Existing law requires a planning commission to adopt a master plan for the physical development of the city, county or region served by the planning commission, and the governing body of certain cities and counties to adopt all or part of a master plan for use as a basis for the development of the city, county or region. (NRS 278.150) Under existing law, the master plan adopted by the governing body of certain cities and counties is required to include a housing element, which includes certain information relating to housing. (NRS 278.150, 278.160) If the governing body of a city or county is required to include the housing element in its master plan, existing law requires the governing body to adopt at least six of the measures for maintaining and developing affordable housing which are listed in statute. (NRS 278.235) One such measure which the governing body of a city or county is authorized to adopt to meet this requirement is reducing or subsidizing in whole or in part impact fees, certain fees for the issuance of building permits and fees imposed for the purpose for which an enterprise fund was created. (NRS 278.235) Sections 1-3 of this bill establish a process for a city or county to request reimbursement from the State for the cost of reducing or subsidizing such fees. Section 2 creates the Account for Housing Expansion Through Local Partnerships in the State General Fund and sets forth provisions governing the administration of the Account. Section 3 authorizes a city or county to submit a request to the Housing Division of the Department of Business and Industry for reimbursement from the Account for the cost of reducing or subsidizing such fees. Section 3 requires the Division to transmit requests which the Division determines should be approved to the State Board of Examiners. Under section 3, if the State Board of Examiners determines that an allocation from the Account should be made, the State Board of Examiners is required to recommend the allocation to the Interim Finance Committee for its independent evaluation and action. Sections 2 and 3 require approval from the Interim Finance Committee before any distribution from the Account is made. Except under certain circumstances, existing law prohibits the Interim Finance Committee from exercising the powers conferred upon it when the Legislature is in a regular or special session. (NRS 218E.405) Section 4 of this bill authorizes the Interim Finance Committee to perform the duties imposed on it by section 3 during a regular or special session of the Legislature. Section 5 of this bill appropriates $20,000,000 to the Account for the purpose of reimbursing cities and counties pursuant to sections 2 and 3.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 218E.405
BDR: 218E.405