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Committee hears bill to divert 1% of live‑entertainment tax to Nevada Arts Council
Summary
The Assembly Revenue Committee heard testimony on Assembly Bill 219, which would allocate 1 percent of the state's live entertainment tax to the Nevada Arts Council to expand grants, arts education and local arts agency development across the state.
The Assembly Revenue Committee heard testimony on Assembly Bill 219, sponsored by Assemblyman Howard Watts (Assembly District 15), which would redirect 1 percent of the state's live entertainment tax (LET) to the Nevada Arts Council (NAC) to expand grants and support for local arts agencies across Nevada.
Watts told the committee the change would replace the statutory flat allocation of $150,000 a year currently directed to NAC with a distribution equal to 1 percent of the prior year's LET collections. "That would go from $150,000 a year to about $2,000,000 a year to support arts across our state," Watts said as a working estimate during the hearing.
Why it matters: proponents said the change would broaden support for artists and local arts agencies, boost arts education, extend touring and public‑art programs into rural communities, help local organizations leverage federal grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and strengthen Nevada's creative economy, which testimony said contributed roughly $10.9 billion to the state economy in 2022.
Nevada Arts Council testimony: Tony Manfredi, executive director of the Nevada Arts Council, told the committee that as a state agency the NAC must remain neutral on the bill but explained how the current $150,000 LET allocation is used. Manfredi said roughly 82 percent of NAC's budget is returned to local communities through grants and programs. He described NAC grant types including operating support for nonprofit organizations, individual artist project grants (up to $7,000), arts‑learning grants, a statewide touring initiative and a creative‑aging program for older adults. Manfredi also said the NAC receives federal NEA partnership funds (the current NEA partnership award cited at the hearing was $937,200) and that the state is required to provide a match for that federal allocation.
Supporters and examples: testimony came from a broad coalition of artists, local arts agencies and cultural organizations from across Nevada. Witnesses and written submissions described how NAC grants have enabled artist exhibitions, touring theater projects, arts‑in‑schools programs and community festivals. Examples included a $45,000 NAC grant used to support touring of a performing arts program across the state and a $7,223 Partners in Excellence grant that trained teaching artists to place poets in schools.
Rural impact and local arts agencies: proponents including the Southern Nevada Arts Coalition and Sierra Arts Foundation said the bill would help stand up and sustain local arts agencies in regions that lack dedicated cultural infrastructure. Testimony from rural representatives highlighted programs such as Poetry Out Loud, touring exhibits and arts education that NAC grants supported.
Funding mechanics and safeguards: sponsors and witnesses emphasized the bill's stated intent that the new allocation be supplemental to — not a replacement for — other arts funding. Manfredi outlined NAC's budget sources as tourism transfer (39%), general fund (24%), a portion of LET and fees (13%), and federal funds (24%). He said NAC prioritizes sending funds directly back into communities.
Process and next steps: the committee took extensive public testimony and did not record a formal vote in the hearing. Sponsors asked the committee to advance the concept so it can be considered by Ways and Means and in the full legislative process.
