Sen. Julie Pazina

Maddy summarySB 403 revises education policies in Nevada, directly affecting public school districts, charter schools, and students in grades 1-8. It mandates career guidance and counseling for all students in grades 6-8 (previously optional for grades 7-12), requires the Department of Education to create career exploration materials for grades 1-5, and establishes a Subcommittee on Metrics to develop school performance standards. The bill also allows schools participating in competency-based learning pilot programs to use alternative schedules and enrollment counting methods for state funding. It includes $137,820 for a Commission staff position and $50,000 for Commission travel expenses over two fiscal years.

Maddy summarySB 245 creates the Advisory Council on Civics Education within Nevada's Department of Education to help develop and implement the State Seal of Civics Program. The Council, composed of educators, administrators, and civic engagement staff, will establish program criteria and assist the Superintendent in recognizing high school students who demonstrate civics proficiency through revised GPA and examination requirements. The bill appropriates $1.5 million to the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement to raise awareness of civics education and create related awards. This directly affects Nevada high school students, teachers, and schools participating in the civics recognition program.

Maddy summarySB 282 creates a Grocery Initiative within Nevada's Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants and technical assistance to grocery stores in designated food deserts. The initiative aims to expand access to healthy foods in areas meeting specific criteria, such as high poverty rates and limited grocery store proximity (defined as rural tracts with 33% of residents >10 miles from a store or urban tracts with similar metrics). It appropriates $10 million for the program and requires the Council on Food Security to research food insecurity in these areas and submit a legislative report. The bill directly affects grocery stores in qualifying census tracts, not general residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds a new exemption to Nevada's tuition policy, prohibiting the University of Nevada Board of Regents from charging out-of-state tuition to surviving spouses or children of first responders killed while performing their duties in Nevada. It directly affects these family members of fallen police officers, firefighters, or emergency medical personnel who qualify under Nevada law (NRS 193.1678). The key mechanism amends existing law (NRS 396.540) to explicitly include this group among those exempt from tuition charges at Nevada's public universities. This change applies to all campuses within the Nevada System of Higher Education and does not require residency verification.

Maddy summarySB 193 establishes a state pilot program to reduce mortgage interest rates for eligible first-time homebuyers. The program, administered by the Housing Division, provides interest rate buy-downs for owner-occupied homes to families meeting specific criteria: household income at or below 160% of the county median, first-time homebuyer status (with defined exceptions for displaced homemakers and single parents), and mortgage loan eligibility. Participants can apply through the Division, with the program covering up to the full duration of the mortgage loan. The bill includes an appropriation for program implementation but does not affect local or state government budgets beyond the specified funding.

Maddy summarySB 89 prohibits individuals convicted within the past 10 years of crimes motivated by a victim’s race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity from purchasing, owning, or possessing firearms. It applies to both Nevada offenses classified as gross misdemeanors due to bias and out-of-state/federal crimes requiring bias-motivated conduct or enhanced penalties. The bill also adds a grandfather clause protecting those convicted before July 1, 2025, from losing firearms they legally owned prior to that date. This expands existing Nevada law (NRS 202.360) by adding bias-motivated crimes as grounds for firearm prohibition, without altering current restrictions for domestic violence or felony convictions.

Maddy summarySB 301 expands collective bargaining rights to include specific state peace officers. It revises Nevada law to define "employee" for bargaining purposes to cover category I, II, and III peace officers working in the unclassified service of the State. This directly affects those peace officers, who were previously excluded from collective bargaining under existing law (NRS 288.400-288.630). The bill’s key mechanism is amending the definition of "employee" in state law, allowing these officers to negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions with the Executive Department. The change applies solely to state-level employees and has a fiscal impact on the state, per the bill's note.

Maddy summarySB 349 amends Nevada law to explicitly authorize procurement organizations (like organ donation agencies) to transport or arrange for the transportation of a deceased donor's body or body parts. This change directly affects hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and families of donors by clarifying their ability to move remains for donation purposes. Key provisions allow transportation for removing/transplanting body parts or returning remaining body parts to families after donation. The bill makes no changes to donation eligibility or medical standards, only streamlining logistical steps for existing anatomical gift processes. It takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 203 updates Nevada's pari-mutuel wagering rules by allowing racetracks to directly contract with betting operators (like race books or sports pools) instead of requiring a third-party "disseminator" to handle live broadcast agreements. It changes registration requirements for betting operators from "licensing" to "registration" with the Nevada Gaming Control Board and removes fee structures tied to the repealed disseminator framework. The bill also adds legal immunity for state entities acting in good faith regarding pari-mutuel regulations. These changes primarily affect racetracks, betting operators, and the Nevada Gaming Commission, streamlining how live racing broadcasts connect to wagering systems.

Maddy summarySB 375 updates Nevada's credit union regulations to make operations more flexible and accessible. It reduces the minimum share price from $5 to $1, allowing credit unions to issue shares to nonmembers (up to 20% of capital) if designated as low-income credit unions. The bill also simplifies opening new offices by removing the "reasonably necessary" requirement and mandates boards meet at least six times yearly. These changes directly affect Nevada credit unions and their members by lowering barriers to entry, expanding service options, and streamlining administrative processes. The bill passed unanimously and was signed into law as Chapter 206.