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2-Minute Preview: More votes, renewable energy studies, more Clark County commissioners on deck

Riley Snyder
Riley Snyder
Legislature
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Nevada Legislature building

A day after casting votes on close to 100 bills, Nevada lawmakers are hopping back in the saddle and scheduling dozens of votes and hearings on bills with less than a week to go before the next legislative deadline.

In addition to floor sessions, lawmakers are scheduled to hold hearings on bills raising penalties for firing a gun into an occupied building or vessel, increasing the number of Clark County commissioners and approving studies on renewable energy and electric vehicles.

Lawmakers will also hear a speech from Democratic Rep. Susie Lee at 5 p.m.

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, visit the Legislature’s website for committee times and links to watch live committee meetings and floor sessions.

Here’s what to watch for on Wednesday at the Legislature:

SB274: Raising penalties for firing a gun into an occupied building

Members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee are scheduled to hear details of a bill that would amend the criminal penalties for firing a gun into an occupied building or vessel from outside the structure.

The bill, proposed by Democratic Sens. Melanie Schieble and Nicole Cannizzaro, would raise the maximum penalty for willfully and maliciously firing into an occupied building or vessel from six to 10 years. The bill also lowers the maximum term of imprisonment for firing a weapon indoors from a 2 to 15 year range to a 1 to 10 year range, aligning the two criminal penalties. The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate on March 27.

It’s up for a hearing in the committee at 8 a.m.

SB383: Prohibiting sexual conduct between a law enforcement and a person in custody

Proposed by Democratic Sens. Melanie Scheible and Julia Ratti, SB383 would establish a rebuttable presumption in any civil lawsuit that sexual contact between a law enforcement officer and a person in their custody is considered unwelcome or nonconsensual.

The bill also clarifies that it doesn’t apply to any person technically in custody through the Division of Parole and Probation. It passed unanimously in the Senate on April 9.

It will be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee at 8 a.m.

SB127: Increasing number of Clark County Commissioners

If approved, this bill by Democratic Sen. David Parks would increase the membership of the Clark County Commission from seven to nine members by the 2022 general election.

A fiscal note submitted by Clark County estimated that initial startup costs for paying staff and new county commissioners would cost more than $3.8 million to implement over the next two fiscal years. It passed 20-0 in the Senate on March 25.

It’s scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly Government Affairs Committee at 9 a.m.

AB21: Appointments, instead of elections, to county boards

Sponsored on behalf of the Nevada Association of Counties, AB21 would allow the board of county commissioners in districts with fewer than 100,000 residents to appoint, rather than hold elections, for positions on limited focus boards such as irrigation districts or general improvement districts.

The bill requires any County Commission to adopt an ordinance to appoint the positions, and limits applicable elected positions to those who receive less than $6,000 in annual compensation. It passed 39-0 out of the Assembly.

It’s up for a hearing in the Senate Government Affairs Committee at 1 p.m.

SB208: Occupational licensing changes for cosmetology

If approved, this bill by Democratic Sen. Mo Denis and Republican Assemblywoman Jill Tolles would amend the legal definition of a cosmetologist, and lower the required number of training hours required before applying to become a licensed cosmetologist.

The bill would lower the required training hours from 1,200 hours to 1,000 hours for a cosmetologist and lower required training hours from 2,400 to 2,000 hours to become a licensed hair designer’s apprentice in a cosmetological establishment. It also changes the procedure for licensing a cosmetological establishment. The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate on March 18.

It’s scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee at 1:30 p.m.

SB17: No hunting license for nonpayment of child support

If approved, this bill would require the state’s Department of Wildlife to revoke any individual's license to hunt, fish or trap if they receive notice the license-holder is wanted or in arrears over paternity or child support payments.

It’s up for a hearing in the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee.

SCR1 + SCR3: Studies on renewable energy and electric vehicles

Proposed by Democratic Sen. Pat Spearman, SCR1 would direct an interim legislative Committee on Energy to study various aspects on renewable energy development, including costs and benefits of certain resources, workforce training and energy efficiency.

It will be heard alongside SCR3, another study request by Spearman to have the Legislative Commission appoint a committee to study the use of electric vehicles, including any benefits, impacts to public roads and highways and how to ensure electric vehicle owners “equitably contribute” to the cost of road maintenance.

Both study requests will be heard in the Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee at 3:30 p.m.

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