College athlete compensation, cannabis investigations and ‘pot for pets’ among latest bills signed by Sisolak

While Nevada lawmakers worked the final weekend before the 120-day adjournment, Governor Steve Sisolak was also busy getting his end of the process – he signed more than 40 bills on Friday and Saturday.

Some of the better known measures Sisolak has signed up to in the past two days include bills to allow college athletes to receive compensation, lower penalties for minors in possession of alcohol or small amounts of marijuana, and instruction about minorities and historically underrepresented groups require and increase the legal and age-related requirements for a person to become attorney general.

Sisolak signed 174 bills on Saturday evening. Once the bills have been approved by both houses of the legislature and sent to the governor’s office, the director general of the state has five days during the sessions and ten days after their adjournment to either sign the bill, veto the measure, or the Clock expire, causing a bill to automatically become law.

Here are some of the key bills Sisolak signed on Friday and Saturday. For a full list of the bills signed by the governor at this meeting, click here.

AB101: “Pot for Pets”

AB101 is sponsored by Rep. Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) and empowers licensed veterinarians to administer products containing CBD or hemp when treating an animal and to recommend the use of such products to pet owners. It also prohibits the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from taking disciplinary action against veterinarians who administer or use such products.

The law was passed unanimously by the Senate and the Assembly.

AB158: Reduced penalties for minors caught buying alcohol or marijuana

Sponsored by MP Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D-North Las Vegas), this action generally lowers criminal penalties for minors in possession of alcohol or small amounts of marijuana.

Specifically, the bill prohibits imprisonment or a fine, and instead requires that individuals under the age of 21 in possession of the prohibited substances do community service for up to 24 hours and attend a group of victims of individuals killed or killed by drunk drivers Have been injured or are undergoing an evaluation to see if they have an alcohol or substance abuse disorder.

The bill also requires the automatic sealing of criminal records related to underage possession once a youngster successfully meets the conditions set by a court.

It was passed unanimously by the Senate and the Assembly.

AB177: Instructions for Prescription Drugs in Non-English Languages

Sponsored by Rep. Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-Reno), this action requires most pharmacies in the state to provide specific instructions on how to use a prescription drug in a language other than English at the request of the recipient. It exempts pharmacies from civil liability if they conclude a contract with a translation service of a third party and injuries cannot be associated with “negligence, recklessness or willful misconduct by the pharmacy or the employee”.

The measure was passed by 26-16 votes in the Assembly, but passed unanimously by the Senate after adding an amendment granting pharmacies civil immunity.

AB200: Veterinary Telemedicine Regulations

Sponsored by Rep. Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod (D-Las Vegas), the move sets rules for veterinary telemedicine that allow licensed veterinarians to practice telemedicine only after a personal examination of an animal. The law would not require veterinarians to examine every member of a herd for remote advice, and a doctor with access to medical records could also seek advice remotely.

The measure was passed by the assembly with 40 to 2 votes and then unanimously by the Senate.

AB254: University athletes can benefit from similarities

This bill, by Jason Frierson (D-Las Vegas), spokesman for the assembly, would prohibit colleges or the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from preventing student athletes from receiving compensation for the use of their name, image, or likeness. It is intended to align with the NCAA’s planned steps to provide compensation for students and athletes.

The bill also requires the Legislative Committee on Education to conduct an interim study on the issue.

There was a 34-8 vote in the Assembly and a unanimous vote in the Senate.

AB261: teaching the history of underrepresented groups

Sponsored by Rep. Natha Anderson (D-Sparks), this action requires Nevada students to learn about the history and cultural contributions of minorities and historically underrepresented groups including Indians, members of the LGBTQ community, and African Americans and be discriminated against. It would also require textbooks and teaching materials to accurately reflect the history and contributions of marginalized groups.

The bill was passed in the Senate and in the Assembly with Republicans in opposition through party line votes.

SB58: Cannabis Studies

This bill extends the role of the Department of Public Security’s Investigation Department to assist with cannabis-related investigations that the Treasury Department or the Cannabis Compliance Board may conduct when those agencies seek help.

The bill was passed unanimously in both houses.

SB66: Connect children to computers

This bill expands the work of the Office of Science, Innovation and Technology and calls on the agency to develop a nationwide system for determining the extent to which students have access to the Internet and computers in their homes. In addition, the office is tasked with connecting the students to this technology.

The bill was passed unanimously in the Senate and 35-4 in the Assembly, with some Republicans opposed.

AB227: Combating Independent Construction Contracts

This bill prevents contractors from hiring anyone who does not hold a contractor’s license and who are not their direct employees to work for a contractor who requires a contractor’s license. Supported by MP Maggie Carlton (D-Las Vegas), the bill is a strategy to address the problem of employee misclassification, but was rejected by all Republicans.

The bill cast party line votes in both houses.

AB190: Sick leave to take care of the family

This bill requires that employers who offer their employees sick leave also allow those employees to use this accrued time to attend to the medical needs of their immediate family, be it due to illness, injury or a doctor’s appointment. However, it allows employers to limit the amount of sick leave an employee can take for this purpose.

The bill, sponsored by the Convention’s Trade and Labor Committee, includes a preamble stating that Nevada caregivers provided 324 million hours of uncompensated care in 2013, valued at an estimated $ 4.27 billion.

The measure was passed unanimously in the Senate and 30-12 votes in the Assembly. Everyone who voted against is Republican.

AB236: Increased requirements for the Attorney General

This bill, sponsored by Congregation Speaker Jason Frierson (D-Las Vegas), increases the qualifications for attorney general. The person in this role must be at least 30 years old – the current minimum age of 25 – and have lived in Nevada for at least three years, from two years.

The person must also be a respected member of the Nevada Bar.

Frierson said the office’s duties had become more complex over the years and Nevada’s minimum qualifications had not kept pace with the requirements common in other states. Opponents said that other constitutional offices, such as governor or treasurer, only require the person to be 25 years old and have no other professional qualifications.

Senator Ira Hansen (R-Sparks) also said this gives too much leeway to prosecutors and limits the choice of voters in Nevada.

The law was passed in the Assembly between 31 and 11 and in the Senate between 12 and 8. Those who voted against were Republicans.

SB362: Operation of a micro-transit system

The bill empowers the Clark County’s Regional Transportation Commission to offer microtransit services, or transportation in a multi-person vehicle that carries fewer passengers than vehicles used on regular routes and shipped via a digital application service.

The measure was passed unanimously by the Senate and with 36 to 5 votes in the assembly.

SB363: Reporting requirements for charter schools

This action requires that charter schools that enter into contracts with education management companies provide the charter school sponsor with a report detailing the amount paid to those companies in the current and previous financial years. Charter schools are required to provide the same report to the director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau in even years.

The bill passed 19: 2 in the Senate and 35: 6 in the Assembly.

AB181 – Mental health parity, attempted suicide

This bill requires healthcare providers to report cases or suspected cases of attempted suicide to the state, with this information being reported annually to the Patient Protection Commission. It also calls for an assessment by the state insurance commissioner to determine whether insurers are complying with federal law that mandates mental health equality – and does not limit mental health benefits more than physical health benefits.

The measure was passed in the Assembly at 26-16 and in the Senate at 14-6. The opponents were Republicans.

This story was updated at 12:53 p.m. on Sunday May 30, 2021 to reflect that Rep Natha Anderson was the main sponsor of AB261.