Ben Avery Shooting Facility Protected from Closure Under New Arizona Law

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – The Ben Avery Shooting Facility and other major state-owned public shooting ranges are now protected from unilateral closure under legislation sponsored by Republican State Representative Quang Nguyen and signed into law today.

House Bill 2763 requires approval from the Arizona Legislature before the Arizona Game and Fish Commission may close certain state-owned shooting ranges located in or near large cities. It adds legislative approval to existing requirements for public hearings, commission approval, and action by the Governor.

The bill passed the House and Senate without a single Democratic vote.

Ben Avery is the largest publicly operated shooting facility in the United States and one of the City of Phoenix’s designated Points of Pride. It serves tens of thousands of Arizonans through firearm safety training, hunter education, competitive shooting, recreational use, and law enforcement qualification.

“Ben Avery belongs to the people of Arizona, and no state agency should be able to quietly shut it down because development moved closer or political priorities shifted,” said Representative Nguyen, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “This law puts that decision where it belongs: before the public and the lawmakers they elect. Ben Avery trains responsible gun owners, supports hunters and law enforcement, and keeps shooting activity on a supervised range instead of pushing it into the open desert. Protecting this facility protects public safety, public access, and the rights of Arizona gun owners.”

Ben Avery opened decades before much of the surrounding development and has served generations of Arizona shooters under the operation of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Its established ranges keep shooting activity in a safe, supervised setting rather than pushing it onto unmanaged desert land, where it can create fire hazards, unsafe conditions, litter, and environmental damage.

Quang Nguyen is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 1 in Yavapai County and is Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Follow him on X at @QuangNguyenAZ.