment budget reconciliation bill.

The budget extends a cap on groundwater withdrawal fees through 2030 and continues distributions from the Temporary Groundwater and Irrigation Efficiency Projects Fund through 2032. The program helps irrigation districts pay for projects such as upgrading groundwater wells and replacing open canals with enclosed pipelines, reducing water lost to evaporation.

“With ongoing negotiations related to the Colorado River, extending the program through 2030 was necessary to provide stability for irrigation districts as they prepare for a future with less Colorado River water,” Lopez said.

The fund was partially swept in 2024 to help balance the state budget, affecting irrigation districts’ ability to prepare for future reductions in Colorado River water.

“The extension through 2030 provides irrigation districts the certainty they need to keep farming with less water and helps keep Pinal money in Pinal,” Lopez said. “It allows irrigation districts to upgrade their wells and move from open canals to closed pipe, which conserves water by reducing evaporative loss.”