Nevada SB 499: Creates the Advisory Board on Water Resources Planning and Drought Resiliency. (BDR 48-1243)

Bill Text

- 83rd Session (2025)
Senate Bill No. 499–Committee on Finance

CHAPTER..........

AN ACT relating to state financial administration; revising
provisions relating to the lease of residential property owned
by this State to state officers and employees; authorizing a
temporary advance from the State General Fund for expenses
relating to fire suppression and emergency response in certain
circumstances; creating the Out-of-State Fire Suppression
Account; revising provisions relating to the Division of
Forestry Account; making an appropriation; and providing
other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law authorizes the Administrator of the Division of State Lands of the
State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, as ex officio State Land
Registrar, to lease residential property owned by this State for less than the fair
market value of the property to a state officer or employee who is required as a
condition of his or her employment to reside in state-owned residential property.
(NRS 322.063) Section 1 of this bill expands this authority to allow the lease of
state-owned residential property at less than fair market value to a state officer or
employee if a state agency that manages state-owned residential property
determines that it is beneficial to the State of Nevada for the state officer or
employee to reside in the property. Section 1 also requires a state agency that
manages state-owned residential property to account separately for the rent
collected from such leases and use the money only for the operation and
maintenance of state-owned residential property that is managed by the state
agency. Section 1 provides that the remaining balance of money collected from
such rent does not revert to the State General Fund at the end of a fiscal year and is
required to be carried forward to the next fiscal year.
Existing law authorizes temporary advances from the State General Fund to
specified state agencies for certain delays in the receipt of revenue or for certain
emergencies. (NRS 353.3463-353.361) During the 2023-2025 biennium, the
Director of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources was
authorized to request a temporary advance from the State General Fund to pay
authorized expenses incurred by the Department in the suppression of fires or in
response to emergencies for which there was a delay in the receipt of revenue for
services billed to the Federal Government, local governments and other state
governments. (Section 71 of chapter 209, Statutes of Nevada 2023, at page 1253)
Section 2 of this bill codifies in the Nevada Revised Statutes the authority for the
Department to request such a temporary advance.
Under existing law, the executive head of the Division of Forestry of the State
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is the State Forester
Firewarden. (NRS 232.120) Existing law charges the State Forester Firewarden
with overseeing various fire protection activities for the State. (Chapter 472 of
NRS) Section 3 of this bill creates the Out-of-State Fire Suppression Account in the
State General Fund for the payment of the costs incurred by the State of Nevada for
response to out-of-state fires and emergencies and for the receipt of reimbursement
for those costs. Section 3: (1) requires that the State Forester Firewarden administer
the Out-of-State Fire Suppression Account; and (2) provides that money remaining
in that Account at the end of a fiscal year does not revert to the State General Fund

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- 83rd Session (2025)
and is carried forward to the next fiscal year. Section 5 of this bill appropriates
$27,359,038 from the State General Fund to the Out-of-State Fire Suppression
Account created by section 3.
Existing law creates the Division of Forestry Account in the State General Fund
for the receipt of: (1) certain money received from the operation of a conservation
camp or from the assignment of any crew of a conservation camp; (2) any federal
money allotted to the State of Nevada under the terms of certain federal agreements
and such other money as may be received by the State for the management and
protection of forests, rangelands and watershed areas; and (3) money received by
the Division related to the provisions governing the control of forest insects and
diseases. (NRS 209.231, 472.050, 527.230) Existing law also: (1) requires the
placement on a list of fully protected species any species or subspecies of native
flora that is declared to be threatened by extinction; and (2) prohibits the removal or
destruction of any such species or subspecies except under a special permit issued
by the State Forester Firewarden. (NRS 527.270) Section 4 of this bill requires the
deposit and separate accounting of money received from the issuance of such
special permits in the Division of Forestry Account. Section 4 also provides that
any money which is received by the Division from the issuance of such special
permits or related