Bill Tracker 2015

Revising provisions governing registration and community notification of sex offenders and offenders convicted of a crime against a child.

Makes the provisions governing the payment of prevailing wages inapplicable to a school district, a charter school and the Nevada System of Higher Education; temporarily authorizes the boards of trustees of school districts with prior voter approval to issue general obligation bonds in certain circumstances; temporarily revises provisions governing the transfer of certain revenue to the fund for capital projects.

Would require applicants for a motorcycle driver’s license or motorcycle endorsement to a driver’s license to successfully complete an approved motorcycle safety course if they apply on or after July 1. Would also eliminate the requirement that motorcycle drivers wear protective headgear if they are at least 21 and have possessed a valid motorcycle license for at least one year.

AN ACT relating to elections; requiring, with limited exceptions, proof of identity for voting in person; requiring the Department of Motor Vehicles, under certain circumstances, to issue voter identification cards at no cost; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

AN ACT relating to concealed firearms; authorizing certain persons who possess a permit to carry a concealed firearm issued by another state to carry a concealed firearm in this State in accordance with the laws of this State; deleting certain provisions relating to the registration of firearms capable of being concealed; revising the applicability of certain provisions pertaining to the regulation of firearms by local governments; repealing certain provisions concerning reciprocity of permits to carry concealed firearms; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

AN ACT relating to public safety; revising provisions governing justifiable homicide; prohibiting a person convicted in this State or any other state of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from owning or having in his or her possession or under his or her custody or control any firearm; authorizing certain persons who possess a permit to carry a concealed firearm issued by another state to carry a concealed firearm in this State in accordance with the laws of this State; prohibiting a person against whom an extended order for protection against domestic violence is issued from subsequently purchasing or otherwise acquiring any firearm during the period the extended order is in effect; revising provisions governing civil liability in actions involving the use of force; expanding the rights and powers reserved for the Legislature relating to the regulation of firearms and ammunition; requiring the governing bodies of certain political subdivisions of this State to repeal certain ordinances and regulations; authorizing a person adversely affected by the enforcement of such an ordinance or regulation to seek declarative and injunctive relief and damages; providing that such a person is entitled to certain damages; deleting certain provisions relating to the registration of firearms capable of being concealed; revising the applicability of certain provisions pertaining to the regulation of firearms by local governments; repealing certain provisions concerning reciprocity of permits to carry concealed firearms; providing a penalty; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Would remove knives that are an integral part of a belt buckle and switchblade knives from the list of forbidden weapons. Also would remove dirks, daggers and knives that are an integral part of a belt buckle from the concealed carry list of weapons that require a permit.

Would establish a minimum wage of at least $9 and hour if the employer doesn’t offer health insurance for the employee. For certain state classified employees, certain employees of contractors working on public works projects and certain employees of private employers, this bill would eliminated the requirement of having to pay overtime for yours worked in excess of eight hour in a given day while retaining overtime compensation for hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a week.

If voters approve the issuance of bonds to build or remodel schools, this bill would allow situations where a school board could issue the bonds for an additional 10 years without further voter approval so long as the board finds there is existing tax to pay the debt service on the bonds.

Would expand the authority of a school superintendent to modify the suspension or expulsion requirement for good cause shown if a student commits a battery that results in bodily injury of a school employee, sells or distributes drugs or is deemed a habitual disciplinary problem.

Would prohibit a person from selling or offering to sell liquid nicotine to any child under age 18.

Would provide for the issuance of special license plates indicating support for the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The fees generated from these plates would go to the Nevada Firearms Coalition for programs and activities supporting the Second Amendment.

Would require the state Advisory Council on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to establish events recognizing students who have demonstrated exemplary achievement in those fields. The Southern Nevada events would be hosted by UNLV.

Would prohibit criminal defendants who have plead guilty but mentally ill, have been found guilty but mentally ill or acquitted by reason of insanity from possessing a firearm. Would also require records of such defendants and other court records related to individuals with mental illness to be forwarded to the state’s criminal history repository within five business days.

Would prohibit school administrators from membership in a collective bargaining unit.

Would increase the maximum prison sentence from 15 to 20 years for a person who leaves the scene of an accident that results in bodily injury or death of another person, thereby making the penalties the same for leaving the scene of such an accident and driving under the influence of alcohol or prohibited drug and causing injury or death to another person. Prosecutors also couldn’t dismiss such charges in exchange for a plea to a lesser charge unless the leaving the scene charge is not supported by probable cause or cannot be proven at trial.

This is the proposed business license fee legislation backed by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Would revise the live entertainment tax and how it is applied to various venues.

Would require the Public Utilities Commission to authorize the payment of at least $2 million in incentives each year from 2016 through 2021 to install solar energy systems and distributed generation systems to benefit low-income utility customers. Would also provide for the implementation of plans for July 2016 through June 2025 to encourage a reduction in energy consumption by retail customers through the purchase or implementation of energy efficiency measures.

Would allow for the cultivation of industrial cannabis only by an established agricultural research institution or a person who is registered as a grower of industrial cannabis or as a seed breeder. Would also allow for the manufacture and sale of products made from industrial cannabis by a registered producer of industrial cannabis products. Would allow a person to hold an ownership interest in both commercial cannabis production and a medical marijuana establishment but would prohibit an entity from being registered both as a commercial cannabis producer and a medical marijuana establishment. Would also establish the Industrial Cannabis Advisory Board.

Would make various changes related to liens placed by common-interest communities on a unit that owes money to the association. Would also allow the association to foreclose in lien on a unit that is subject to the Foreclosure Mediation Program if the unit’s owner has failed to pay amounts that became due to the association during the mediation process.

Would require lobbyists to disclose any expenditures made for educational or informational meetings, events or trips provided to state legislators. Legislators would also be required to disclose such activities. Would also prohibit lobbyists from giving gifts in any amount to legislators or members of their family or staff, and prohibit legislators, family and staff from receiving such gifts.

Would allow a student or school aggrieved by a decision or order from the executive director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association to appeal the decision to the director of the Nevada Department of Administration. Would also allow a student to transfer once from one high school to another without losing eligibility to participate in a sanctioned sport.

Would provide that any regulated carrier that is negatively impacted by any decision from the Nevada Transportation Authority may appeal to a court. Would also provide that anyone negatively impacted by the Nevada Taxicab Authority may appeal to a court.

Would allow a charter school to give enrollment preference to a child in a public school with an enrollment that is more than 25 percent of the school’s intended capacity.

Would impose various requirements on school districts and charter schools to improve reading skills among young children. Would also prohibit a third grader from being promoted to fourth grade if he or she doesn’t obtain a certain score on a reading exam prescribed by the State Board of Education.

Would allow for same-sex marriages.

Would require mopeds to be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles but wouldn’t require the owners to maintain liability insurance for the mopeds. The registration fee would be $33, same as for a motorcycle.

Would provide an appropriation to the Clark County School District to continue its Zoom elementary school program for children who are limited English proficient, and to expand the program to middle schools and high schools during the next biennium.

Would appropriate money to schools, designated as Victory schools, that have high numbers of students living in poverty and performing low academically. School districts would also be required to conduct needs assessments of Victory schools and submit comprehensive plans for meeting those needs.

This is the so-called Uber bill that would allow the Public Utilities Commission to regulate transportation network companies that use a digital network or software application service to connect passengers to drivers who can provide transportation services.

Related to Uber, this would provide for certain requirements related to insurance coverage for motor vehicles used in connection with a transportation network company.

Would make it unlawful to possess a counterfeit or forged medical marijuana registry card. Would revise the definition of marijuana to remove the term “resin,” and would repeal and replace the definition of tetrahydrocannabinols as contained in the list of schedule 1 controlled substances. Would also not exempt a registered medical marijuana user from prosecution for possessing marijuana or paraphernalia on school property. Would also allow law enforcement agencies to adopt policies that preclude a peace officer from engaging in the medical use of marijuana.

Would enact the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act. One provision is that a person who seeks medical assistance for someone else who is experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose or other medical emergency or who seeks such assistance for himself or herself may not be arrested or prosecuted for violation of drug laws, restraining orders or parole or probation terms.

Would require the State Board of Education to adopt regulations that prescribe an alternative performance framework to evaluate certain schools that serve certain populations, and the manner in which those schools will be included in the statewide system of accountability.

Would require school districts and governing bodies of charter schools to authorize individual graduation plans for for high school students who aren’t likely to graduate on time and have scored poorly on college and career readiness assessments.

Current law makes it a misdemeanor for someone under age 21 to purchase, possess or consume alcohol in certain circumstances. This bill would provide an exemption from criminal liability if the person under 21 requests emergency medical assistance for himself or herself or another person in certain circumstances.

Would require mining companies to pay taxes on wages paid by those businesses at the same rate paid by financial institutions. For businesses other than financial institutions would also make permanent a tax rate of 1.17 percent of the total wages paid by the businesses each calendar quarter in excess of $85,000. Would also increase the excise tax on cigarettes from 80 cents a pack to $1.20 a pack.

Would establish a Breakfast After the Bell Program so that certain public schools with large populations of pupils from low-income families can provide breakfast to their pupils.

Would amend numerous provisions regarding bullying and cyber-bullying in public schools.

Would urge Congress to enact legislation to transfer at least 7.2 million acres of federal land to the state as recommended by the Nevada Land Management Task Force.

Would urge Congress to enact legislation to require a portion of federal receipts from all commercial activity on federal land in Nevada to be shared with the state and its counties.

Would propose to amend the Nevada Constitution to provide for the lieutenant governor to be elected jointly with the governor so that a single vote in the general election would cover both offices.