Read the full stored bill text
- 83rd Session (2025)
Senate Bill No. 21–Committee on Natural Resources
CHAPTER..........
AN ACT relating to outdoor recreation; revising provisions relating
to the membership of the Advisory Board on Outdoor
Recreation; revising provisions governing the Outdoor
Education and Recreation Grant Program; and providing
other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law creates the Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant Prog ram for
the purpose of awarding grants to public and private entities to conduct outdoor
education and recreation programs for pupils in this State. (NRS 407A.605) Money
in the Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant Program Account is required to be
used t o carry out the Grant Program. (NRS 407A.615) Under existing law, the
Administrator of the Division of Outdoor Recreation of the State Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources is required to develop and administer the
Grant Program with the assista nce and advice of the Advisory Board on Outdoor
Recreation. (NRS 407A.575, 407A.605, 407A.610) The Advisory Board is
composed of: (1) twelve voting members, including several state officers or their
designees and the Administrator of the Division of State Parks of the State
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and (2) two nonvoting
members. (NRS 407A.575) Section 1 of this bill authorizes the Administrator to
designate a person to serve on the Advisory Board in the place of the
Administrator.
Section 2 of this bill expands the purposes for which grants are authorized to be
awarded from the Grant Program to include: (1) outdoor recreational infrastructure
projects for pupils; and (2) programs, activities and infrastructure projects that offer
or include education regarding, or support or improve access to, outdoor recreation
for the public.
EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 407A.575 is hereby amended to read as
follows:
407A.575 1. There is hereby created the Advisory Board on
Outdoor Recreation composed of:
(a) The following 12 voting members:
(1) The Lieutenant Governor or his or her designee;
(2) The Director or his or her designee;
(3) The Director of the Department of Tourism and Cultural
Affairs or his or her designee;
(4) The Executive Director of the Office of Economic
Development or his or her designee;
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- 83rd Session (2025)
(5) The Director of the Department of Wildlife or his or her
designee;
(6) The Administrator of the Division of State Parks of the
Department [;] or his or her designee;
(7) The Executive Director of the Department of Native
American Affairs or his or her designee;
(8) One member appointed by the Governor from a list of
nominees submitted by the Board of Directors of the Nevada
Association of Counties, or its successor organization, who:
(I) Resides in a county whose population is less than
100,000; and
(II) Has professional expertise or possesses demonstrated
knowledge in outdoor recreation, natural resources management and
economic development in this State; and
(9) Four members appointed by the Governor from a list of
nominees submitted by the Lieutenant Governor and the Director as
follows:
(I) A representative of the outdoor recreation industry;
(II) A representative of conservation interests;
(III) A person with experience in and knowledge of
education; and
(IV) A person with experience in and knowledge of
public health.
(b) The following two nonv oting members, who must be
appointed by the Administrator of the Division of Outdoor
Recreation or his or her designee, subject to the approval of the
Director:
(1) A representative of the United States Department of the
Interior from the Bureau of Land Management, National Park
Service or United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
(2) A representative of the United States Department of
Agriculture from the United States Forest Service or Rural
Development.
2. The Lieutenant Governor or his or her designee shall:
(a) Serve as Chair of the Advisory Board; and
(b) Appoint a member of the Advisory Board to serve as Vice
Chair of the Advisory Board.
3. The Advisory Board shall meet at such times and places as
are specified by a call of the Chair but not less than once a year. A
majority of the voting members of the Advisory Board constitutes a
quorum. If a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of
the voting members of the Advisory Board present is sufficient for
any official action taken by the Advisory Board.
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- 83rd Session (2025)
4. The Advisory Board shall:
(a) Advise the Administrator on any matter concerning outdoor
recreation in this State; and
(b) Assist and advise the Administrator in the development and
administration of the Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant
Program pursuant to NRS 407A.610.
Sec. 2. NRS 407A.605 is hereby amended to read as follows:
407A.605 1. The Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant
Program is hereby created for the purpose of awarding grants to
eligible public ag encies, private nonprofit organizations and other
community-based entities to [conduct] :
(a) Provide outdoor education and recreation programs or
outdoor recreational infrastructure projects for pupils in this State
[. Such] , which must:
(1) For an outdoor education and recreation program [must:
(a)] :
(I) Provide the pupils with high -quality opportunities to directly
experience the natural world;
[(b)] (II) Integrate that experience with exposure to matters
concerning the environment, agriculture, natural resources or other
related matters; and
[(c)] (III) Be designed to improve the overall academic
performance, self -esteem, personal responsibility, community
involvement, personal health or understanding of nature of pupils;
[and
(d)] (2) For an outdoor recreational infrastructure project, be
designed to support or improve access to outdoor recreation for
pupils; and
(3) Be primarily focused on pupils who are:
[(1)] (I) From economically disadvantaged backgrounds, as
measured by their eligibility for free or reduced -price meals
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1751 et seq. or an alternative measure
prescribed by the State Board of Education;
[(2)] (II) Most likely to fail academically; or
[(3)] (III) Appear to have the greatest potential to drop out
of school.
(b) Provide a program, activity or infrastructure project that
offers or includes education regarding, or supports or improves
access to, outdoor recreation for the public, which must:
(1) Promote the health and wellness of the public;
(2) Enhance stewardship of cultural or natural resources;
or
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- 83rd Session (2025)
(3) Support the growth of the outdoor recreation economy
in this State in a manner that fosters economic development and
conservation of natural resources.
2. The Administrator shall, w ithin the limits of available
resources, develop and administer the Grant Program and adopt
regulations for its governance. The regulations must prescribe,
without limitation:
(a) The criteria for eligibility to receive money from the Grant
Program;
(b) Procedures for the submission and review of applications to
receive money from the Grant Program;
(c) Priorities for [program] selection of a program or
infrastructure project pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection 1
that take into account, without limitation, the extent to which [a] :
(1) A program:
[(1)] (I) Contributes to the reduction of academic failure and
dropout rates;
[(2)] (II) Uses a curriculum that is research -based and
effective;
[(3)] (III) Contributes to the healthy lifestyles of pupils
through outdoor recreation and sound nutrition;
[(4)] (IV) Makes use of state parks as venues and the
personnel of the Department as expert resources;
[(5)] (V) Maximizes the number of pupils that can
participate;
[(6) Commits to providing matching funds and in -kind
resources;
(7) Creates partnerships with other public or private entities;
(8)] (VI) Provides participating pupils with opportunities to
directly experience and understand nature and the natural world; and
[(9)] (VII) Includes ongoing evaluation, assessment, and
reporting of the effectiveness of the program [.] ; and
(2) A program or infrastructure project:
(I) Demonstrates a commitment to providing matching
funds and in-kind resources; and
(II) Creates partnerships with other public or private
entities; and
(d) Priorities for selection of a program, activity or
infrastructure project pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 1
that take into account, without limitation, the extent to which a
program, activity or project:
(1) Aligns with, advances the objectives or needs of or
otherwise carries out state, regional or local plans concerning:
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- 83rd Session (2025)
(I) Outdoor recreation, including, without limitation, the
comprehensive statewide outdoor recreation plan prepared
pursuant to NRS 407A.120; or
(II) Economic development relating to the outdoor
recreation economy;
(2) Demonstrates a commitment to providing matching
funds and in-kind resources; and
(3) Creates partnerships with o ther public or private
entities.
3. As used in this section, “public agency” has the meaning
ascribed to it in NRS 277.100.
Sec. 3. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025.
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