SB147 - Creates the Southern Nevada Regional Planning for Economic Resiliency Pilot Program. (BDR S-683)

EXEMPT (Reprinted with amendments adopted on May 27, 2025) SECOND REPRINT S.B. 147 - *SB147_R2* SENATE BILL NO. 147–SENATOR DONDERO LOOP PREFILED JANUARY 30, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Government Affairs SUMMARY—Creates the Southern Nevada Regional Planning for Economic Resiliency Pilot Program. (BDR S-683) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal Impact. Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation not included in Executive Budget. ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to regional planning; establishing the Advisory Committee on Regional Planning for Economic Resiliency; creating the Southern Nevada Regional Planning for Economic Resiliency Pilot Program; making an appropriation; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: This bill establishes the Southern Nevada Regional Planning for Economic 1 Resiliency Pilot Program. Section 7 of this bill requires the Regional 2 Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada to establish the Advisory 3 Committee on Regional Planning for Economic Resiliency to assist the 4 Commission in carrying out the provisions of sections 1-10 of this bill. Section 8 5 creates the Program to: (1) evaluate the current regional planning process and the 6 existing and future priorities and needs in the region of Clark County, Nevada, with 7 a focus on infrastructure projects, transit services and economic development and 8 redevelopment projects; and (2) identify sources of federal, state and other money 9 that will support the continued infrastructure, transit and economic needs of the 10 region. Section 9 requires the Commission to conduct the Program with a focus on 11 certain population centers in the region and to study and perform community 12 outreach on issues relating to regional planning for economic development and 13 resiliency in the region. 14 Section 10 requires: (1) the Commission to prepare a regional infrastructure 15 plan for economic growth and resiliency in the region and a written report 16 describing the activities, findings, conclusions and recommendations of the 17 Advisory Committee; and (2) the Commission to transmit a copy of the plan and 18 report to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmittal to the Joint 19 Interim Standing Committee on Government Affairs. 20 Sections 2-6 define certain terms relating to the Program. Section 1 applies 21 these definitions to the provisions of sections 1-10. 22 – 2 – - *SB147_R2* Section 11 of this bill makes an appropriation to the Commission to establish 23 and implement the Program and for a staff member or a contractor to assist in the 24 Program and to carry out the provisions of sections 1-10. 25 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. As used in sections 1 to 10, inclusive, of this act, 1 unless the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined 2 in sections 2 to 6, inclusive, of this act have the meanings ascribed 3 to them in those sections. 4 Sec. 2. “Advisory Committee” means the Advisory Committee 5 on Regional Planning for Economic Resiliency established pursuant 6 to section 7 of this act. 7 Sec. 3. “Commission” means the Regional Transportation 8 Commission of Southern Nevada. 9 Sec. 4. “Program” means the Southern Nevada Regional 10 Planning for Economic Resiliency Pilot Program created by section 11 8 of this act. 12 Sec. 5. “Project” means any structure, facility, undertaking or 13 system which a local government is authorized to acquire, improve, 14 equip, maintain or operate, which may consist of all kinds of 15 personal and real property. 16 Sec. 6. “Region” means Clark County, Nevada. 17 Sec. 7. 1. The Commission shall establish the Advisory 18 Committee on Regional Planning for Economic Resiliency to assist 19 the Commission in carrying out the provisions of sections 1 to 10, 20 inclusive, of this act. 21 2. The Commission shall appoint at least nine members to the 22 Advisory Committee which must be comprised of various 23 stakeholders in the region who must have experience in regional 24 planning, economic development or redevelopment, workforce 25 development, infrastructure development or transit services. 26 3. The members of the Advisory Committee must include, 27 without limitation: 28 (a) One member from the regional development authority which 29 has entered into a contract with the Office of Economic 30 Development to serve the region; and 31 (b) At least one member each from the following local 32 governments: 33 (1) The City of Las Vegas; 34 (2) The City of Henderson; 35 (3) The City of North Las Vegas; 36 (4) Boulder City; 37 (5) The City of Mesquite; and 38 – 3 – - *SB147_R2* (6) Clark County. 1 4. Each member of the Advisory Committee serves a term of 2 2 years. 3 5. The Advisory Committee shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair 4 from among its members at the first meeting of the Advisory 5 Committee. 6 6. A majority of the members of the Advisory Committee 7 constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business, and a majority 8 of those members present at any meeting is sufficient for any 9 official action taken by the Advisory Committee. 10 7. Each member of the Advisory Committee serves without 11 compensation and is not entitled to receive a per diem allowance or 12 travel expenses. 13 Sec. 8. 1. The Southern Nevada Regional Planning for 14 Economic Resiliency Pilot Program is hereby created as a pilot 15 program to support and sustain the economic resiliency of the region 16 by: 17 (a) Evaluating the current regional planning process and the 18 existing and future priorities and needs in the region, with a focus on 19 infrastructure projects, transit services and economic development 20 and redevelopment projects; and 21 (b) Identifying sources of federal, state and other money that 22 will support the continued infrastructure, transit and economic needs 23 of the growing population in the region. 24 2. The Commission shall, with advice from the Advisory 25 Committee, oversee the Program. 26 Sec. 9. 1. The Commission shall conduct the Program to 27 study and perform community outreach on issues relating to 28 regional planning for economic development and resiliency in the 29 region with a focus on the following population centers: 30 (a) The City of Las Vegas; 31 (b) The City of Henderson; 32 (c) The City of North Las Vegas; 33 (d) Boulder City; 34 (e) The City of Mesquite; and 35 (f) Any other urbanized section of the Las Vegas Valley. 36 2. The Program conducted pursuant to subsection 1 must, 37 without limitation: 38 (a) Identify existing, planned and proposed areas for economic 39 development, redevelopment and diversification, such as 40 redevelopment areas, existing underserved neighborhoods with 41 opportunities for reinvestment, opportunity zones, job creation 42 zones, Southern Nevada Strong opportunity sites, areas identified in 43 the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Southern 44 Nevada developed by the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, 45 – 4 – - *SB147_R2* innovation districts, large-scale industrial areas, any activity centers 1 identified by Southern Nevada Strong, parcels with transit-oriented 2 development or mixed-use zoning, activity centers identified by the 3 Brookings Institution and any areas with major development; 4 (b) Review existing plans for the population centers identified in 5 subsection 1 for capital improvements and other planning efforts 6 and, based on such plans, identify economic development centers 7 with planned infrastructure projects and transit services, which may 8 be at any stage in the planning process, and any unfunded needs 9 with regards to those planned infrastructure projects and transit 10 services; 11 (c) Develop and implement a community outreach plan to: 12 (1) Increase community support of regional planning; 13 (2) Obtain community input on a list of economic 14 development and redevelopment projects recommended by the 15 Advisory Committee to be regionally significant and which support 16 community goals, such as attracting target industries, diversifying 17 the economy or locating transit, jobs and housing within the same 18 location; and 19 (3) Garner community input regarding infrastructure projects 20 and transit services that are regionally significant and necessary to 21 support the list of economic development and redevelopment 22 projects and support the region overall; 23 (d) Develop planning-level cost estimates that include transit, 24 capital, operations and maintenance and infrastructure design, 25 construction and maintenance; 26 (e) Complete a high-level evaluation of the benefits of 27 infrastructure projects and transit services that support the economic 28 development and redevelopment priorities identified in the 29 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Southern 30 Nevada and by Southern Nevada Strong; 31 (f) Develop additional criteria to evaluate and prioritize 32 economic development and redevelopment projects in the region; 33 (g) Develop packages of infrastructure projects and transit 34 services, which identify for each package, project and service, the 35 costs and benefits, current stage of development, resources already 36 committed and any additional money needed; 37 (h) Develop a prioritized list of infrastructure projects and transit 38 services that support the economic development and redevelopment 39 centers and projects that are regionally significant; 40 (i) Identify packages of economic development and 41 redevelopment projects that could be submitted for federal grants 42 and, if feasible, initiate an application for grants for any such 43 package; and 44 – 5 – - *SB147_R2* (j) Evaluate the regional planning development process and 1 determine the steps, roles and resources needed to continue regional 2 coordination. 3 Sec. 10. On or before June 30, 2027: 4 1. The Commission shall prepare: 5 (a) A regional infrastructure plan for economic growth and 6 resiliency in the region, which must identify, without limitation: 7 (1) Infrastructure projects and transit services that support 8 access to existing, planned and proposed economic development and 9 redevelopment centers and projects that are regionally significant; 10 and 11 (2) Potential federal, state and other resources that may be 12 available to support the projects and services identified pursuant to 13 subparagraph (1); and 14 (b) A written report describing the activities, findings, 15 conclusions and recommendations of the Advisory Committee. 16 2. The Commission shall submit a copy of the plan and report 17 prepared pursuant to subsection 1 to the Director of the Legislature 18 Counsel Bureau for transmittal to the Joint Interim Standing 19 Committee on Government Affairs. 20 Sec. 11. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the State 21 General Fund to the Regional Transportation Commission of 22 Southern Nevada the sum of $500,000 to establish and implement 23 the Southern Nevada Regional Planning for Economic Resiliency 24 Pilot Program created by section 8 of this act and for a staff member 25 or contractor to assist the Commission and the Advisory Committee 26 on Regional Planning for Economic Resiliency created by section 7 27 of this act in carrying out the provisions of sections 1 to 10, 28 inclusive, of this act. 29 2. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by 30 subsection 1 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 31 2027, by the entity to which the appropriation is made or any entity 32 to which money from the appropriation is granted or otherwise 33 transferred in any manner, and any portion of the appropriated 34 money remaining must not be spent for any purpose after 35 September 17, 2027, by either the entity to which the money was 36 appropriated or the entity to which the money was subsequently 37 granted or transferred, and must be reverted to the State General 38 Fund on or before September 17, 2027. 39 Sec. 12. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025, and 40 expires by limitation on June 30, 2027. 41 H