STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Arizona State Representative Leo Biasiucci today introduced House Bill 2913, legislation to sunset the governor-appointed State Land Commissioner and transfer the duties to 15 new, locally elected county land commissioners.

The State Land Department is charged with managing state trust lands to achieve their “highest and best use” for trust beneficiaries, including K–12 public schools. Concentrating that authority in a single statewide official has too often produced decisions disconnected from local needs and conditions.

“We’ve seen massive wind turbines in Navajo and Apache counties, thousands of acres of solar farms in Pinal County, and valuable shoreline auctions in Mohave County,” Representative Biasiucci said. “Those decisions may or may not have been right—but they should not be made by a single, unelected bureaucrat in Maricopa County, disconnected from the rural communities these decisions impact.”

Under HB 2913, determinations of “highest and best use” would be made by locally elected commissioners with direct accountability to the voters. Highest and best use of state trust land in Mohave County, for example, would be determined by the Mohave County land commissioner, while highest and best use in other counties, such as Coconino or Cochise counties, would be determined by the respective land commissioners in those counties.

“If we want to ensure decisions truly reflect highest and best use, they should be made by officials who understand local priorities and impacts,” Biasiucci said. “Local accountability matters. That’s why I’m proposing to eliminate the centralized authority and place it in the hands of locally elected officials.”

The proposal comes as the State Land Department undergoes sunset review ahead of a required legislative reauthorization in 2026. While agencies are often renewed with modest changes, lawmakers have raised significant concerns this cycle. A damning performance audit, an unsatisfactory special hearing and an abysmal recommendation from the Committee of Reference have cast doubt on the department’s ability to continue in its current form.

“Neither the Arizona Constitution nor the Enabling Act requires highest and best use determinations to be made by a single individual,” he said. “The Legislature has full authority to decide who exercises this power. We can choose to put it with officials who live and work alongside these lands every day.”

Leo Biasiucci is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 30 and is Chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Follow him on X at @Leo4AzSenate.