Nevada Bills

SB 7 revises Nevada law to expand compensation eligibility for lung diseases among first responders. It removes the requirement that lung diseases must be caused by exposure to specific gases (like smoke or tear gas), instead conclusively presuming such diseases arose from employment for firefighters, arson investigators, and police officers with at least two years of continuous, full-time service before disability. This change applies retroactively to claims filed before the law’s effective date. The bill directly affects these public safety workers by simplifying proof for compensation claims related to occupational lung conditions.

SB 481 allocates $1.65 million from the State General Fund to cover an unexpected funding gap for mental health provider services in Southern Nevada. It directly affects mental health providers serving adults in Southern Nevada by ensuring they receive necessary payments for services already authorized under the 2023 budget. The bill is a one-time supplemental appropriation with no new policy changes, simply addressing an unanticipated shortfall in the existing Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services budget account.

SB 35 strengthens penalties for crimes committed by prison staff against inmates and expands restrictions on prohibited substances. It raises sexual abuse of prisoners from a category D felony to a category B felony (1-10 years in prison) and upgrades unauthorized custodial conduct from a gross misdemeanor to a category C felony. The bill also revises the definition of "intoxicant" to include synthetic cannabinoids, chemicals causing intoxication, and other substances, making it a gross misdemeanor for staff to supply these to prisoners. These changes directly affect prison employees, contractors, and volunteers, while reinforcing prohibitions on inmates possessing controlled substances or intoxicants.

SB 493 allocates $2.87 million from the State General Fund and $15.04 million from the State Highway Fund to the Nevada Department of Transportation for replacing the Nevada Shared Radio System, a critical communication network used by emergency responders. The bill requires all funds to be spent by June 30, 2027, with any unspent balances reverting to the respective funds by September 17, 2027. It directly affects Nevada DOT operations and emergency services relying on this radio infrastructure. The legislation becomes effective July 1, 2025, following its approval by the Governor on June 9, 2025.

SB 132 appropriates $500,000 from the State General Fund to the Nevada Clean Energy Fund to support qualified clean energy projects in Nevada. This funding covers temporary project funding ("bridge funding"), technical assistance for state/local agencies, and administrative costs for the fund. The fund must submit two reports detailing how the money was spent to the Interim Finance Committee by late 2026 and 2027, and any unused funds must be returned to the State General Fund by September 17, 2027. The bill directly affects clean energy projects receiving grants and requires strict financial accountability for the state funds allocated.

SB 498 allocates $10 million annually for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to expand undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at Nevada System of Higher Education institutions, plus $2.5 million for academic programming at Nevada State University's North Las Vegas site and $1.5 million for renovating Western Nevada College's Aspen Building. The funds may only cover operating costs like faculty, staff, and equipment - not construction - and must be spent by specific deadlines (September 18, 2026, and September 17, 2027), with unused balances reverting to the State General Fund. This bill directly affects nursing students, faculty, and staff at participating Nevada colleges and universities, as well as campus facilities. It became law on July 1, 2025, after gubernatorial approval.

SB 473 appropriates specific funds from the State General Fund to the Department of Education for replacing computer hardware, software, and office chairs across multiple budget accounts. It allocates $2,384 for FY 2025-26 and $4,768 for FY 2026-27 to the Educator Effectiveness account, with similar amounts for other accounts like Office of the Superintendent ($13,180 each year) and Student and School Support ($7,152 and $45,296). All unspent funds must revert to the State General Fund by September 18, 2026, or September 17, 2027, depending on the account, with no spending allowed after those dates. The bill directly affects the Department of Education’s operations and its budgeted accounts responsible for technology maintenance.

SB 90 appropriates $15 million from the State General Fund to create a grant program for teachers and school support staff (including counselors, psychologists, nurses, and librarians) to obtain classroom supplies and materials. Organizations will administer the grants, with a maximum of $500 per individual for requested supplies, and may cover additional costs if other funding is available. All funds must be expended by June 30, 2027, with unused amounts reverting to the State General Fund. This directly supports educators and specialized staff in accessing necessary classroom resources.

SB 442 requires Nevada's Public Utilities Commission to adopt regulations mandating gas, water, and electricity providers to submit monthly reports on residential service terminations. Each report must include the total number of terminations in the previous month and aggregated demographic data, such as zip codes, for the affected residential customers. This bill does not change existing rules about when utilities can terminate service but adds a data collection requirement for the Commission. The reports will provide the Commission with detailed information on termination patterns across communities.

SB 480 provides a $790,902 loan (for FY 2025-2026) and $9,450 (for FY 2026-2027) from the State General Fund to the Governor's Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). The funds are specifically for replacing backup power systems (uninterruptible power supply equipment) and related maintenance costs. The CIO must repay the full loan by 2030-2031 using revenues from intergovernmental transfers, with annual repayments starting July 1, 2027. Any unused funds must be returned to the State General Fund by September 18, 2026 (for the first amount) and September 17, 2027 (for the second).

SB 452 extends the deadline for returning specific state funds to the General Fund. It modifies a 2023 appropriation of $50 million for office leases/furniture and $5 million for employee training, which were originally required to revert to the State General Fund by September 19, 2025. The bill changes this reversion date to September 17, 2027, allowing the Governor’s Office of Finance to use these funds for an additional two years. This is a procedural adjustment with no new policy changes, directly affecting the Office of Finance’s management of these allocated funds.

SB 298 revises Nevada law to expand protections for peace officers during investigations. It updates the definition of "punitive action" to explicitly include denial of seniority or compensation increases (NRS 289.010), and prohibits law enforcement agencies from denying these increases during investigations - similar to existing rules against unpaid suspension (NRS 289.057). This directly affects peace officers (e.g., police officers) by preventing agencies from using withheld raises or seniority as punitive measures while investigations are ongoing. The bill ensures that such denials can only occur if an investigation leads to dismissal or demotion, aligning them with other punitive actions under existing protections.