Nevada committee hears AB103 to update housing authority law, allow public‑private partnerships and raise commissioner pay limit

CARSON CITY — The Assembly Committee for Government Affairs on Monday heard Assembly Bill 103, which would revise Nevada statutes governing local housing authorities, create a named Truckee Meadows Regional Housing Authority board to represent Reno, Sparks and Washoe County, permit public‑private partnerships for housing developments and allow commissioners to increase meeting compensation up to $250 by vote.

Assemblymember P.K. O'Neil, sponsor of AB103, told the committee the bill is intended primarily to “bring Nevada legislation into line so that we can follow the federal guidelines” and to modernize provisions that have not been updated since the 1980s.

The bill would remove or amend multiple provisions in Chapter 315 of the Nevada Revised Statutes and related sections to reflect current federal housing program rules, change certain terminology (for example, replacing the word “projects” with “developments”), and clarify that housing authorities may develop revenue streams and enter into business entities and public‑private partnerships to build and operate housing that serves low‑income households. Bill Brewer, executive director of Nevada Rural Housing, summarized those changes and said they respond to programmatic changes at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

AB103 also would rename and restructure the housing authority that serves Washoe County as the Truckee Meadows Regional Housing Authority. Under the sponsor’s amendment, the Truckee Meadows board would include two representatives each from the city of Reno, the city of Sparks and Washoe County, with staggered initial terms (one initial two‑year term and one initial three‑year term for each jurisdiction) and subsequent four‑year terms. The bill would also provide for one resident appointee with an initial four‑year term; the bill text specifies that if a resident appointee ceases to be a recipient of assistance during the term, that seat must be filled by another person who is a recipient of assistance.

The measure would update the statutory definition of “veteran” referenced in housing law to align with the federal citation cited in the presentation and would remove several outdated statutory provisions the sponsors described as redundant. AB103 would also clarify that housing authorities may be exempt from certain taxes for qualifying low‑income housing and would amend language related to the housing choice voucher administrative plan to conform to current federal requirements.

Section 3 of the bill addresses compensation of housing‑authority commissioners. Current law sets compensation at $80 per meeting (a figure unchanged since 1985); AB103 would permit commissioners, by vote of the commissioners, to set compensation up to $250 per meeting. "This bill proposes to allow commissioners to receive up to $250 per meeting as set by a vote of the commissioners," Brewer said.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about whether developments operated directly by a housing authority would remain non‑profit while projects developed and operated through public‑private partnerships could be structured to accept low‑income housing tax credits and operate differently. "Housing projects created in a public‑private partnership are not under the umbrella of the housing authority at that point," Brewer said, explaining the distinction the amendment seeks to capture.

Supporters who testified in favor included Cadence Matejevich, representing Washoe County, who said the county supported the amended version of AB103 and requested the committee's approval, and Michael Hillerby, representing the city of Sparks, who said Truckee Meadows governance should reflect and include local governments that the authority serves.

There was no recorded opposition or neutral testimony during the hearing. No formal committee vote on the bill occurred at the hearing; the sponsor noted the bill will proceed to additional committees, and Assemblymember P.K. O'Neil referenced that he must return to Ways and Means. The committee chair closed the hearing without a final action.

The bill text and the sponsor’s amendment set an effective date of Oct. 1 (as confirmed during committee exchange). Specific statutory sections discussed on the record included provisions listed in the bill and amendment (examples cited in testimony included NRS 315.011, NRS 315.500, NRS 315.501, NRS 315.510, NRS 315.540 and NRS 315.580, and a cross‑reference to NRS 361.082), and the regional authority authority referenced in committee discussion (the transcript cited a Regional Authority provision by number). The sponsor and presenters repeatedly described the measure as housekeeping and alignment with federal requirements rather than a substantive policy change in program eligibility.

The committee scheduled its next meeting for Thursday, April 3 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 4100; no further action on AB103 was taken at the March hearing.