Existing law creates the Nevada Air Service Development Commission, which consists of the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development in the Office of the Governor and the members of the Commission on Tourism. (NRS 231.680) Existing law also creates the Nevada Air Service Development Fund and requires the Nevada Air Service Development Commission to develop a program to make grants of money from the Fund to air carriers that will service or provide enhanced air service routes that will service certain airports in this State. (NRS 231.690, 231.710) Section 1.6 of this bill provides that the Nevada Air Service Development Commission is part of the Office of Economic Development. Section 1.6 also maintains the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development as a member of the Nevada Air Service Development Commission, but revises the membership of the Nevada Air Service Development Commission to include: (1) one member of the Commission on Tourism who is appointed by the Governor rather than all of the members of the Commission on Tourism; (2) one member who represents the Nevada Aviation Association; (3) one member who represents the department of aviation in a county whose population is 700,000 or more (currently only Clark County); (4) one member who represents the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority; (5) one member who represents the Nevada Resort Association; (6) one member who represents the Nevada League of Cities; and (7) one member who represents the Nevada Association of Counties. Section 1.6 further provides that the terms of office for the members of the Commission are 2 years and must be staggered. Section 1 of this bill requires the Commission to prepare and submit an annual report to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau relating to applications for grants received and grants awarded by the Commission during the immediately preceding calendar year. Section 1.3 of this bill makes a conforming change to indicate the proper placement of section 1 in the Nevada Revised Statutes. Section 2 of this bill provides that money in the Nevada Air Service Development Fund does not revert to the State General Fund at the end of a fiscal year and must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. Section 3 of this bill revises the entities to which the Nevada Air Service Development Commission is authorized to award grants to include governmental entities. Section 4 of this bill makes an appropriation from the State General Fund to the Nevada Air Service Development Fund for the purpose of conducting a study of the development of intrastate air service in this State and for the purpose of making grants of money to an air carrier that will service or provide enhanced air service routes to certain airports. Existing law creates the Fund for Aviation in the State Treasury and requires the Director of the Department of Transportation to administer the Fund. Existing law authorizes the Director to award grants to counties, cities and other local governments, except for facilities owned or controlled by the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority or a county whose population is 700,000 or more (currently Clark County) for the planning, establishment, development, construction, enlargement, improvement or maintenance of any airport, landing area or air navigation facility owned or controlled by the county, city or other local government. (NRS 494.048) Section 5 of this bill makes an appropriation to the Fund for Aviation for these purposes.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 231.680, 231.690, 231.710
Reprint 1: 231.600, 231.680, 231.690, 231.710
BDR: 231.680, 231.690, 231.710