A.B. 254 - *AB254* ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 254–ASSEMBLYMEMBER MOSCA FEBRUARY 18, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to the Legislature. (BDR 17-691) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State: Yes. ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to the Legislature; creating the Community Project Grant Program to provide grants for certain community projects in legislative districts; creating the Account for the Community Project Grant Program in the Legislative Fund; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing standing rules of the houses of Congress govern requests by members 1 of Congress for the inclusion of funding, known as “earmarks” or “congressionally 2 directed spending items,” in federal appropriation bills for projects that benefit 3 communities in the members’ districts. (See, e.g., Clause 9 of Rule No. XXI and 4 Clause 17 of Rule No. XXIII of the Standing Rules of the U.S. House of 5 Representatives, H.R. Res. 5, 119th Cong. (2025) and Rule No. XLIV of the 6 Standing Rules of the U.S. Senate, Pub. L. 110–81, 110th Cong. (2007)) 7 Section 2 of this bill creates the Community Project Grant Program at the state 8 legislative level for the purpose of awarding grants to private nonprofit 9 organizations to conduct projects that benefit communities in Nevada. Section 2 10 requires that an application for such a grant be submitted by a Legislator on behalf 11 of a nonprofit organization for a project within the Legislator’s district. Section 2 12 further requires the Legislative Commission to adopt regulations to carry out the 13 Grant Program, including regulations that prescribe: (1) the categories of eligible 14 projects for which grants may be awarded under the Grant Program; (2) procedures 15 for the submission and review of applications for and the awarding of such a grant; 16 and (3) requirements for reporting expenditures of money from such a grant. 17 Existing law creates the Legislative Fund as a special revenue fund for the use 18 of the Legislature, and where specifically authorized by law, for the use of the 19 Legislative Counsel Bureau. (NRS 218A.150) Section 3 of this bill creates the 20 Account for the Community Project Grant Program in the Legislative Fund. 21 Section 3 requires that money in the Account be used only to carry out the 22 – 2 – - *AB254* Community Project Grant Program and provides that any money remaining in the 23 Account at the end of a fiscal year does not revert to the Legislative Fund. 24 Sections 2 and 3: (1) require the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau or 25 the Director’s designee to administer the Grant Program and the Account and to 26 prepare a biennial report regarding the Grant Program for submission to the 27 Legislature; and (2) authorize the Director or the Director’s designee to apply for 28 grants and accept gifts and other sources of money for deposit in the Account. 29 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Chapter 218A of NRS is hereby amended by 1 adding thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 and 3 of this act. 2 Sec. 2. 1. The Community Project Grant Program is hereby 3 created for the purpose of awarding grants to private nonprofit 4 organizations to conduct projects that benefit communities in this 5 State. An application for such a grant must be submitted by a 6 Legislator on behalf of a nonprofit organization for a project 7 within the district of the Legislator. 8 2. The Director or the Director’s designee shall administer 9 the Grant Program. 10 3. The Legislative Commission shall adopt regulations 11 necessary to carry out the Grant Program, including, without 12 limitation, regulations that prescribe: 13 (a) The categories of eligible projects for which a grant may be 14 awarded under the Grant Program; 15 (b) Procedures for the submission and review of applications 16 for and the awarding of such a grant; and 17 (c) Requirements for reporting expenditures of the money 18 from such a grant. 19 4. On or before October 1 of each even-numbered year, the 20 Director or the Director’s designee shall prepare and transmit a 21 written report to the Legislature concerning the grants awarded 22 under the Grant Program during the immediately preceding 23 biennium. 24 Sec. 3. 1. The Account for the Community Project Grant 25 Program is hereby created in the Legislative Fund. 26 2. The Director or the Director’s designee shall administer 27 the Account. 28 3. In addition to any direct legislative appropriation, the 29 Director or the Director’s designee may apply for and accept any 30 gift, grant, bequest, donation or other source of money. Any 31 money so received must be deposited in the Account. 32 – 3 – - *AB254* 4. The money in the Account must be used only to carry out 1 the Community Project Grant Program created by section 2 of this 2 act. 3 5. Any interest and income earned on money in the Account, 4 after deducting any applicable charges, must be credited to the 5 Account. 6 6. All claims against the Account must be approved by the 7 Director or the Director’s designee before the claims are paid. 8 7. Any money remaining in the Account at the end of a fiscal 9 year does not revert to the Legislative Fund, and the balance in 10 the Account must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. 11 Sec. 4. The provisions of NRS 218D.380 do not apply to any 12 provision of this act which adds or revises a requirement to submit a 13 report to the Legislature. 14 Sec. 5. 1. This section becomes effective upon passage and 15 approval. 16 2. Sections 1 to 4, inclusive, of this act become effective: 17 (a) Upon passage and approval for the purpose of adopting any 18 regulations and performing any other preparatory administrative 19 tasks that are necessary to carry out the provisions of this act; and 20 (b) On July 1, 2025, for all other purposes. 21 H