SB 36 — Revises provisions relating to water. (BDR 48-384)
Last action — Chapter 292.
-
✓Introduced
-
✓In Committee
-
✓Passed Senate
-
✓Passed Assembly
-
✓To Executive
-
6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced November 15, 2024. Enacted.
Signed by Governor Joe Lombardo (Republican) on June 05, 2025.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
HighHow often bills like it became law.
-
Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
-
1 sponsor
1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
-
Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 2 recorded votes so far.
Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
550 added · 587 removed550 line(s) added, 587 removed.
EXEMPTSenate (ReprintedBill withNo. amendments adopted on April 15, 2025) FIRST REPRINT S.B.
3636–Committee SENATEon BILLNatural NOResources .CHAPTER..........
36–COMMITTEE ON NATURAL R ESOURCES (O N BEHALF OF THE JOINT NTERIM S TANDING COMMITTEE ON N ATURAL RESOURCES ) PREFILED N OVEMBER 15, 2024 ____________ Referred to Committee on Natural Resources SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to water.
(BDR 48-384) 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.
Under existing law, any person who wishes to appropriate public waters, or to change the place of diversion, manner of use or place of use of water alreadyalreadyr Existingto lawappropriated, furthermust providesapply thatto all underground waters within the boundaries of) the State areEngineer subject to appropriation for beneficiala usepermit only under the laws of this State relating to thedo appropriationso. and use of water.
(NRS 534.020)533.325) SectionExisting 10.5law offurther thisprovides billthat createsall theunderground Accountwaters forwithin Retiring Water Rights, to be administered by the Directorboundaries of the State Departmentare ofsubject Conservationto andappropriation Naturalfor Resources,beneficial anduse requires that the money in the Account only beunder used for the purchaselaws of Nevadathis VoluntaryState Waterrelating Rights Retirement Program in the Nevada Conservationhes the and Recreation Program, to be administered by the Directorappropriation and establishesuse requirementsof for:water.
(1)(NRS 534.020) Section 10.5 of this bill creates the purchaseAccount for Retiring Water Rights, to be administered by the Director of the State Department of Conservation and retirementNatural Resources, and requires that the money in the Account only be used for the purchase of waterdecreed rights;or establishes the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program in the Nevadal Conservation and Recreation Program, to be administered by the Director and establishes requirements for:
and(1) (2) the -purchase *SB36_R1*and –retirement 2 – acceptance of donationsdecreed ofor certificated groundwater rights.rights;
and (2) the acceptance of donations of decreed or certificated groundwater rights.
Section 16 of this bill makes conforming changes to reflect that the Director may not accept applications or donations after this date.
reflect that the Director may not accept applications or donations after Section 8 of this bill:
(1) requires the State Engineer to retire all decreed or certificated groundwater rights purchased by or donated to the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement fromProgram; the Program unless the purchase or donation of the groundwater right wasights approved by the Director on or before June 30, 2035.
Sectionsand 1-3(2) ofprohibits thisthe billState prohibitEngineer from retiring any groundwater rights from the appropriationProgram ofunless waterthe forpurchase whichor rightsdonation haveof beenthe retiredgroundwater pursuantright towas approved by the NevadaDirector Voluntaryon Wateror Rightsbefore RetirementJune Program.30, 2035.
ExistingSections 1-3 of this bill prohibit the appropriation of water for which rights have been retired pursuant to the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement ProgExisting law requires the Department to make grants to state agencies, local governments, water conservancy districts, conservation districts and certain nonprofit organizations to protect, preserve and obtain the benefits of the property and natural and cultural resources of this State and requires the Director to adopt regulations to make such grants.
84, chapter 480,pt480, Statutes of Nevada 2019, at page 2861) Existing regulations establish the Nevada Conservation and Recreation Program to make such grants.
Section 10.3 further - 83rd Session (2025) – 2 – provides that the Program consists of a grant program to make such grants and the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program.
(NRS 349.981) Section 14 of this bill includes the permanent retirement of groundwater rights for certain purposes in the types of improvements for which an eligible recipient could receive a grant.
Existing law requires certain recipients of a grant of money from this program to provide an amount of money determined by the Board for Financing Water program Projects that will be used for the same purpose as the grant and which must be 349.983) Section 15 of this bill instead requires the amount of money provided by a recipient to be based upon the averagemedian household income of the customers of the recipient.
(NRSEXPLANATION 349.983)– SectionMatter 15in ofbolded thisitalics billis insteadnew; requires the amount of money provided by a recipient to be based upon the median household income of the customers of the recipient.
matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
The use of water, from any stream system as provided in this chapter and from underground water as provided in NRS 534.080, - *SB36_R1* – 3 – for any recreational purpose, or the use of water from the Muddy River or the Virgin River to create any developed shortage supply or intentionally created surplus, is hereby declared to be a beneficial use.
(a) The board of county commissioners may prohibit or restrict by ordinance the use of water and effluent for recreational purposes in- any83rd artificiallySession created(2025) lake– or3 stream– located within the unincorporated areas of the county.
stream located within the (b) The governing body of a city may prohibit or restrict by ordinance the use of water and effluent for recreational purposes in any artificially created lake or stream located within the boundaries of the city.
533.370NRS 1.533.0241, 533.345, 533.371, 533.372 and 533.503, andsection and section 8 of this act, the State Engineer shall approve an application submitted in proper form which contemplates the application of water to beneficial use if:
Except as otherwise provided in this section and NRS 533.0241, 533.345, 533.371, 533.372 and 533.503, and section 8 of this act, the State Engineer shall approve an application submitted in proper form which contemplates the application of water to beneficial use if:
- *SB36_R1* – 4 – (1) Intention in good faith to construct any work necessary to apply the water to the intended beneficial use with reasonable diligence;
and (2) Financial ability and reasonable expectation actually to constructwith thereasonable workdiligence.ly and apply the water to the intended beneficial use with2. reasonable diligence.
2.
(c)- The83rd Session (2025) – 4 – groundwater rights that have been retired pursuant to section 8 of this act;
(b) If the State Engineer determines that a plan for conservation of water is advisable for the basin into which the water is to bebeion imported, whether the applicant has demonstrated that such a plan has been adopted and is being effectively carried out;
- *SB36_R1* – 5 – (b) If an application is protested.
- 83rd Session (2025) – 5 – (g) On an application for a permit to change a vested water right in a basin where vested water rights have not been adjudicated.
(h) Where authorized entry to any land needed to use the water for which the application is submitted is required from a governmentalgov(i) agency.On an application for which the State Engineer has required additional information pursuant to NRS 533.375.
(i) On an application for which the State Engineer has required additional information pursuant to NRS 533.375.
Show all 111 changed lines (71 more)
The cost of the republication must be paid bymay thebe applicant.filed in accordance with NRS 533.365.nd reposting, a protest 8.
After such republication and reposting, a protest may be filed in accordance with NRS 533.365.
8.
The rejection or approval of an application must be endorsed on a copy of the original - *SB36_R1* – 6 – application, and a record must be made of the endorsement in the records of the State Engineer.
If the application is rejected, the applicant may take no steps toward the prosecution- of83rd theSession proposed(2025) work– or6 the– diversion and use of the public water while the rejection continues in force.force.d use of the 9.
9.
The provisions of subsection 8 do not authorize the recipient of an approved application to use any state land administered by the Division of State Lands of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources without the appropriateappropriatertment authorization for that use from the State Land Registrar.
The groundwater that has not been committed for use from theNRS proposed533.0241;source source of supply has been reserved pursuant to NRS6. 533.0241;
6.The application requests a change to or reinstatement of groundwater rights that have been retired pursuant to section 8 of this act;
The7. groundwater rights have been retired pursuant to section 8 of this act;
- *SB36_R1* – 7 – 7.
- 83rd Session (2025) – 7 – Sec.
Sec.Secs.
5.5-7.
(Deleted by amendment.) Sec.certificated groundwater rights purchased by or donated to the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program pursuant to section 10.7 of this act using any appropriate mechanism, as determined by the State Engineer, and preclude that groundwater from appropriation.
6.Any decreed or certificated groundwater right that has been retired pursuant to this section is not available for any use and shall be deemed to be retired in the source in perpetuity.
(Deleted by amendment.) Sec.
7.
(Deleted by amendment.) Sec.
8.
1.
The State Engineer shall retire all groundwater rights purchased by or donated to the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program pursuant to section 10.7 of this act using any appropriate mechanism, as determined by the State Engineer, and preclude that groundwater from appropriation.
Any groundwater right that has been retired pursuant to this section is not available for any use and shall be deemed to be retired in the source in perpetuity.
The State Engineer shall not retire any decreed or certificated groundwater rights pursuant to subsection 1 unless the purchase of the groundwater right or donation of the groundwater right was approved by the Director of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources pursuant to section 10.7 of this act on or before June 30, 2035.
2.consists of:evada Conservation and Recreation Program (a) A grant program to make grants in accordance with subsections 8, 9 and 10 of section 2 of chapter 480, Statutes of Nevada 2019, at page 2861;
The Nevada Conservation and Recreation Program consists of:
(a) A grant program to make grants in accordance with subsections 8, 9 and 10 of section 2 of chapter 480, Statutes of Nevada 2019, at page 2861;
The Account for Retiring Water Rights must be administered by the Director in accordance with the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program established by - *SB36_R1* – 8 – section 10.7 of this act.
In addition to any direct legislative appropriation, the Director may apply for and accept any gift, - 83rd Session (2025) – 8 – donation, bequest, grant, federal money or other source of money for deposit in the Account for Retiring Water Rights.
The money in the Account for Retiring Water Rights must only be used for administering the Nevada Voluntary Water Rightsto Retirementpurchase Programdecreed establishedor bycertificated section 10.7 of this act, to purchase groundwater rights forforhis act, retirement pursuant to section 10.7 of this act and to provide matching money required as a condition of accepting any source of money that would result in the retirement of groundwater rights pursuant to sections 8 and 10.7 of this act.
The Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program is hereby established in the Nevada Conservation and Recreation Program created by section 10.3 of this act to purchase and retire groundwater rights from willing sellers and to accept donations of groundwatergroundwaterr rights for retirement in order to:
In administering the Program, the Director shall, to the extent money is available in the Account for Retiring Water Rights created by section 10.5 of this act, identify and purchase waterdecreed or certificated groundwater rights for retirement by the State Engineer pursuant to section 8 of this act from persons willing to retire those groundwater rights in groundwater basins where:
- *SB36_R1*83rd Session (2025) – 9 – (a) An order issued by the State Engineer precludes the issuance of permits for new appropriations of groundwater in the groundwater basin;
or (b) The retirement of groundwater rights in the groundwater basinbas3. meets the purposes set forth in subsection 1.
3.mThe Director shall document in writing the purpose of each decreed or certificated groundwater right that is purchased by or donated to the Program and file the written document with the State Engineer.
The Director shall document in writing the purpose of each groundwater right that is purchased by or donated to the Program and file the written document with the State Engineer.
When sufficient money is available in the Account for Retiring Water Rights created by section 10.5 of this act, the Director may accept applications for the purchase and retirement of decreed or certificated groundwater rights.
The Director shall not accept donations or applications for the purchase and retirement of decreed or certificated groundwater rights after June 30, 2035.
(b)(c) The Division of StateForestry.ds. Lands.
(c) The Division of Forestry.
- 83rd Session (2025) – 10 – Sec.
13.
(Deleted by amendment.) - *SB36_R1* – 10 – Sec.
(4) [Measurement] Measuring or metering [of] the use of water;
(4) [Measurement] Measuring or metering [of] the use of (5) Improving the efficiency of irrigation operations;
(c) An eligible recipient to pay the following costs associated with connecting a domestic well or well with a temporary permit to a municipal water system, if the well was in existence on or before October 1, 1999, and the well is located in an area designated by the Stategroundwater Engineerbasin pursuantis tobeing NRSdepleted:20 534.120 as an area where the groundwater(1) basinAny islocal beingor depleted:regional fee for connection to the municipal water system.
(1) Any local or regional fee for connection to the municipal water system.
(d) An eligible recipient to pay the following costs associated with abandoning an individual sewage disposal system and connecting the property formerly served by the abandoned individual sewage disposal system to a community sewage disposal system,- if83rd theSession Division(2025) of– Environmental11 Protection– requires the individual sewage disposal system to be abandoned and the property upon which the individual sewage disposal system was located to be - *SB36_R1* – 11 – connected to a community sewage disposal system pursuant to the provisions of NRS 445A.300 to 445A.730, inclusive, or any regulations adopted pursuant thereto:
(e) An eligible recipient to pay the following costs associated with abandoning an individual sewage disposal system and connecting the property formerly served by the abandoned individual sewage disposal system to a community sewage disposal system, if the Division of Environmental Protection approves a program or project for the protection of groundwater quality developed by the State or a local government that provides for the abandonment of an individual sewage disposal system and thefor the connection of the property upon which the individual sewage disposal system was located to a community sewage disposal system pursuant to the provisions of NRS 445A.300 to 445A.730, inclusive, or any regulations adopted pursuant thereto:
(f) An eligible recipient to pay the following costs associated with plugging and abandoning a well and connecting the property formerly served by the well to a municipal water system, if the State Engineer requires the plugging of the well pursuant to subsection 3 of NRS 534.180 or if the quality of the water of the well fails to comply with the standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C.
- 83rd Session (2025) – 12 – (3) The cost of plugging and abandoning a well and connecting the property formerly served by the well to a municipal water system.
(g) A governing body to pay the costs associated with developingdev2.opiExcept andas maintainingotherwise provided in NRS 349.983, the determination of who is to receive a watergrant resourceis plan.solely within the discretion of the Board.
- *SB36_R1* – 12 – 2.
Except as otherwise provided in NRS 349.983, the determination of who is to receive a grant is solely within the discretion of the Board.
(a) “Eligible(1) recipient”A means:political subdivision of this State, including, without limitation, a city, county, unincorporated town, water authority, conservation district, irrigation district, water district or water conservancy district.
(1) A political subdivision of this State, including, without limitation, a city, county, unincorporated town, water authority, conservation district, irrigation district, water district or water conservancy district.
and (b)- Are83rd currentlySession publicly(2025) owned.– 13 – 2.) AIn making its determination of which purveyors of water are to receive grants pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection 1 of NRS 349.981, the Board shall give preference to those purveyors of water whose public water systems regularly serve fewer than 6,000 persons.
2.3.
In making its determination of which purveyors of water are to receive grants pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection 1 of NRS 349.981, the Board shall give preference to those purveyors of water whose public water systems regularly serve fewer than 6,000 persons.
- *SB36_R1* – 13 – 3.
Sec.follows:16.
16.Section 10.7 of this act is hereby amended to read as Sec.
Section 10.7 of this act is hereby amended to read as follows:
Sec.
The Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program is hereby established in the Nevada Conservation and Recreation Program created by section 10.3 of this act to purchase and retire decreed or certificated groundwater rights from willing sellers and to accept donations of groundwater rights for retirement in order to:
[In administering the Program, the Director shall, to the extent money is available in the Account for Retiring Water Rights createddecreed byor sectioncertificated 10.5groundwater of this act, identify and purchase water rights for retirement by the State Engineer pursuant to section 8 of this act from persons willing to retire those groundwater rights in groundwater basins where:
or - 83rd Session (2025) – 14 – (b) The retirement of groundwater rights in the groundwater basin meets theany purposespurpose set forth in subsection 1.] 3.
[The Director shall document in writing the purpose of each decreed or certificated groundwater right that is purchased by or donated to the Program and file the written document with the State Engineer.
When sufficient money is available in the Account for Retiring Water Rights created by section 10.5 of this act, the Director may accept applications for the purchase and retirement of decreed or certificated groundwater rights.
- *SB36_R1* – 14 – 5.] The Director shall not accept donations or applications for the purchase and retirement of decreed or or certificated groundwater rights after June 30, 2035.
H~~~~~ 25 - *SB36_R1*83rd Session (2025)
Show all 111 changed rows (71 more)
View plain text versions (4)
- Enrolled As Enrolled Current pdf
- Reprint 1 View text pdf
- Reprint 2 View text pdf
- Introduced As Introduced pdf
Amendments
2 amendmentsClick Show changes on an amendment above to see how it modifies the bill.
Action History
-
Chapter 292.
-
Approved by the Governor.
-
Enrolled and delivered to Governor.
-
In Senate. To enrollment.
-
Read third time. Passed. Title approved. (Yeas: 42, Nays: None.) To Senate.
-
From committee: Do pass. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time.
-
In Assembly. Read first time. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources. To committee.
-
From printer. To re-engrossment. Re-engrossed. Second reprint. To Assembly.
-
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. Placed on General File. Read third time. Amended. (Amend. No. 728.) Reprinting dispensed with. Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved, as amended. (Yeas: 21, Nays: None.) To printer.
-
From printer. To engrossment. Engrossed. First reprint. To committee.
-
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 98.) Taken from General File. Re-referred to Committee on Finance. Exemption effective. To printer.
-
Notice of eligibility for exemption.
-
Read first time. To committee.
-
From printer.
-
Prefiled. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources. To printer.
Sponsors
- Senate Committee on Natural Resources · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 66 not signed on
Sponsors (1)
- Senate Committee on Natural Resources
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (66)
66 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 66 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unaffiliated | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (42)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| OâNeill, PK | — | Yea |
| Anderson, Natha C. | Democratic | Yea |
| Backus, Shea M. | Democratic | Yea |
| Brown-May, Tracy | Democratic | Yea |
| Carter, Max E., II | Democratic | Yea |
| Considine, Venicia | Democratic | Yea |
| D'Silva, Reuben | Democratic | Yea |
| Dalia, Joe | Democratic | Yea |
| Flanagan, Tanya P. | Democratic | Yea |
| González, Cecelia | Democratic | Yea |
| Goulding, Heather | Democratic | Yea |
| Hunt, Linda F. | Democratic | Yea |
| Jackson, Jovan A. | Democratic | Yea |
| Jauregui, Sandra | Democratic | Yea |
| Karris, Venise | Democratic | Yea |
| La Rue Hatch, Selena | Democratic | Yea |
| Marzola, Elaine H. | Democratic | Yea |
| Miller, Brittney M. | Democratic | Yea |
| Monroe-Moreno, Daniele | Democratic | Yea |
| Moore, Cinthia Zermeño | Democratic | Yea |
| Mosca, Erica | Democratic | Yea |
| Nadeem, Hanadi | Democratic | Yea |
| Nguyen, Duy | Democratic | Yea |
| Orentlicher, David | Democratic | Yea |
| Roth, Erica P. | Democratic | Yea |
| Torres-Fossett, Selena | Democratic | Yea |
| Watts, Howard | Democratic | Yea |
| Yeager, Steve | Democratic | Yea |
| Cole, Lisa K. | Republican | Yea |
| DeLong, Rich | Republican | Yea |
| Dickman, Jill | Republican | Yea |
| Edgeworth, Rebecca | Republican | Yea |
| Gallant, Danielle | Republican | Yea |
| Gray, Ken | Republican | Yea |
| Gurr, Bert K. | Republican | Yea |
| Hafen, Gregory T., II | Republican | Yea |
| Hansen, Alexis M. | Republican | Yea |
| Hardy, Melissa R.. | Republican | Yea |
| Hibbetts, Brian | Republican | Yea |
| Kasama, Heidi | Republican | Yea |
| Koenig, Gregory S. | Republican | Yea |
| Yurek, Toby | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (21)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Cannizzaro, Nicole J. | Democratic | Yea |
| Cruz-Crawford, Michelee "Shelly" | Democratic | Yea |
| Daly, Skip | Democratic | Yea |
| Dondero Loop, Marilyn | Democratic | Yea |
| Doñate, Fabian | Democratic | Yea |
| Flores, Edgar | Democratic | Yea |
| Lange, Roberta | Democratic | Yea |
| Neal, Dina | Democratic | Yea |
| Nguyen, Rochelle T. | Democratic | Yea |
| Ohrenschall, James | Democratic | Yea |
| Pazina, Julie | Democratic | Yea |
| Scheible, Melanie | Democratic | Yea |
| Taylor, Angela D. | Democratic | Yea |
| Buck, Carrie Ann | Republican | Yea |
| Ellison, John | Republican | Yea |
| Hansen, Ira | Republican | Yea |
| Krasner, Lisa | Republican | Yea |
| Rogich, Lori | Republican | Yea |
| Steinbeck, John C. | Republican | Yea |
| Stone, Jeff | Republican | Yea |
| Titus, Robin L. | Republican | Yea |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- Who sponsors SB 36?
- SB 36 is sponsored by Senate Committee on Natural Resources.
- What is the current status of SB 36?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced November 15, 2024. Enacted.
- Where can I track SB 36?
- Track SB 36 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
Make your voice heard on SB 36
Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.
Stay ahead of SB 36
Last checked for changes 2 months ago · updated continuously
One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.
Track this bill →