Major Deadline Approaching Friday, April 10th, marks the 68th day of the 2015 Legislative Session and is the first major deadline on the 120-Day Calendar that affects the passage of bills and joint resolutions. Measures that are not passed out of the standing committees by the “First House Committee Passage” deadline are generally considered dead… Read more

Halfway Point and Salary Cutoff Thursday, April 2nd, marks the 60th day and halfway point of the 120-day limit on the length of the regular 2015 legislative session. That date also is notable because it is the last day on which legislators will receive a salary. That compensation is set by statute, tied to any… Read more

Budget Closings Set to Begin Since the beginning of session, the Senate Committee on Finance (SFIN) and the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means, known as the “money committees,” have been meeting almost daily to review the Governor’s recommended budget. SFIN has completed its hearings on 100 percent of the 442 budget accounts in the… Read more

2015 Legislative Manual Now Available The 2015 Legislative Manual, published by the Legislative Counsel Bureau (LCB), became available online last week on the Legislative website. This detailed reference manual contains biographies of all legislators, and chapters on legislative structure, procedures, the LCB, and additional resources for the legislators and the public. It includes legislative district,… Read more

Videos Now Available on Legislative Website A major innovation appeared last week on the Nevada Legislature’s website with the addition of video access to the committee meetings and floor sessions of the 2015 session. On the right side of the website, at the bottom under the heading “78th (2015) Session,” is a new link for… Read more

Special Sessions Due to the Limitation on Length of Session The Nevada Constitution (Article 4, Section 2) limits the length of a regular biennial session of the Legislature to 120 calendar days. That limit was approved by the voters with an amendment adopted in 1998. Prior to that adoption, regular sessions in Nevada were unlimited… Read more

Legislative Guide Now Available The Guide to the Nevada Legislature 2015-2016 is now available online. Printed copies may be obtained at the Legislative Building in Carson City and at the Las Vegas Office of LCB in the Grant Sawyer State Office Building. This free, colorful, 33-page booklet, published by LCB’s Research Division around the beginning… Read more

How to Contact Legislators and Voice Your Opinion The legislative website at www.leg.state.nv.us allows anyone, anywhere to follow Nevada’s legislative actions and reach their representatives through the Internet. Contact information for legislators, including email addresses, are readily available on the site (through the “Contact Information” link midway on the right side of the website; or… Read more

Understanding the Committee Process Most standing committees (e.g., Senate Committee on Health and Human Services) do not take action on a bill at its initial hearing, unless it is noncontroversial or deemed to require prompt action. Time is provided for Committee members to review testimony, and consult on possible amendments with their colleagues, lobbyists and… Read more

Introduction The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will be publishing regularly a “Legislative Update” to help inform readers about activities and actions during the 2015 session of the Nevada Legislature. In our nonpartisan manner, we will (1) summarize committee hearings and actions, and recap floor actions in both houses, (2) provide an overview of the… Read more