Environment

signed · Nevada · Senate Jun 11, 2025

SB 15: Revises various provisions relating to governmental administration. (BDR 30-464)

SB 15 modifies several Nevada administrative laws without creating new programs. It allows Clark County (and cities in counties with endangered species funds) to use conservation fees for habitat conservation plans and adjust fees for inflation starting in 2026. The bill also updates office hours for county treasurers (requiring them to stay open until at least 5 p.m.) and revises tax delinquency notice deadlines to align with business hours. Additionally, it removes a requirement for school district officials to report to county governing bodies and updates procedures for franchise applications. These changes primarily affect county officials, conservation programs, and tax administration processes.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAllows conservation fees for habitat conservation plans, directly advancing environmental protection efforts through funding reallocation.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Nevada · Senate Jun 9, 2025

SB 475: Makes appropriations to the Division of State Parks of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the purchase and replacement of vehicles, equipment, computer and information technology equipment and radios and for certain projects. (BDR S-1216)

SB 475 allocates state funds to the Division of State Parks for specific equipment and vehicle replacements. It provides $113,586 for IT equipment and $2.5 million annually for park maintenance in fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27, plus $517,965 for ranger equipment/vehicles and over $7 million for vehicle replacements (including $5.55 million for standard vehicles and $1.37 million for utility equipment). All funds must be spent by specified deadlines in 2026-27 or revert to the State General Fund. The bill directly affects the Division of State Parks by funding operational equipment and infrastructure needs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $11M+ for state park equipment/maintenance, directly funding public service operations under state budget.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAllocates $2.5M annually for park maintenance and $7M+ for vehicle/equipment replacements, directly supporting state park conservation operations and natural resource management.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Nevada · Assembly Jun 6, 2025

AB 578: Makes appropriations to the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the replacement of computer and information technology equipment, vehicles and other equipment and for certain projects. (BDR S-1217)

AB 578 provides $6,000,000 from the State General Fund to the Division of Forestry for conservation projects under Nevada’s Shared Stewardship Agreement, plus specific allocations for equipment and maintenance. It includes $67,279 for computer/IT equipment replacement, $2,048,082 for deferred maintenance, $2,592,156 for vehicle replacements, and smaller sums for camp facilities and equipment over two fiscal years. All funds must be spent by specified deadlines (June 30, 2027, or September 17, 2027) or reverted to the State General Fund. The bill directly affects the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Forestry Division and its operational projects.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $6M from State General Fund for equipment/maintenance under conservation projects, directly advancing budget appropriations for state operations.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAllocates $6M for forestry conservation projects under Nevada's Shared Stewardship Agreement, including specific funding for maintenance, equipment, and vehicle replacements directly supporting environmental conservation efforts.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Nevada · Assembly Jun 6, 2025

AB 577: Makes appropriations to the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for a certain new website and database and for the replacement of vehicles and computer hardware and associated software. (BDR S-1215)

AB 577 allocates $257,400 for a new website and database for the Sagebrush Ecosystem Technical Team, $144,032 to replace vehicles in Conservation Districts, $129,539 for vehicle replacements in the Water Resources Division, and $15,953 for computer hardware and software upgrades - all from the State General Fund. These funds directly support the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' operations, specifically its Conservation and Natural Resources Administration, Conservation Districts Program, and Water Resources Division. All appropriations must be spent by September 17, 2027, with unused funds reverting to the State General Fund. The bill is purely procedural funding with no policy changes or direct impact on residents.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $546,924 from State General Fund for department operations, directly funding essential infrastructure and technology needs without tax changes.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds Sagebrush Ecosystem Technical Team database, vehicle replacements for Conservation Districts, and computer upgrades to support environmental management operations.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Nevada · Assembly Jun 6, 2025

AB 561: Makes a supplemental appropriation to the Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for an unanticipated shortfall related to firefighting costs. (BDR S-1176)

AB 561 provides $18,589,145 in supplemental funding from the State General Fund to the Division of Forestry within the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This funding addresses an unanticipated shortfall in firefighting costs that exceeded the original budget allocation. The bill directly affects the Division of Forestry by enabling it to cover unexpected wildfire suppression expenses. It is a supplemental appropriation, meaning it adds to previously approved funding (specifically referencing the 2023 budget) rather than creating new spending. The measure becomes effective immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides $18.5M supplemental funding to cover unanticipated firefighting costs, directly supporting essential public service budgeting and fiscal management.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds wildfire suppression for forest conservation, directly supporting natural resource protection and firefighting operations under the Division of Forestry.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Nevada · Senate Jun 6, 2025

SB 36: Revises provisions relating to water. (BDR 48-384)

SB 36 creates the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program, allowing the state to buy or accept donations of decreed or certificated groundwater rights for conservation purposes. The program, administered by the Director of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, must cease accepting new applications or donations after June 30, 2035. Purchased or donated rights must be retired by the State Engineer, prohibiting new water appropriations for those retired rights. This policy change explicitly adds permanent groundwater retirement as a qualifying activity for state water conservation grants, updating existing grant program requirements.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill creates voluntary water rights retirement program for conservation, retiring groundwater rights to protect water resources and prevent new appropriations, directly advancing environmental conservation.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Nevada · Assembly Jun 6, 2025

AB 486: Makes various changes related to transportation. (BDR 35-678)

AB 486 increases the fee on new tires from $1 to $2 per tire. Tire sellers must collect this fee, send 95% of it to the state for the Solid Waste Management Account, and split the remaining 5% between the Wildlife Crossings Account and administrative costs. The Wildlife Crossings Account funds projects like wildlife overpasses or underpasses to reduce animal-vehicle collisions and protect migration routes. This affects tire sellers, purchasers, and state transportation projects focused on wildlife safety. The bill directly changes how tire fees support wildlife crossing infrastructure.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill allocates 5% of tire fees to Wildlife Crossings Account funding conservation projects like wildlife overpasses to protect migration routes and reduce collisions.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationFunds wildlife crossings (transportation safety infrastructure) via tire fee revenue, directly advancing transportation safety projects.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Nevada · Senate Jun 6, 2025

SB 83: Requires the issuance of bonds for environmental improvement projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin. (BDR S-376)

SB 83 authorizes Nevada to issue $19 million in state bonds from an existing $100 million bond authorization (approved in 2009 and extended to 2030) to fund specific environmental projects in the second phase of the Lake Tahoe Basin's Environmental Improvement Program. The bill directly affects the Lake Tahoe Basin ecosystem and Nevada taxpayers (via bond repayment), as it directs funds toward projects aimed at preserving the region's water quality, forests, and wildlife habitats. Key provisions include requiring the issuance of this specific bond amount and permitting the use of interest earned on bond proceeds to support the program. This is not a new initiative but a step to fulfill Nevada's previously committed share of costs for the long-term Tahoe environmental program, with no new state fiscal impact.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes $19M bond allocation from existing funds for environmental projects, directly funding ecosystem preservation via budget appropriation.85% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill allocates $19M in bonds for Lake Tahoe Basin environmental projects targeting water quality, forests, and wildlife habitats per summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Nevada · Senate Jun 6, 2025

SB 464: Enacts the Interstate Mining Compact. (BDR 46-1125)

SB 464 enacts Nevada's participation in the Interstate Mining Compact, an agreement between states to coordinate on mining regulations and environmental protection. The compact requires Nevada to establish a program for conserving mined lands and protecting natural resources, including measures to prevent pollution and restore land affected by mining. It creates an Interstate Mining Commission with one Nevada commissioner (appointed by the governor) and representatives from other participating states, which will study mining impacts, make recommendations, and share information to address issues like land restoration and pollution. This bill does not change existing Nevada mining laws but provides a cooperative framework for states to work together on shared mining challenges.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates conservation, pollution prevention, and land restoration for mined areas under mining compact, directly advancing environmental protection measures.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Nevada · Assembly Jun 3, 2025

AB 40: Revises various provisions relating to environmental hazards. (BDR 46-265)

AB 40 revises Nevada's environmental regulations for mining reclamation and solid waste management. It updates definitions to require stabilization of process fluids during mining operations (Section 13), expands the Division of Environmental Protection's authority to issue compliance orders and place liens on property (Sections 10-11), and clarifies how federal plans interact with state requirements for permits (Section 18). The bill also revises solid waste management definitions to include recycling (Section 28.3), requires detailed reclamation plans for mining (Section 17), and updates landfill permit rules to prohibit hazardous waste acceptance (Section 32). These changes directly affect mining operators, waste management facilities, and state agencies administering environmental permits. The bill passed both chambers and was signed into law on June 3, 2025.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRequires mining process fluid stabilization (Sec 13), expands enforcement authority for environmental protection (Secs 10-11), and clarifies permit interactions to strengthen regulations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment