Committee hears bill to restore public access to mining tax data

The Assembly Committee on Revenue opened a hearing on Assembly Bill 277 on behalf of the Department of Taxation and the Division of Minerals. Assemblymember Rich DeLong, sponsor, told the committee the bill would remove confidentiality for specific data supplied under Nevada Revised Statutes related to the tax on the net proceeds of minerals, enabling the Division of Minerals to publish industry performance reports.

"The intent of the bill is to make sure that certain information that's provided as part of the industry's compliance with NRS 362 is public, available and not confidential," said Assemblymember Rich DeLong, who represents Assembly District 26 and carried the bill for the Department of Taxation and the Division of Minerals.

The bill adds a new subsection to the confidentiality statute to allow disclosure "related to the computation by the department of the gross yield and net proceeds for all minerals extracted from the state as provided under NRS 362.12," DeLong said. He described the change as narrowly focused to facilitate publication of the Division of Minerals' annual net proceeds and minerals bulletin.

Vice Chair Considine asked whether removing confidentiality for a single industry could set a precedent. "Does removing the taxpayer confidentiality on a single industry create a slippery slope?" he asked. DeLong replied that he was not aware that it would and noted that the existing statute already contains several specific confidentiality exemptions. "This new exemption is very specific," DeLong added.

Rob Galleri, administrator of the Nevada Division of Minerals, testified in support on behalf of the governor's office and called the bill "truly a transparency bill." "The net proceeds and minerals bulletin has been traditionally published every year and recent reinterpretation of data and information has brought it back to confidentiality," Galleri said, asking that the report be able to be published again.

Representatives of industry groups also supported the bill. Nikki Bailey Bridal, vice president of the Nevada Mining Association, said the net proceeds report has been published since the 1950s and the association "would like to see the report published again." Nick Schneider, director of government affairs for the Vegas Chamber, said the bill "provides additional transparency to the operations of one of our most vital industries in the state."

The committee received no testimony in opposition. With no further questions, the committee closed the hearing on AB 277 and did not take a committee vote during the public hearing.

The bill would change what the Department of Taxation may disclose under statutes cited in the bill language and would allow the Division of Minerals to restore an annual public bulletin describing mineral production and net proceeds. Further committee action, including any amendments or floor consideration, was not recorded during the hearing.