NevadaSB3683rd Regular Session (2025)SenateWALLET

AN ACT relating to water; requiring the State Engineer to retire certain groundwater rights; creating the Nevada Conservation and Recreation Program; creating the Account for Retiring Water Rights; establishing the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program; requiring the Director of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to purchase certain water rights for the purpose of retiring the water rights; revising provisions governing a program to provide grants of money for certain purposes relating to improvements to water systems and to conserve water; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Sponsored By: Senate Committee on Natural Resources

Signed by Governor

BDR 48-384

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Water system grants with 15-75% match

Starting July 1, 2025, state grants help public water systems pay for projects. Eligible systems are the Lincoln County Water District and publicly owned community or nontransient systems that existed on January 1, 1995. The Board prefers systems serving fewer than 6,000 people. Each recipient must provide a local match between 15% and 75% of the total project cost. The Board sets the match using customers’ median household income, with hardship and health risk adjustments. Grant money can also pay to permanently retire groundwater rights when that protects resources, fixes falling water levels, or protects domestic wells.

State buys and retires groundwater rights

Beginning July 1, 2025, the state runs a program to buy and permanently retire decreed or certificated groundwater rights from willing sellers and accept donations. The State Engineer must retire any rights the Director approves by June 30, 2035, and that water cannot be appropriated again. The State Engineer must also deny any application that tries to change or reinstate rights that were retired. The Director records the purpose of each purchase and files it with the State Engineer. The state creates a dedicated account to fund purchases and administration; it can take appropriations, gifts, and federal money, and balances carry forward. The Director stops accepting donations or purchase applications after June 30, 2035.

Limits on recreation in artificial lakes

In any Nevada county with 700,000 or more people, the county or a city may ban or limit using water or treated wastewater for recreation in man-made lakes or streams. This does not apply to water kept for flood control, peak demand, or sewage treatment, to mining reclamation projects, or to U.S. or State public recreation facilities. Homeowners and HOAs with artificial lakes in these areas may face new limits.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Senate Committee on Natural Resources

    Affiliation unavailable

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 63 • No: 0

House vote • 5/28/2025

Final Passage - Assembly (2nd Reprint)

Yes: 42 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/22/2025

Final Passage - Senate (2nd Reprint)

Yes: 21 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Chapter 292.

    6/6/2025legislature
  2. Approved by the Governor.

    6/5/2025legislature
  3. Enrolled and delivered to Governor.

    5/31/2025legislature
  4. In Senate. To enrollment.

    5/29/2025Senate
  5. Read third time. Passed. Title approved. (Yeas: 42, Nays: None.) To Senate.

    5/28/2025House
  6. Read second time.

    5/27/2025House
  7. Placed on Second Reading File.

    5/27/2025House
  8. From committee: Do pass.

    5/27/2025House
  9. Read first time. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources. To committee.

    5/26/2025House
  10. In Assembly.

    5/26/2025House
  11. From printer. To re-engrossment. Re-engrossed. Second reprint. To Assembly.

    5/23/2025Senate
  12. Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved, as amended. (Yeas: 21, Nays: None.) To printer.

    5/22/2025Senate
  13. Reprinting dispensed with.

    5/22/2025Senate
  14. Read third time. Amended. (Amend. No. 728.)

    5/22/2025Senate
  15. Placed on General File.

    5/22/2025Senate
  16. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended.

    5/22/2025Senate
  17. To committee.

    4/16/2025Senate
  18. From printer. To engrossment. Engrossed. First reprint.

    4/16/2025Senate
  19. Taken from General File. Re-referred to Committee on Finance. Exemption effective. To printer.

    4/15/2025Senate
  20. Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 98.)

    4/15/2025Senate
  21. Placed on Second Reading File.

    4/15/2025Senate
  22. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended.

    4/15/2025Senate
  23. Notice of eligibility for exemption.

    4/3/2025Senate
  24. Read first time. To committee.

    2/3/2025Senate
  25. From printer.

    11/20/2024Senate

Bill Text

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