Special Session of the Nevada State Legislature

November 13, 2025

Dear Wolf Pack Family,

The Special Session of the Nevada State Legislature requested by Gov. Joe Lombardo, which will be convened today, Thursday, Nov. 13 in Carson City, contains three items related to higher education and the University of Nevada, Reno that will be considered by the members of the Legislature.

These items are: 1) Funding for the Life Sciences Building on the University campus; 2) Funding related to moving equipment from the current Nevada State Public Health Laboratory Building to the new Public Health Laboratory Building on the University campus; 3) A film industry bill that has the potential to help explore ways to collaborate and possibly expand the University’s role in the motion picture production space.

The Life Sciences project represents Nevada’s most critical higher education priority, with a total project cost of $137 million, including a $30 million private gift contingent upon immediate action by the State of Nevada. The University is requesting $68.5 million in State funding, with the remainder provided through private and institutional sources. Immediate action is required to secure private matching funds and avoid significant cost escalation. The Life Sciences Building will significantly elevate Nevada’s competitiveness in health, biotechnology and environmental sciences while providing workforce and economic development for the entire state.

The Life Sciences Building will serve over 4,000 students annually in fields that feed Nevada’s medical, biotechnology, agricultural, veterinary, and environmental sectors. The facility will directly support the preparation of doctors, nurses, veterinarians, pharmacists, biomedical engineers, lab technicians, environmental scientists, nutritionists, and public health professionals. Every year of delay limits Nevada’s ability to graduate and retain these skilled professionals in high-demand fields essential to the State’s healthcare system, food security, and bioscience economy. The project directly supports Governor’s workforce and innovation agenda, ensuring Nevada remains competitive in national research and industry partnerships.

As the new State Public Health Laboratory nears completion on the University’s campus, an additional $7.5 million is being requested for additional construction costs, laboratory migration, biosafety infrastructure, devices to support public health testing, and informational technology infrastructure. The new State Public Health Laboratory will serve the public health needs for all Nevadans and will drive the capacity of higher education in our state to grow translational research that will have a profound impact on the state’s health needs.

The Summerlin Studios initiative, a joint venture between Howard Hughes Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery would drive significant film and television production activity in Nevada, creating jobs, attracting investment, and providing economic development opportunities. This could include collaboration with the University’s Reynolds School of Journalism through initiatives such as internships/traineeships, trainings/workshops, master classes, and access to state-of-the-art equipment.

All three of these items promise to enhance the impact of higher education on our state, delivering on meeting our state’s key workforce and industry needs, increasing higher education’s capacity for solutions-based research as well as building a healthier Nevada through access to diagnostic and analytical services and disease prevention programs. 

We wish to express our gratitude to Gov. Lombardo for including these items in the Special Session, and to the members of the Nevada State Legislature for considering them.

Go Pack!

Sincere regards,

Brian Sandoval
President