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2-Minute Preview: Background checks, inmate drug treatment and marijuana DUI law on Legislature's agenda

Michelle Rindels
Michelle Rindels
Megan Messerly
Megan Messerly
Legislature
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The inside of the Nevada Legislature during State of the State

A bill to expand gun background checks is expected to continue its brisk flight through the Legislature on Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, while lawmakers consider proposals on a range of other topics.

The Legislature’s Valentine’s Day agenda also includes bills on drug treatment for inmates and policies for English language learners, as well as presentations from prison officials and the DMV.

The three committees that meet at 4 p.m. have no bills on the agenda and will continue to hear presentations. Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections members will hear from county election officials, Senate Natural Resources members will focus on wildland fire management programs, and a joint meeting of Assembly Taxation and Senate Revenue and Economic Development will hone in on the Department of Taxation and the Gaming Control Board.

For more information on the status of bills working their way through the Legislature, check out The Nevada Independent’s bill tracker. And for the bills in committee today, check out the Legislature’s website for committee times and links to watch live committee meetings and floor sessions.

Here’s what’s on the agenda for lawmakers on Thursday:

SB49: Substance abuse treatment for inmates

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear from Nevada Department of Corrections Director James Dzurenda about the operations of his agency, then will hear two bills related to prisons.

One is SB49, which makes changes to the law on inmate substance abuse treatments. Among the proposals is allowing inmates to receive treatment at a facility outside of the prison, as long as there are enough precautions taken to prevent an inmate’s escape.

The hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m.

AB65: Streamlining licensing for notaries

The Assembly Government Affairs Committee will hear a presentation by Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske taking up AB65, a bill that reduces barriers to becoming an electronic notary public. Existing law requires someone to serve as a regular notary for at least four years in Nevada to apply to become an electronic notary; the bill would remove that four-year requirement and allow someone to register simultaneously as a regular and electronic notary.

Electronic notaries can notarize documents online, without the parties being physically present.

The committee meets at 9 a.m.

AB92: English language learners

The Assembly Education Committee will hear a presentation from Acting Superintendent Jonathan Moore about Career and Technical Education programs, in addition to a presentation from state and district officials on programs for English learners.

The committee will also hear AB92, a bill that expands the scope of the state’s English Mastery Council from just dealing with English language learners to also dealing with any student who is scoring in the bottom quartile of standardized tests on reading.

The committee meets at 1:30 p.m.

AB23: Regulating remote-controlled vehicles

The Assembly Growth and Infrastructure Committee is taking up AB23, which creates a new category for remote-controlled vehicles that are not technically autonomous and calls them “alternative electronic transportation system vehicles.” It would also authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles to regulate and test those vehicles.

The committee, which will also hear presentations from the DMV and the Nevada Trucking Association, meets at 1:30 p.m.

SB23: Controlled substance tests

This bill, put forward by the Nevada Highway Patrol, would allow an arresting officer to test any blood sample obtained on reasonable grounds for the presence of any controlled substance. It also requires coroners to test for the presence and quantity of any controlled substances for anyone who has died as the result of a motor vehicle crash.

The legislation will be heard by the Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure at 1:30 p.m.

SB134: Expanding abilities of advanced practice registered nurses

This bill, sponsored by Sen. Joyce Woodhouse and Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton, would allow advanced practice registered nurses to attest to medical conditions that may make patients eligible for certain services or exempt from certain tests. Over the last few years, Nevada has expanded the ability of APRNs to practice amid an ongoing medical workforce shortage.

If passed, the legislation will allow APRNs to certify that someone is unable to wear a seat belt or child restraint system for medical or physical reasons, determine whether a person has hemophilia or other heart condition that would exempt them from a blood alcohol test, exempt someone from a breath alcohol test due to an inability to provide a deep lung breath sample, determine whether an offender is a drug or alcohol abuser and can be treated and sign a statement verifying a physical or mental disability in order for someone to receive free or reduced rates for public transportation. It also allows APRNs to make certain determinations about guardianships, powers of attorney and custodial trusts.

The bill will be heard by the Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure at 1:30 p.m.

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