EXEMPT
A.B. 543
- *AB543*
ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 543–COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS
(ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF FINANCE
IN THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR)
MARCH 31, 2025
____________
Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to certain fees for the use
of state lands. (BDR 26-1133)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Yes.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to state lands; revising certain provisions relating
to the fees for the lease of state land for the grazing of
livestock; requiring certain fees for the grazing of
livestock be deposited in the Account for Maintenance
of State Parks within the Division of State Parks of the
State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources;
and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Under existing law, the Administrator of the Division of State Lands of the 1
State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is authorized to lease 2
certain land owned by the State of Nevada for certain purposes, including for the 3
purpose of grazing livestock, and sets forth the manner in which the fee for the 4
lease of land for the grazing of livestock is determined. (NRS 322.010, 322.075) 5
Section 1 of this bill requires that fees for the lease of lands for grazing livestock 6
on any land under the jurisdiction of the Division of State Parks of the Department 7
must be deposited in the Account for Maintenance of State Parks within the 8
Division of State Parks and used in the area or region in which the fee was 9
collected. 10
Existing law creates the Account for Maintenance of State Parks within the 11
Division of State Parks and requires that money deposited in the Account must only 12
be used to repair and maintain state parks, monuments and recreational areas. (NRS 13
407.0762) Section 3 of this bill requires that any fee collected for the lease of land 14
owned by the State for grazing livestock on any land under the jurisdiction of the 15
Division of State Parks must be deposited in the Account. 16
Section 2 of this bill makes conforming changes to internal references. 17
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THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 322.075 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
322.075 Unless the fee for the term or any portion of the term 2
of a lease of land for grazing livestock is determined pursuant to 3
NRS 322.060: 4
1. The fee for the term or any portion of the term of the lease 5
must be based on the fair market value of the interest leased, but 6
must not be less than: 7
(a) The minimum grazing fee determined pursuant to subsection 8
2; or 9
(b) The base value specified in subsection 3, 10
whichever is greater, for each animal unit month leased. 11
2. To determine the minimum grazing fee for the purposes of 12
subsection 1, the Administrator of the Division of State Lands of the 13
State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, as ex 14
officio State Land Registrar, shall: 15
(a) For each of the 3 years immediately preceding the year in 16
which the land is leased: 17
(1) Divide the price of beef cattle as set forth in the beef 18
price index for that year by the cost to produce livestock as set forth 19
in the production price index for that year; and 20
(2) Multiply the quotient calculated pursuant to subparagraph 21
(1) by the base value specified in subsection 3 for that year; and 22
(b) Upon determining an amount for each year pursuant to 23
paragraph (a), add each of those amounts and divide the sum by 3. 24
3. For the purposes of this section, the base value is $1.94 for 25
the period beginning on July 1, 1997, and ending on December 31, 26
2003. On January 1, 2004, and every 6 years thereafter, the 27
Administrator shall revise the base value to adjust for inflation. 28
4. Any fee determined pursuant to this section for the term or 29
any portion of the term of a lease of land for grazing livestock on 30
any land under the jurisdiction of the Division of State Parks of 31
the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources 32
must be deposited in the Account for Maintenance of State Parks 33
within the Division of State Parks created by NRS 407.0762. The 34
money deposited in the Account pursuant to this subsection must 35
be accounted for separately for each area under the jurisdiction of 36
the Division, or if the Administrator of the Division of State Parks 37
has organized the areas under the jurisdiction of the Division into 38
regions pursuant to NRS 407.065, for each region and must only 39
be used in the area or region in which the money was collected. 40
5. As used in this section: 41
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(a) “Animal unit month” means the amount of forage required to 1
sustain one cow for one month. 2
(b) “Beef price index” means the index that: 3
(1) Indicates the price of beef cattle in this State; and 4
(2) Is calculated by the Administrator from data published 5
annually by the United States Department of Agriculture. 6
(c) “Production price index” means the index that: 7
(1) Indicates the cost to produce livestock, including the 8
costs related to interest, taxes and wages; and 9
(2) Is published annually by the United States Department of 10
Agriculture. 11
Sec. 2. NRS 218E.405 is hereby amended to read as follows: 12
218E.405 1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, 13
the Interim Finance Committee may exercise the powers conferred 14
upon it by law only when the Legislature is not in a regular or 15
special session. 16
2. During a regular or special session, the Interim Finance 17
Committee may also perform the duties imposed on it by NRS 18
228.1111, subsection 5 of NRS 284.115, NRS 285.070, subsection 2 19
of NRS 321.335, NRS 322.007, subsection 2 of NRS 323.020, 20
NRS 323.050, subsection 1 of NRS 323.100, subsection 3 of NRS 21
341.126, NRS 341.142, paragraph (f) of subsection 1 of NRS 22
341.145, subsection 3 of NRS 349.073, NRS 353.220, 353.224, 23
353.2705 to 353.2771, inclusive, 353.288, 353.335, 353.3375, 24
353C.224, 353C.226, paragraph (b) of subsection [4] 6 of NRS 25
407.0762, NRS 428.375, 433.732, 439.4905, 439.620, 439.630, 26
445B.830, subsection 1 of NRS 445C.320 and NRS 538.650. In 27
performing those duties, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance 28
and the Assembly Standing Committee on Ways and Means may 29
meet separately and transmit the results of their respective votes to 30
the Chair of the Interim Finance Committee to determine the action 31
of the Interim Finance Committee as a whole. 32
3. The Chair of the Interim Finance Committee may appoint a 33
subcommittee consisting of six members of the Committee to 34
review and make recommendations to the Committee on matters of 35
the State Public Works Division of the Department of 36
Administration that require prior approval of the Interim Finance 37
Committee pursuant to subsection 3 of NRS 341.126, NRS 341.142 38
and paragraph (f) of subsection 1 of NRS 341.145. If the Chair 39
appoints such a subcommittee: 40
(a) The Chair shall designate one of the members of the 41
subcommittee to serve as the chair of the subcommittee; 42
(b) The subcommittee shall meet throughout the year at the 43
times and places specified by the call of the chair of the 44
subcommittee; and 45
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(c) The Director or the Director’s designee shall act as the 1
nonvoting recording secretary of the subcommittee. 2
Sec. 3. NRS 407.0762 is hereby amended to read as follows: 3
407.0762 1. The Account for Maintenance of State Parks 4
within the Division of State Parks is hereby created in the State 5
General Fund. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 407.0765, any 6
amount of fees collected pursuant to paragraphs (d), (e) and (f) of 7
subsection 1 or subsection 2 of NRS 407.065 in a calendar year, 8
which is in excess of the amounts authorized for expenditure from 9
that revenue source in the Division’s budget for the fiscal year 10
beginning in that calendar year, must be deposited in the Account. 11
2. Any amount of the fees collected pursuant to subsection 4 12
of NRS 322.075 must be deposited in the Account. 13
3. The interest and income earned on the money in the 14
Account, after deducting any applicable charges, must be credited to 15
the Account. 16
[2.] 4. The money in the Account does not lapse to the State 17
General Fund at the end of any fiscal year. 18
[3.] 5. The money deposited in the Account pursuant to 19
[subsection] subsections 1 and 2 must only be used to repair and 20
maintain state parks, monuments and recreational areas. 21
[4.] 6. Before the Administrator may expend money pursuant 22
to subsection [3:] 5: 23
(a) For emergency repairs and projects with a cost of less than 24
$25,000, the Administrator must first receive the approval of the 25
Director. 26
(b) For projects with a cost of $25,000 or more, other than 27
emergency repairs, the Administrator must first receive the approval 28
of the Director and of the Interim Finance Committee. 29
Sec. 4. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval. 30
H