Carson City – Monday March 11 marks day 36 of the 2019 legislative session, and the week ahead is studded with interesting bills. There will be legislation regarding bullying in schools, neon as the state mineral, the establishment of a low-income housing database, the Council on Food Security, sick leave to help a family member, the Uniform Regulation of Virtual-Currency Businesses Act, a joint resolution to amend the Nevada Constitution to require the recognition of all marriages regardless of gender, and more. Check back for hourly updates.
Also note, this is by no means a comprehensive list of all meetings and activities at the Nevada State Legislature but a fluid and subjective look ahead at the legislation, presentations and activities of interest to the Nevada Capital News editorial staff. And be aware, bills are heard and presentations are given at the discretion of committee leadership and are subject to change at any time. We will make updates to this list as we become aware of the need for them. The latest revision time will be listed at the beginning of the report, but nothing is more current than the State Legislature web pages.
Several state agency budgets being heard, but interested to know more about the Renewable energy Fund and the Governor’s Office of Energy Conservation Loan.
The Renewable Energy Account was established in 2009 to receive from Nevada counties 45 percent of property taxes paid where an abatement had been granted to qualified renewable energy projects. In 2013, the transfer from the counties of the 45 percent of the property taxes paid was eliminated. This funding source will continue to be available until the associated abatement projects (13 projects) expire. This account shall be interest-bearing and the interest and income earned on the money must be credited to the fund. Statutory Authority: NRS 701A.300 through 701A.450.
The committee will also hear details on the Governor’s Office of Energy – Renewable, Efficiency, Conservation Loan program.
The Renewable Energy, Efficiency and Conservation Loan account was established in 2009 for the purpose of providing short-term, low-cost loans to developers of renewable energy projects, renewable component manufacturers, energy efficiency, and energy conservation projects. These loans serve as a bridge financing option to provide funding for various startup costs associated with a project. Statutory Authority: NRS 281.129.
This committee will hear an interesting bill regarding the designation of neon as the Nevada state mineral. Lawmakers are also set to hear an interesting bill regarding growth management cooperation between certain municipalities.
AB182 – Existing law designates various symbols of the State of Nevada, including a state metal, a state precious gemstone and a state semiprecious gemstone. This bill designates neon as the official state element of the State of Nevada.
AB240 – An act relating to regional planning; requiring representatives from certain counties to meet jointly for a specified period to identify issues and make recommendations regarding the orderly management of growth in their region; requiring such counties to prepare certain reports individually and jointly during that period.
This committee will hear a bill that changes regulations regarding cannabis advertising.
AB164 – An act relating to marijuana; imposing certain requirements relating to advertising by a marijuana establishment and a medical marijuana establishment; revising provisions relating to medical marijuana establishment agents; providing for the registration of agents who work or volunteer at or contract with a marijuana establishment; revising provisions relating to disciplinary action against a medical marijuana establishment agent and a marijuana establishment agent; authorizing civil penalties for certain violations relating to advertising.
This committee will hear a bill regarding bullying in schools.
SB239 – An act relating to education; requiring the interests of a victim of reported bullying or cyber-bullying to be given priority in certain circumstances; authorizing the extension of the time required to conduct an investigation into reported cyber-bullying in certain circumstances; making various other changes to provisions relating to bullying in schools.
SB104 is a bill that would require the inclusion of certain reports as sources of information for the statewide low-income housing database maintained by the Housing Division of the Department of Business and Industry; requiring certain local governments to cooperate with the Housing Division in providing certain information related to affordable housing.
SB178 – An act relating to public health; creating the Council on Food Security within the Department of Health and Human Services; prescribing the membership and duties of the Council; creating the Food for People, Not Landfills Program; authorizing the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt regulations to carry out the Program.
The committee will hear a bill regarding a change in law that would allow a relative to use sick leave to help a sick family member.
AB90 – An act relating to employment; requiring private employers that provide employees with sick leave to allow an employee to use such leave to help a member of the employee’s immediate family with certain medical needs; providing a penalty.
AB166 – An act relating to crimes; establishing the crime of advancing prostitution; revising the penalties for the crime of living from the earnings of a prostitute; providing penalties.
SB195 – An act relating to virtual currency; enacting the Uniform Regulation of Virtual-Currency Businesses Act; enacting the Uniform Supplemental Commercial Law for the Uniform Regulation of Virtual-Currency Businesses Act.
AB220 – An act relating to the Lake Tahoe Basin; requiring the issuance of general obligation bonds to carry out certain environmental improvement projects included in the second phase of the Environmental Improvement Program for the Lake Tahoe Basin.
SB254 – An act relating to greenhouse gas emissions; requiring the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to issue an annual report concerning greenhouse gas emissions in this State.
AB151 – Provides for the protection of children who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
AB156 – An act relating to child welfare; requiring a court to appoint an educational decision maker for a child for whom a petition is filed alleging that the child is in need of protection; prescribing the duties of such an educational decision maker; requiring an agency acting as the custodian of a child to include certain educational information in a report submitted to the court before a hearing to review the placement of the child; requiring the court to take certain actions if such an agency fails to include the required information in such a report.
AB62 – An act relating to water; revising the time period for which the State Engineer may grant an extension for the completion of work for the diversion of water; authorizing, under certain circumstances, the State Engineer to suspend the limitation of time for the completion of work set forth in a permit or an extension previously granted.
AB214 – Makes an appropriation for a feasibility study relating to further development of a museum at the Nevada State Prison.
The committee is scheduled to hear former Sen. Kelvin Atkinson’s “renewable” natural gas bill.
SB154 – This bill requires the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada to adopt regulations authorizing a public utility which purchases natural gas for resale to engage in renewable energy activities and to recover all reasonable and prudent costs associated with the public utility’s participation in a renewable natural gas activity which has been approved by the Commission.
The committee is set to workshop several bills. One of interest is AB240, a measure that would mandate certain counties work together when deciding on issues of growth and development.
The busy committee will workshop several bills to include AB17, an act relating to bail; revising provisions governing bail in criminal cases; requiring the exoneration of bail under certain circumstances.
The committee will also work on AB164, a measure that would enable cannabis companies to post advertisements without prior approval of the Department of Taxation. Lawmakers will also work on AB183, a bill that would prohibit the state from contract with private, for-profit prisons.
AB226 is also up for a work session today, a bill that would prevent humans from being micro-chipped.
Brian has been a public media producer for the better part of 25 years. He has been news director at three public radio stations, KRZA serving Alamosa, Colorado and Taos, New Mexico, KUNR in Reno, KVMR in Nevada City, California, and Brian was a co-founder of KNVC community radio in Carson City, 95.1 FM. He has reported for Capital Public Radio, Nevada Public Radio, and has filed numerous reports for the Pacifica Network News and National Public Radio. He holds a BA in English from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, and an MA in English from the University of Nevada Reno. Brian is a veteran of the sea-going US Navy, ‘79-’85. He and his wife have lived in Reno since 1999.
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