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AB 104 Nevada Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Revises provisions relating to water. (BDR 48-383)

AB 104 establishes the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program, allowing the state to purchase or accept donations of legal groundwater rights for retirement (e.g., to protect rivers or recharge aquifers) through a dedicated account. It sets a hard deadline: the program will stop accepting new applications or donations after June 30, 2035, and requires the State Engineer to retire any purchased rights. The bill also modifies water conservation grant programs to include funding for replacing grass with water-efficient landscaping and adjusts eligibility criteria based on median household income. Additionally, it updates temporary water permit rules, expands water reuse policies, and revises water quality standard procedures. The law aims to conserve water resources while providing clear, time-bound mechanisms for rights retirement and grant administration.
Issues: ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentEstablishes Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program to protect rivers and recharge aquifers by retiring groundwater rights, directly conserving water resources and enhancing environmental protection.95% confidence
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Assembly Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Signed Jun 3, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Reprint 2 → As Enrolled · 5 edits · Jun 3, 2025
MODERATE
This bill formalizes the Nevada Conservation and Recreation Program into statute and establishes a new Account for Retiring Water Rights to purchase and retire groundwater rights. It sets a hard deadline of June 30, 2035, for accepting donations or purchases for this retirement program and requires the State Engineer to retire any rights acquired by that date. The bill also updates terminology regarding temporary groundwater permits and adjusts eligibility criteria for water conservation grants based on median household income.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of the Nevada Conservation and Recreation Program by codifying it in statute and adding the specific mechanism for voluntary water rights retirement, whereas previously these were likely handled through existing regulations.
FISCAL

Creation of a new 'Account for Retiring Water Rights' funded by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to purchase groundwater rights.

TIMELINE

Establishment of a sunset date of June 30, 2035, after which the Director cannot accept donations or applications to purchase groundwater rights for retirement.

REQUIREMENT

Requirement for the State Engineer to retire all groundwater rights purchased or donated to the program, provided the transaction was approved before the 2035 deadline.

ELIGIBILITY

Change in grant eligibility criteria requiring contributions to be based on median household income rather than average household income for certain water conservation projects.

DEFINITION

Terminology update changing references to 'temporary permits' for groundwater appropriation to 'revocable permits'.

Floor votes · Senate May 22, 2025 · Assembly Apr 22, 2025

How they voted

20–0
Passed
Total votes 20
May 22, 2025
D Democratic12
12 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican8
8 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
14
Key actions
6
Committee
2
Jun 3, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor. Chapter 226.
executive
May 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Senate Amendment No. 628 concurred in. To enrollment.
lower
May 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
From printer. To re-engrossment. Re-engrossed. Second reprint. Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved, as amended. (Yeas: 21, Nays: None.) To Assembly.
upper
May 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 628.) To printer.
upper
Apr 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved, as amended. (Yeas: 42, Nays: None.) To printer.
lower
Apr 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 523.) Dispensed with reprinting.
lower
Jan 17, 2025
Introduced
Prefiled. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources. To printer.
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.