Assembly Bill 19
Revises provisions relating to educational subjects and standards.
Legislative Summary: AB 19 would change the social studies curriculum in the State. The existing law provides that social studies include only the subjects of history, geography, economics, and government. Per Section 1 of the bill, the social studies subjects would remove government from the list and add civics, financial literacy, and multicultural education. Government will still be taught in Nevada, though it would fall under the broader category of civics. The Vegas Chamber supports this bill as it is imperative for our students to have a curriculum that includes financial literacy.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Assembly Committee on Education
Position: Support
Assembly Bill 20
Revises provisions relating to transferable tax credits for film and other productions.
Legislative Summary: AB 20 provides technical clarification language relating to the transferable tax credits made available to video production companies by the State of Nevada. This language clarifies precisely what types of companies and video productions are eligible to receive tax credits. The Vegas Chamber has historically supported the offering of transferable tax credits by the State as an economic development and diversification tool and supports AB 20’s clarifying language.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Assembly Committee on Revenue
Position: Support
Assembly Bill 38
Revises provisions relating to career and technical education and work-based learning.
Legislative Summary: Legislative Summary: AB 38 provides small changes relating to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs as part of K-12 education. AB 38 requires an advisory technical skills committee for a CTE program to include a broad representation of businesses and industries in the region. This bill also provides students the ability to earn one or more credits towards the total number of credits required for graduation by completing a requisite number of hours in a work-based learning program.
The Vegas Chamber supports CTE programs, which provide students another pathway to achieve academic success and be career-ready or college-ready. CTE’s contribute a significant share to the overall education system and plays a vital role in our State's economic and social development.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Assembly Committee on Education
Position: Support
Assembly Bill 40
Revises provisions relating to petroleum storage tanks.
Legislative Summary: AB 40 addresses the Fund for Cleaning up Discharges of Petroleum, and the definition of small business based on revenue previously written into statute. After a recent audit of the program showed less than 5 percent of the Fund’s available disbursements going to small and independent operators, the Division of Environmental protection suggested changes. These changes would allow the removal of the small business definition from statute and the move to a regulatory definition that would make the reimbursement funds more available to small and independent owners and operators of petroleum tanks.
The Vegas Chamber supports the language changes that make cleanup funds appropriately available to smaller operators in parity with larger businesses.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Assembly Committee on Natural Resources
Position: Support
Assembly Bill 50
Revises provisions governing the issuance of cease and desist orders for unlicensed activity by the State Contractors' Board.
Legislative Summary: AB 50 addresses the remedies and responsibilities the State Contractor’s Board has in relation to unlicensed contractors. AB 50 specifies that the Board may issue a cease and desist order to unlicensed contractors, and administrative fines while providing the requirement and opportunity for the unlicensed contractor to apply for a license.
The Vegas Chamber supports this bill as it will increase parity between those who are licensed as required by state law and those who are not. This bill will also provide relief to homeowners and increase confidence in the homebuilding industry.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Assembly Committee on Commerce
Position: Support
Assembly Bill 57
Temporarily suspends certain requirements relating to certain teacher and administrator evaluations.
Legislative Summary: AB 57 would temporarily change the existing standard of fifteen percent of a teacher’s evaluation that factors in a student’s growth to zero percent for three academic school years. Per Section 1, the percentage would be lowered for school years 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Person Section 2, the fifteen percent would be restored for the 2023-2024 school year. While the Chamber recognizes that teachers and students have been impacted by COVID, suspending three years of measuring a student’s growth as part of a teacher evaluation is a concern especially as students are expected to return to the class for the 2022-2023.
Originally student growth was 50 percent of teacher’s performance evaluation when it was originally adopted to now potentially being lowered to zero percent. There is also a concern from the Chamber that this temporary measure of zero percent would become a permanent change in state law.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Assembly Committee on Education
Position: Oppose
Assembly Bill 66
Revises provisions relating to the abatement of certain taxes.
Legislative Summary: AB 66 is a technical cleanup bill addressing tax abatements and related timelines. This bill provides clarifying language that stipulate actions leading to tax abatements must take place within one year of the acceptance of the application for said tax abatement.
The Vegas Chamber supports this bill as it offers clarity to the sometimes complicated process of tax abatement application.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Assembly Committee on Revenue
Position: Support
Senate Bill 18
Revises provisions governing penalties for certain violations relating to public utilities.
Legislative Summary: SB 18 would change the administrative fine structure that is used by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUC). Section 1 of the bill would revise the daily fine amount of a maximum of $1,000 to $100,000 and a maximum cap not to exceed from $200,000 to $20,000,000. These fines would apply to businesses that operate and maintain the storage facilities and intrastate pipelines used to store and transport natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas.
Section 2 of the bill would also revise the daily fine amount of a maximum of $1,000 to $100,000 and a maximum cap not to exceed from $100,000 to $10,000,000 if a person provides to the PUC information which is inaccurate or misleading and which the person knew or should have known was inaccurate or misleading. Section 3 of the bill increases the maximum amount of a criminal fine from $500 to $50,000.
The Vegas Chamber opposes the bill because of the unprecedent increase of the proposed fines. While fines are an importance regulatory mechanism for state agencies, the proposed fines are extremely burdensome to Nevada’s utility companies.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure
Position: Support
Senate Bill 24
Revises provisions relating to workforce development.
Legislative Summary: SB 24 sets requirements for organizations managing workforce development programs, criteria for the businesses involved and provisions for the receipt of State workforce development funds from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. The requirements set forth in SB 24 are designed to ensure that all participants in a sanctioned workforce development program are offered the opportunity to develop relevant, high demand skills and placement with reputable and responsible businesses.
Workforce development has long been a top priority of the Vegas Chamber, and is vitally necessary for the diversification of Nevada’s economy. The Vegas Chamber supports SB 24, as well as continuing workforce development efforts at the state, county and municipal levels.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Senate Committee on Revenue
Position: Support
Senate Bill 76
Revises provisions relating to education.
Legislative Summary: SB 76 addresses the annual requirement of the State Department of Education to submit for approval plan to increase student achievement, along with other priorities for student learning and development. While current statutory requirements stipulate the oversight and participation by a number of Boards and commissions appointed by the Governor and others, these boards have not always been filled in a timely manner or achieved the necessary attendance for quorum at required meetings for a variety of reasons. These difficulties have led to a less timely response to Board of Education reports, which in turn has made policy changes dealing with difficult situations slow, sometimes to the detriment of Nevada students. SB 76 replaces several Boards and Commissions’ oversight role with designated committees within the Department of Education.
While the Vegas Chamber supports open and accountable education, the need for the Department to operate in a timely manner according to statute is necessary for Nevada’s students. The Vegas Chamber is neutral on SB 76.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Senate Committee on Education
Position: Neutral
Senate Bill 107
Makes various changes relating to the statute of limitations for certain causes of action.
Legislative Summary: SB 107 would clearly establish that there is 4-year statute of limitations for an individual to file a wrongful termination of employment against their former employer. Currently, it is 2-year limitation to file a wrongful termination lawsuit in Nevada. The Vegas Chamber opposes the bill as written. These types of cases can be very expensive to defend against, take considerable time to respond to, and may result in costly damages. Wrongful termination is already illegal at the federal and state level. For a small business, this change to state law would require employers to retain records for even longer periods of time and additional costs associated with their employment practice liability insurance costs.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Senator James Ohrenschall
Position: Oppose
