Amendment No. 833

Senate Amendment to Assembly Bill No. 380 Second Reprint (BDR 48-971)

Proposed by: Committee on Natural Resources

Amendment Box:

Resolves Conflicts with: N/A

Amends: Summary: Title: Preamble: Joint Sponsorship:

ASSEMBLY ACTION Initial and Date | SENATE ACTION Initial and Date

Adopted Lost | Adopted Lost

Concurred In Not | Concurred In Not

Receded Not | Receded Not

Amend the bill as a whole by renumbering sections 4 through 6 as sections 6 through 8 and adding new sections designated sections 4 and 5, following sec. 3, to read as follows:

"Sec. 4. Chapter 478, Statutes of Nevada 1983, at page 1269, is hereby amended by adding thereto a new section to be designated as sec. 2.6, immediately following sec. 2.5, to read as follows:

Sec. 2.6. The state board of examiners shall, at one time or from time to time over a 5-year period beginning with the effective date of Assembly Bill No. 380 of the 70th session of the Nevada Legislature, issue general obligation bonds of the State of Nevada to provide the state’s contribution to the Newlands Project Water Rights Fund established by Assembly Bill No. 380 of the 70th session of the Nevada Legislature, in a total face amount of not more than $4,000,000. Bonds issued pursuant to this section are necessary for the protection and preservation of the state’s natural resources.

Sec. 5. Section 1 of chapter 478, Statutes of Nevada 1983, as amended by section 7 of chapter 785, Statutes of Nevada 1989, at page 1866, is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 1. The director of the state department of conservation and natural resources shall participate, on behalf of the state, in negotiations with agencies of the Federal Government and other appropriate agencies or organizations concerning projects to conserve, distribute and allocate water associated with the Truckee River, the Carson River, the Lahontan Valley Wetlands and the Newlands Federal Reclamation Project. The projects may include projects for the purchase or lease of water rights, land or interests in land and any water rights appurtenant thereto, or projects to mitigate losses to natural resources. The governor, on behalf of the State of Nevada, may enter into an agreement or agreements which define the rights, powers, duties and obligations of the state, the Federal Government and any other appropriate agency or organization with respect to those projects, but the state’s share of the costs associated with those projects must not exceed [$8,000,000,] $12,000,000, and providing that not more than [$4,000,000] $8,000,000 of that amount may be used for the purchase or lease of water rights or interests in land and any water rights appurtenant thereto [.] , and further providing that not more than $4,000,000 of that amount may be used as the state’s contribution to the Newlands Project Water Rights Fund established by Assembly Bill No. 380 of the 70th session of the Nevada Legislature.".

Amend sec. 4, page 4, by deleting lines 11 and 12 and inserting:

"the fund may only be used:

(a) For the support of the program established pursuant to subsection 4; and

(b) To provide for the payment of an amount to offset revenue from operation and maintenance charges lost as a result of water rights retired and abandoned pursuant to the program.

3. The District may accept gifts and grants for".

Amend sec. 4, page 4, line 21, by deleting "3." and inserting "4.".

Amend sec. 4, page 4, line 31, by deleting "only".

Amend sec. 4, page 4, by deleting line 37, and inserting:

"(d) Retain reasonable fees for the administration or operation of the program;".

Amend sec. 4, page 4, line 38, after "(e)" by inserting:

"To the extent that legal and administrative challenges in existence on April 1, 1999, result in a final determination that all or any portion of a surface water right appurtenant to land in the Newlands Reclamation Project has been forfeited or abandoned:

(1) Pay to the party who procured that final determination an amount equal to the amount that would have been paid to acquire the water right pursuant to the program; and

(2) Consider the forfeited or abandoned water right as having been acquired pursuant to the program; and

(f)".

Amend sec. 6, page 5, line 5, by deleting "Section 4" and inserting "Section 6".

Amend the title of the bill, seventh line, after "period;" by inserting:

"increasing the amount of bonds that may be issued for the purchase or lease of water rights or interests in land and any water rights appurtenant thereto; limiting certain uses of the proceeds of those bonds;".