§ 15-1647 — Water rights adjudication; cooperative extension; establishment; assistance; annual report

A. To the extent permitted by court rule, a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents may offer pro bono assistance to claimants who are small landowners in the general stream adjudication of water rights filed pursuant to title 45, chapter 1, article 9 and who are not represented by counsel. A university that offers assistance pursuant to this subsection may represent a claimant in the adjudication until that claimant proceeds to an evidentiary hearing or to some other contested proceeding that is similar to a trial. If the claimant has not settled the claim, the university may not represent that claimant at an evidentiary or similarly contested hearing.

B. Any university that offers assistance pursuant to subsection A of this section shall cooperate and coordinate with the faculty of a cooperative extension in this state that has a program to support the economic vitality of rural communities and the use of natural resources in those rural communities.

C. On or before November 15 of each year, a university that offers assistance pursuant to subsection A of this section shall submit a written report of the university's assistance activities to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate and shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.