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

Reprint 2 → As Enrolled · 4 edits · Jun 5, 2025

MODERATE

This bill reorganizes the text of Senate Bill 36 to reflect its final passage as an enrolled law, removing reprint headers and adding the formal enactment language. Substantively, it defines recreational water use as a beneficial use in Nevada, allows counties with populations over 700,000 to restrict such use, and sets a hard deadline of June 30, 2035, for the state to stop accepting donations or purchases for retiring groundwater rights.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding water rights retirement and recreational use definitions remains unchanged, but the applicability of county restrictions on recreational water use is now explicitly limited to counties with a population of 700,000 or more.

TECHNICAL

Removed reprint metadata, committee headers, and explanatory notes to convert the bill into its final enacted legal text.

REQUIREMENT

Added a specific prohibition on accepting donations or applications for water right retirement after June 30, 2035.

Authorized counties with a population of 700,000 or more to pass ordinances restricting recreational water use.

ELIGIBILITY

Explicitly defined recreational water use and intentionally created surpluses as 'beneficial use' for the first time in this version.

As Introduced → Reprint 1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reprinted to reflect amendments that significantly expanded its scope from a specific 'Water Buy-Back Initiative' to a broader 'Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program.' The changes shift the primary focus to retiring groundwater rights, establish a dedicated funding account for these purchases, and introduce a strict deadline of June 30, 2035, after which the state cannot accept new donations or purchases for this program.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a narrow initiative focused on purchasing water rights to a comprehensive program covering both purchases and donations of groundwater rights for retirement. It also added provisions linking groundwater retirement to existing water system improvement grants.

SCOPE

The program name and focus changed from the 'Nevada Water Buy-Back Initiative' to the 'Nevary Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program,' broadening the mechanism to include accepting donated water rights in addition to purchased ones.

FISCAL

A new 'Account for Retiring Water Rights' was created to specifically fund the purchase of groundwater rights, separating these funds from the general conservation program.

TIMELINE

A new sunset date of June 30, 2035, was established, prohibiting the state from accepting any new applications or donations for water right retirement after this date.

ELIGIBILITY

The bill now explicitly allows the retirement of donated groundwater rights, whereas the original version focused primarily on rights purchased by the state.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements were added to link the permanent retirement of groundwater rights to eligible capital improvements for water systems and conservation projects.

TECHNICAL

The legislative digest and act summary were updated to accurately describe the new program structure, funding account, and the inclusion of donations.

Reprint 1 → Reprint 2 · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill update clarifies that the water rights retirement program applies specifically to 'decreed or certificated' groundwater rights rather than all groundwater rights. It also updates the reprint date from April 15, 2025 to May 22, 2025 and changes the document version from First Reprint to Second Reprint. These changes narrow the scope of eligible water rights that can be purchased and retired through the program.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly limits the program to decreed or certificated groundwater rights, excluding other types of groundwater rights that may not have formal documentation.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed eligibility criteria to require groundwater rights to be 'decreed or certificated' rather than any groundwater rights.

DEFINITION

Added the term 'decreed or certificated' to multiple sections defining which water rights can be purchased or donated to the retirement program.

TECHNICAL

Updated reprint date from April 15, 2025 to May 22, 2025 and changed version designation from First Reprint to Second Reprint.

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

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