1. A person who intends to locate or expand a data center in this State may apply to the Office of Economic Development pursuant to this section for a partial abatement of one or more of the taxes imposed on the new or expanded data center pursuant to chapter 361 or 374 of NRS.

2. The Office of Economic Development shall approve an application for a partial abatement pursuant to this section if the Office makes the following determinations:

(a) The application is consistent with the State Plan for Economic Development developed by the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development pursuant to subsection 2 of NRS 231.053 and any guidelines adopted by the Executive Director of the Office to implement the State Plan for Economic Development.

(b) The applicant has executed an agreement with the Office of Economic Development which must:

(1) Comply with the requirements of NRS 360.755;

(2) State the date on which the abatement becomes effective, as agreed to by the applicant and the Office of Economic Development, which must not be earlier than the date on which the Office received the application;

(3) State that the data center will, after the date on which the abatement becomes effective, continue in operation in this State for a period specified by the Office of Economic Development, which must be at least 10 years, and will continue to meet the eligibility requirements set forth in this subsection; and

(4) Bind the successors in interest of the applicant for the specified period.

(c) The applicant is registered pursuant to the laws of this State or the applicant commits to obtain a valid business license and all other permits required by each county, city or town in which the data center operates.

(d) If the applicant is seeking a partial abatement for a period of not more than 10 years, the applicant meets the following requirements:

(1) The data center will, by not later than the date that is 5 years after the date on which the abatement becomes effective, have or have added 10 or more full-time employees who are residents of Nevada and who will be employed at the data center and will continue to employ 10 or more full-time employees who are residents of Nevada at the data center until at least the date which is 10 years after the date on which the abatement becomes effective.

(2) Establishing or expanding the data center will require the data center or any combination of the data center and one or more colocated businesses to make in each county in this State in which the data center is located, by not later than the date which is 5 years after the date on which the abatement becomes effective, a cumulative capital investment of at least $25,000,000 in capital assets that will be used or located at the data center.

(3) The average hourly wage that will be paid by the data center to its employees in this State is at least 100 percent of the average statewide hourly wage as established by the Employment Security Division of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation on July 1 of each fiscal year and:

(I) The data center will, by not later than the date which is 2 years after the date on which the abatement becomes effective, provide a health insurance plan for all employees employed at the data center that includes an option for health insurance coverage for dependents of the employees; and

(II) The health care benefits provided to employees employed at the data center will meet the minimum requirements for health care benefits established by the Office of Economic Development by regulation pursuant to subsection 12.

(4) At least 50 percent of the employees engaged in the construction of the data center are residents of Nevada, unless waived by the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development upon proof satisfactory to the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development that there is an insufficient number of residents of Nevada available and qualified for such employment.

(e) If the applicant is seeking a partial abatement for a period of 10 years or more but not more than 20 years, the applicant meets the following requirements:

(1) The data center will, by not later than the date that is 5 years after the date on which the abatement becomes effective, have or have added 50 or more full-time employees who are residents of Nevada and who will be employed at the data center and will continue to employ 50 or more full-time employees who are residents of Nevada at the data center until at least the date which is 20 years after the date on which the abatement becomes effective.

(2) Establishing or expanding the data center will require the data center or any combination of the data center and one or more colocated businesses to make in each county in this State in which the data center is located, by not later than the date which is 5 years after the date on which the abatement becomes effective, a cumulative capital investment of at least $100,000,000 in capital assets that will be used or located at the data center.

(3) The average hourly wage that will be paid by the data center to its employees in this State is at least 100 percent of the average statewide hourly wage as established by the Employment Security Division of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation on July 1 of each fiscal year and:

(I) The data center will, by not later than the date which is 2 years after the date on which the abatement becomes effective, provide a health insurance plan for all employees employed at the data center that includes an option for health insurance coverage for dependents of the employees; and

(II) The health care benefits provided to employees employed at the data center will meet the minimum requirements for health care benefits established by the Office of Economic Development by regulation pursuant to subsection 12.

(4) At least 50 percent of the employees engaged in the construction of the data center are residents of Nevada, unless waived by the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development upon proof satisfactory to the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development that there is an insufficient number of residents of Nevada available and qualified for such employment.

(f) The applicant has provided in the application an estimate of the total number of new employees which the data center anticipates hiring in this State if the Office of Economic Development approves the application.

(g) If the applicant is seeking a partial abatement of the taxes imposed by the Local School Support Tax Law, the application has been approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the Board of Economic Development created by NRS 231.033.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2, the Office of Economic Development:

(a) Shall not consider an application for a partial abatement pursuant to this section unless the Office of Economic Development has requested a letter of acknowledgment of the request for the abatement from each affected county, school district, city or town.

(b) Shall consider the level of health care benefits provided to employees employed at the data center, the projected economic impact of the data center and the projected tax revenue of the data center after deducting projected revenue from the abated taxes.

(c) May, if the Office of Economic Development determines that such action is necessary:

(1) Approve an application for a partial abatement pursuant to this section by a data center that does not meet the requirements set forth in paragraph (d) or (e) of subsection 2;

(2) Make the requirements set forth in paragraphs (d) and (e) of subsection 2 more stringent; or

(3) Add additional requirements that an applicant must meet to qualify for a partial abatement pursuant to this section.

4. If the Office of Economic Development approves an application for a partial abatement pursuant to this section, the Office shall immediately forward a certificate of eligibility for the abatement to:

(a) The Department;

(b) The Nevada Tax Commission; and

(c) If the partial abatement is from the property tax imposed pursuant to chapter 361 of NRS, the county treasurer of each county in which the data center is or will be located.

5. If the Office of Economic Development approves an application for a partial abatement pursuant to this section, the Office may also approve a partial abatement of taxes for each colocated business that enters into a contract to use or occupy, for a period of at least 2 years, all or a portion of the new or expanded data center. Each such colocated business shall obtain a state business license issued by the Secretary of State. The percentage amount of a partial abatement approved for a colocated business pursuant to this subsection must not exceed the percentage amount of the partial abatement approved for the data center. The duration of a partial abatement approved for a colocated business pursuant to this subsection must not exceed the duration of the contract or contracts entered into between the colocated business and the data center, including the duration of any contract or contracts extended or renewed by the parties. If a colocated business ceases to meet the requirements set forth in this subsection, the colocated business shall repay the amount of the abatement that was allowed in the same manner in which a data center is required by subsection 7 to repay the Department or a county treasurer. If a data center ceases to meet the requirements of subsection 2 or ceases operation before the time specified in the agreement described in paragraph (b) of subsection 2, any partial abatement approved for a colocated business ceases to be in effect, but the colocated business is not required to repay the amount of the abatement that was allowed before the date on which the abatement ceases to be in effect. A data center shall provide the Executive Director of the Office and the Department with a list of the colocated businesses that are qualified to receive a partial abatement pursuant to this subsection and shall notify the Executive Director within 30 days after any change to the list. The Executive Director shall provide the list and any updates to the list to the Department and the county treasurer of each affected county.

6. An applicant for a partial abatement pursuant to this section or a data center whose partial abatement is in effect shall, upon the request of the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development, furnish the Executive Director with copies of all records necessary to verify that the applicant meets the requirements of subsection 2.

7. If a data center whose partial abatement has been approved pursuant to this section and is in effect ceases:

(a) To meet the requirements set forth in subsection 2; or

(b) Operation before the time specified in the agreement described in paragraph (b) of subsection 2,

the data center shall repay to the Department or, if the partial abatement was from the property tax imposed pursuant to chapter 361 of NRS, to the county treasurer, the amount of the abatement that was allowed pursuant to this section before the failure of the data center to comply unless the Nevada Tax Commission determines that the data center has substantially complied with the requirements of this section. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 360.232 and 360.320, the data center shall, in addition to the amount of the abatement required to be repaid pursuant to this subsection, pay interest on the amount due at the rate most recently established pursuant to NRS 99.040 for each month, or portion thereof, from the last day of the month following the period for which the payment would have been made had the partial abatement not been approved until the date of payment of the tax.

8. A county treasurer:

(a) Shall deposit any money that he or she receives pursuant to subsection 5 or 7 in one or more of the funds established by a local government of the county pursuant to NRS 354.6113 or 354.6115; and

(b) May use the money deposited pursuant to paragraph (a) only for the purposes authorized by NRS 354.6113 and 354.6115.

9. An applicant for a partial abatement pursuant to this section who is aggrieved by a final decision of the Office of Economic Development may petition for judicial review in the manner provided in chapter 233B of NRS.

10. For an employee to be considered a resident of Nevada for the purposes of this section, a data center must maintain the following documents in the personnel file of the employee:

(a) A copy of the current and valid Nevada driver’s license of the employee or a current and valid identification card for the employee issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles;

(b) If the employee is a registered owner of one or more motor vehicles in Nevada, a copy of the current motor vehicle registration of at least one of those vehicles;

(c) Proof that the employee is a full-time employee; and

(d) Proof that the employee is covered by the health insurance plan which the data center is required to provide pursuant to sub-subparagraph (I) of subparagraph (3) of paragraph (d) of subsection 2 or sub-subparagraph (I) of subparagraph (3) of paragraph (e) of subsection 2.

11. For the purpose of obtaining from the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development any waiver of the requirements set forth in subparagraph (4) of paragraph (d) of subsection 2 or subparagraph (4) of paragraph (e) of subsection 2, a data center must submit to the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development written documentation of the efforts to meet the requirements and documented proof that an insufficient number of Nevada residents is available and qualified for employment.

12. The Office of Economic Development:

(a) Shall adopt regulations relating to the minimum level of health care benefits that a data center must provide to its employees to meet the requirement set forth in paragraph (d) or (e) of subsection 2;

(b) May adopt such other regulations as the Office determines to be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section; and

(c) Shall not approve any application for a partial abatement submitted pursuant to this section which is received on or after January 1, 2036.

13. The Nevada Tax Commission:

(a) Shall adopt regulations regarding:

(1) The capital investment necessary to meet the requirement set forth in paragraph (d) or (e) of subsection 2; and

(2) Any security that a data center is required to post to qualify for a partial abatement pursuant to this section.

(b) May adopt such other regulations as the Nevada Tax Commission determines to be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

14. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) “Colocated business” means a person who enters into a contract with a data center that is qualified to receive an abatement pursuant to this section to use or occupy all or part of the data center.

(b) “Data center” means one or more buildings located at one or more physical locations in this State which house a group of networked server computers for the purpose of centralizing the storage, management and dissemination of data and information pertaining to one or more businesses and includes any modular or preassembled components, associated telecommunications and storage systems and, if the data center includes more than one building or physical location, any network or connection between such buildings or physical locations.

(c) “Full-time employee” means a person who is in a permanent position of employment and works an average of 30 hours per week during the applicable period set forth in paragraph (d) or (e) of subsection 2.

(Added to NRS by 2015, 3042; A 2017, 3790; 2019, 2249)