Senate bills would let state’s research facilities expand

Suzanne Struglinski

Thursday, May 6, 2004 | 9:55 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- A Senate subcommittee considered a bill to expand the University of Nevada, Las Vegas research park and two other Nevada bills on Wednesday.

The bills, offered by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., would change federal laws to allow expansions to the UNLV research park, the Desert Research Institute and an American Legion Post.

One bill would make a technical change to a federal law that set aside 115 acres for the UNLV research park in 2002. The change would allow money collected from leases at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Research Foundation research park to be put back into projects, according to Reid's office.

Reid testified at the hearing in support of the bills Wednesday.

"Having the ability to invest the full proceeds of any lease of the land would provide funds for park infrastructure development, Research Foundation buildings and incubators, and a long-term revenue source to further enhance research at UNLV," Reid said.

Another bill would expand the Desert Research Institute's Northern Nevada Science Center by transferring the Dandini Research Park in Washoe County to the University and Community College System of Nevada.

This would lift the federal law controlling the research park that prohibits a private developer from building and financing the center's expansion, Reid said.

"The research being performed at DRI has a particularly high value to Nevadans, which is why it is essential we make certain it can continue to move forward to meet market demands," Ensign said in a statement.

A third but separate bill would transfer about five acres of land now managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the American Legion Post No. 22 in Pahrump to build a new post building, a veterans garden and a memorial park.

The group has tried for more than seven years to buy land for new facilities but the bureau took off the sale list the tract the veterans wanted. The bill would allow the post to buy the land, according to Reid's office.

Each of the three bills would have to pass through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources subcommitee before going to the full Senate for a vote.