Earlier this year, The Arizona State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1607 which developed legislation allowing the Governor to establish The Arizona State Guard. The legislation allows the Governor to create the State Guard if they deem it necessary or if The National Guard is called into active federal service and deployed overseas. The legislation specifies that the same military laws & regulations that govern The National Guard would also apply to The State Guard. The bill also allows the Governor to setup The administrative & organizational framework of The Force, this includes setting up a chain of command.
In November funding to develop this framework was approved as part of House Bill 2862: General appropriations act; 2022-2023. This bill authorized $800,000 to setup the administrative & organizational framework of The Arizona State Guard.
If aThe Arizona Governor announces the formation of The State Guard, much of the work to setup the organization would have been completed thanks to these two legislative bills.
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Senate Bill 1607:
CHAPTER 222
SENATE BILL 1607
AN ACT
AMENDING SECTION 26-174, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES; RELATING TO THE ARIZONA STATE GUARD.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 26-174, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
26-174. Arizona state guard; establishment; purpose; appropriations
A. If the national guard of Arizona or a major portion thereof is called into active federal service, or if the national guard or a major portion thereof is alerted for federal service or for any other reason the governor considers to be necessary, the governor may establish an armed force for the safety and protection of the lives and property of the citizens of the THIS state, which shall be known as the Arizona state guard.
B. The Arizona state guard, shall insofar as practicable, SHALL be governed by and subject to the laws of the THIS state pertaining to the national guard.� The governor shall issue or cause to be issued rules to govern THE administration and organization of the ARIZONA state guard, INCLUDING ESTABLISHING A CHAIN OF COMMAND AND A PROCESS BY WHICH INDIVIDUALS MAY VOLUNTEER AND REPORT FOR DUTY.
C. Appropriations made to the national guard shall be ARE deemed appropriated to both the national guard and the Arizona state guard, if and when the latter organization ARIZONA STATE GUARD is established, and any funds MONIES that are unexpended from appropriations to the national guard may be used for establishment ESTABLISHING and maintenance of MAINTAINING the Arizona state guard.APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR MAY 6, 2022.
FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE MAY 6, 2022.
House Bill 2862:
9. $800,000 for the purposes prescribed in section 26-174, Arizona Revised Statutes, regarding the established chain of command within the Arizona state guard.
Source: House Bill 2223 – Senate Bill 1607
