A final vote may be taken later this spring on a bill in the Arizona State Legislature that would eliminate the possibility of utility infrastructure being made up of software from China.
Republican Representative Nick Kupper has proposed House Bill 2696 as a security measure, remarking that the inclusion of software and other technology manufactured in the country could prove a threat to “our critical infrastructure.”
That infrastructure, by the parameters of the bill, is categorized as any telecommunications system owned by the State of Arizona or any local government, and also covers gas, power, and water utilities.
If approved, the bill will also take in lidar technology and speed detection systems.
In a statement, Kupper remarked: “In a world where the next war will be fought with technology as much as with troops, Arizona must stay ahead of the curve. We cannot afford to allow companies controlled by China access to these highly sensitive systems.”
If passed, the Arizona Critical Infrastructure Protection Act would also require that any critical communications infrastructure component in Arizona currently manufactured by a corporation based in China must be replaced.
Beginning in March of next year, the bill would also mandate that public infrastructure entities in the state must report to the Arizona Commerce Corporation, verifying that they are not using Chinese components in their systems.
The measure has been approved in the House on a 32 to 24 vote and is now under consideration in the full Arizona Senate.
The Arizona bill comes in the wake of a host of state legislative bills across the country prohibiting a variety of activities between state agencies and China.
Last year, according to the publication The Diplomat nearly 300 proposals were introduced in 44 states, the majority of which focused on helping such agencies to protect critical infrastructure from Chinese hacking.
April 7, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of State of Arizona
