Existing standing rules of the houses of Congress govern requests by members of Congress for the inclusion of funding, known as “earmarks” or “congressionally directed spending items,” in federal appropriation bills for projects that benefit communities in the members' districts. (See, e.g., Clause 9 of Rule No. XXI and Clause 17 of Rule No. XXIII of the Standing Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. Res. 5, 119th Cong. (2025) and Rule No. XLIV of the Standing Rules of the U.S. Senate, Pub. L. 110–81, 110th Cong. (2007))
Section 2 of this bill creates the Community Project Grant Program at the state legislative level for the purpose of awarding grants to private nonprofit organizations to conduct projects that benefit communities in Nevada. Section 2 requires that an application for such a grant be submitted by a Legislator on behalf of a nonprofit organization for a project within the Legislator's district. Section 2 further requires the Legislative Commission to adopt regulations to carry out the Grant Program, including regulations that prescribe: (1) the categories of eligible projects for which grants may be awarded under the Grant Program; (2) procedures for the submission and review of applications for and the awarding of such a grant; and (3) requirements for reporting expenditures of money from such a grant.
Existing law creates the Legislative Fund as a special revenue fund for the use of the Legislature, and where specifically authorized by law, for the use of the Legislative Counsel Bureau. (NRS 218A.150) Section 3 of this bill creates the Account for the Community Project Grant Program in the Legislative Fund. Section 3 requires that money in the Account be used only to carry out the Community Project Grant Program and provides that any money remaining in the Account at the end of a fiscal year does not revert to the Legislative Fund.
Sections 2 and 3: (1) require the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau or the Director's designee to administer the Grant Program and the Account and to prepare a biennial report regarding the Grant Program for submission to the Legislature; and (2) authorize the Director or the Director's designee to apply for grants and accept gifts and other sources of money for deposit in the Account.