Assembly Joint Resolution No. 2-Committee on Government Affairs
January 27, 1997
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Referred to Committee on Government Affairs
SUMMARY--Urges Congress to amend Recreation and Public Purposes Act or to enact other legislation to facilitate use of federal land for affordable housing. (BDR R-224)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.
EXPLANATION - Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is material to be omitted.
ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION--Urging Congress to amend the Recreation and Public Purposes Act or to enact other legislation to facilitate the use of federal land for affordable housing.
Whereas, Approximately 87 percent of the land in Nevada is owned by the Federal Government; and
Whereas, Nevada has experienced a dramatic increase in its population during the last two decades; and
Whereas, The rate of increase in the population of Nevada is one of the highest in the nation; and
Whereas, As of the last census, Nevada has approximately 95,000 families of low income who are in need of affordable housing; and
Whereas, The shortage of affordable housing has forced some families of low income with children to occupy motels that have few or no facilities for the preparation and storage of food and that serve as an inadequate substitution for providing housing for children; and
Whereas, Several thousand senior citizens in Nevada are also unable to find affordable housing that is safe and sanitary; and
Whereas, The current shortage of affordable housing in Nevada is directly related to the high cost of available land in the state; and
Whereas, Congress controls a considerable amount of federal land in Nevada that may be used to provide affordable housing for persons of low income; and
Whereas, During the 104th session of Congress, United States Senator Richard Bryan proposed an amendment to the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (43 U.S.C. §§ 869 et seq.) which, if it had been enacted, would have included affordable housing as a public purpose for which public lands may be disposed of in any manner to governmental bodies and to nonprofit corporations; and
Whereas, During the 104th session of Congress, Representative John Ensign joined Senator Bryan in introducing the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1996, which, if it had been enacted, might have provided additional opportunities for the acquisition of land in the Las Vegas Valley to be used to provide additional sites for affordable housing; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of Nevada, Jointly, That the Nevada Legislature supports the efforts of Senator Bryan and Representative Ensign in this regard and urges the Nevada Congressional Delegation to continue to bring this issue before Congress; and be it further
Resolved, That the Congress of the United States is hereby urged to adopt an amendment to the Recreation and Public Purposes Act which would include affordable housing as a public purpose for which public lands may be disposed of in any manner to governmental bodies and to nonprofit corporations; and be it further
Resolved, That if Congress does not adopt such an amendment to the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, that Congress is hereby urged to enact legislation that would allow the sale of public lands to local governments and to nonprofit corporations at a price that is less than the fair market value of the land so that affordable housing projects may be developed; and be it further
Resolved, That the chief clerk of the assembly prepare and transmit a copy of this resolution to the Vice President of the United States as the presiding officer of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and each member of the Nevada Congressional Delegation; and be it further
Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon passage and approval.