Nevada Bills passed 2021 Government and Social Services

Our lawmakers in Carson City passed numerous bills governing all areas of the law in their 2021 session, even during the pandemic they were hard at work. Many of these laws focused on Government and Social Services. Our legislature was busy addressing many inequities based upon race and socio-economic position. They updated our laws to provide expanded services for disabled people and allowing homeless youth to make their own health care decisions. coverages to address these disparities. The following is a summary of the Open Government bill and the laws governing social services that were passed by our Nevada legislature during the 2021 session.

Open government

Senate Bill 77:This Bill exempts from state Open Meeting Law certain pre-decision and deliberative public meetings involving National Environmental Policy Act proceedings. This bill is intended to allow local officials to discuss the bill before the open government groups begin. Specifically, the law is amended as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 241 of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto a new section to read as follows:
1. A public body that has entered into a memorandum of understanding or other agreement with a federal agency for the purpose of engaging with the federal agency on an action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321 et seq., may hold a closed meeting to engage in predicational and deliberative discussions on the subject of the memorandum or agreement. Any such discussions in a closed meeting must:

(a) Occur only during the period before the federal agency publicly releases the document addressing the action under the National Environmental Policy Act and begins the corresponding
public comment period; and

(b) Be required by the federal agency to be kept confidential under the memorandum of understanding or other agreement.

2. If a public body holds a closed meeting pursuant to subsection 1, the public body shall not include any item in the discussions for the closed meeting other than the subject of the memorandum or agreement entered into with the federal agency.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7340/Text

Effective immediately.

Social services

Assembly Bill 62: This Bill allows the state treasurer to seek private donations to fund start-up ABLE savings accounts before the age of twenty-six to save money in a specific account for Nevadans with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The ABLE Act allows individuals who were previously deemed to be disabled to open accounts and not jeopardize the government benefits they desperately need. Before this act was passed, a person with a disability who relied on benefits provided by the government to survive, such as SSI and Medicaid, could lose those benefits if they had more than $2,000.00 . The loss of those benefits could mean the loss of housing, employment, transportation and other critical benefits that they receive. The ABLE Act allows people with disabilities to save money and feel more secure without being penalized.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7315/Text

Effective April 21, 2021.

Assembly Bill 138: Reverses the law that made those convicted of felony drug crimes ineligible for federal food or family assistance. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of thousands of Americans who are currently serving time for drug offenses in our country. Some statistics say it is more than a half-million people. For many of these citizens, leaving prison with a felony conviction on their record creates an added level of difficulty in re-entering society. A 1996 federal law blocks felons with drug convictions from receiving welfare or food stamps unless the individual states choose to waive the restrictions.

The ban that was imposed did not apply to those with convictions for any other crimes. These bans on public programs were put into place as part of a sweeping reform of the nation’s welfare system in the 1990’s at a time when the “war on drugs” was in full swing. Two decades later, many states are rethinking this position and trying to help people released from prison for drug conviction re-enter society and become productive citizens. The goal is to reduce the likelihood they will return to prison.

Since 1996, 18 states have reversed these restrictions on food stamps, also known as the “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program” and allow people with certain types of drug felonies to be eligible those benefits. While states can make changes to welfare and food stamp policy, it primarily falls to the federal government to remove the hurdles that released drug felons face in receiving various government benefits for education, nutrition and housing assistance.

In 2006, the federal government opened college grants and loans to those convicted of a drug felony which reversed a 1998 policy. However, if someone is convicted of a drug crime while receiving aid, they will lose the aid until they complete treatment or prove sobriety which seems perfectly reasonable if the program is also paid for by the government. Otherwise, they are back at square one and likely to recommit a crime.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7466/Text

Effective July 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 197: Authorizes minors who do not live with their parents or legal guardian to consent to certain health services for themselves or their children. The need for this bill reflects a very sad issue facing our community. There is a rising trend of homeless youth in Southern Nevada. I was shocked to learn that our state ranks fourth in the nation in total number of unaccompanied homeless youth. In addition, sadly, Nevada ranks first in the nation in rates of Unsheltered Unaccompanied Homeless Youth. The rate of unaccompanied youth (aka homelessness) in Southern Nevada is greater than the state as a whole and far exceeds the national average (24.7% compared to 6.54%). Another shocking fact is that 2,794 minors were rescued from human sex trafficking by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department from 1994 through 2016. This is a number that shocked my conscious. The need to allow minors to make their own decisions will continue to grow in all areas of the law as long as these numbers exist.

These numbers have been on the rise for the past several years . Recent data from Clark County School District (CCSD) shows that this trend of an increasing youth homeless population has gone unabated in Southern Nevada. CCSD data reports show that the number of families with children and unaccompanied youth who identify themselves as homeless has gone up over the years from 9,284 children in 2013-2014 to almost 11,000 children in the 2016-2017 school year. There are many organizations trying to help these kids including the following:

Shannon West Homeless Youth Center

1640 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89119

Phone: (702) 526-4990

Hearts 4 Angels Ranch/Shelter For Homeless Teens

3960 Howard Hughes Pkwy Suite 508, Las Vegas, NV 89169

Phone: (702) 660-5240

Street Teens

5599 S Pecos Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89120

Phone: (702) 215-4171

If you are able to help in anyway, these organizations are allowing taking donations to help these homeless youth.

https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/story_attachments/167/The%20State%20of%20Homeless%20Youth%20in%20Southern%20Nevada.pdf

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7591/Text

Effective May 27, 2021.

Assembly Bill 406: This bill requires casinos to withhold casino gambling winnings from parents who owe child support. Although this law seems good on paper, enforcement may prove to be very difficult. There are thousands of parents who owe child support, and the statute requires that the paying entity have notice of the child support lien. The statute does not provide for the creation of a central data base that the casinos can access to check if child support is owed by the winner. Until there is a way for this to be conveyed to the casinos in Nevada, this will be a difficult provision to enforce.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8031/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical bills from an accident, please do not hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Marie Payne, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.

At our office, we are experienced in helping injured victims get the compensation to which they are entitled. Insurance companies never have the best interest of the injured person at the top of their priorities. They want to pay as little on every claim as possible. Having worked for an insurance company as an attorney for 9 years before opening my boutique law firm specializing in helping injured people, I have reviewed thousands of auto accident claims and policy provisions.

At the Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury law offices of TheOneLawyer.com, Laura Marie Payne, Esq. and her staff are here to help you and your family in the event that accidents and tragedies occur. For any of your legal needs, do not hesitate to contact our Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury offices. TheOneLawyer.com is a boutique, family-owned law firm that specializes in helping injured people and the community of Las Vegas and Henderson Nevada with legal issues involving auto accidents, wrongful deaths, slip and falls, truck accidents, injuries to children, bicycle accidents, dog bites, product liability claims, and all types of injury claims. Please do not hesitate to call us anytime you have a legal question or you or a loved one has sustained an injury at 702-450- 4868 and text 24/7 at 702-600-0032.

Laura Payne® Attorney Henderson – My Vegas Magazine Article

Attorney Laura Payne has the right combination of experience, dedication and compassion.

It’s not something anyone likes to think about, but statistics indicate that most of us will be involved in an accident at some point. When that happens, anxiety can really kick in. We’re constantly bombarded by billboards, commercials, and ads for personal injury attorneys in Las Vegas – What should you look for when choosing representation? It’s important to find an attorney that is not only experienced in personal injury law, but is tenacious, compassionate, and attentive as well. Those are the attributes Laura Payne has in spades. She is the attorney behind TheOneLawyer.com and also heads up the Henderson’s premier boutique personal injury firm. We recently asked her to share with us what has motivated her to provide exemplary legal representation with a decidedly personal touch for over twenty years.

What sparked your interest in becoming an attorney?

When pursuing my undergrad at UNVL, I majored in journalism and worked at the school newspaper and radio station. One of my favorite things about that experience was interviewing people and learning out the issues they were facing. And while journalism helped me shine a light on people’s problems, it didn’t provide a path to help. That’s what I love so much about law. Now, I still get to hear people’s stories, but I’m also able to help them solve their problems, too.

Why did you choose to focus on personal injury law?

I considered becoming a public defender, but after two years working in the criminal system, I decided I wanted to advocate for people who had been wronged by large corporations and insurance companies. What better way to prepare myself to do that than by working within that system?

I spend over nine years as a staff attorney for a large insurance company. There, I gained the experience and knowledge to not only try cases but to understand how insurance companies review and determine the value of cases. This has given me an insight into the business that few other attorneys possess.

What sets your practice apart?

My primary strengths as an attorney are personal service and years of experience. I have purposefully kept my practice small so I can provide one-on-one help to each of my clients. I understand how insurance companies treat you as a number – and how frustrating and painful that can be.

When you retain me, you work directly with me. My clients are often stressed, fearful and confused at our first consultation. They frequently tell me that no none else has explained or listed to them as clearly as I have. They’ll start the conversation with, “I don’t want to bother you.” My reply is always the same: “You aren’t bothering me. I work for you, and if you have a question, never hesitate to call or text me!” I treat every client as though they are my only client.

What legal services do you provide?

I represent every client on a personal, compassionate and professional level whether they were involved in a car, truck, boat, bus, motorcycle, or slip-and-fall accident. I’m licensed to practice law in all courts in the state of Nevada and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appleas. I am also admitted to practice in Texas and California. I’m a member of the American Bar Association, the Clark County Bar Association, and the Southern Nevada Women’s Bar Association.

What do you love about Las Vegas?

I grew up here. It’s where my family and friends live and where I am raising my three sons. I’m just as passionate about our community as I am my clients. I sport several youth sports leagues and volunteer frequently with community outreach charities. When I am not working or attending my sons’ baseball games, you’ll find me practicing yoga, skiing, or riding ATV’s.

Call 702-450-4868

Text: 702-600-0032

New Nevada Laws Natural Resources passed in 2021 Part 2

In their 2021 session, our lawmakers in Carson City passed Bills governing all areas of the law even during the pandemic they were focused on the issues facing our State. Many of these laws focused on our public lands and natural resources here in Nevada. In fact, there were so many Bills passed in this area that this topic will be two blogs, and this is part two of two. Our legislature was busy addressing many issues regarding wildlife and endangered species on our state. From protecting trees to ancient burial grounds, from saving water to saving the public from wild animals, our legislature was hard at work tackling these issues. The following is one of two of a summary of the Bills regarding Natural Resources that were passed by our Nevada legislature during the 2021 session.

Natural resources (Part 2)

Assembly Bill 103: This bill changes the rules for digging on private land where a prehistoric Indian burial site is located. Permits will be issued for digging as long as it is not in areas of a property that contain a burial site. Which, practically, who would want to dig up a gravesite. However, for commercial business and utilities, it will take some research to determine if a known burial site exists on the property. This bill provides, instead, that such a permit is not required to engage in a lawful activity on such private lands if: (1) the activity is exclusively for purposes other than the excavation of a prehistoric Indian burial site; and (2) the activity occurs only on a portion of the private lands that does not contain the known prehistoric Indian burial site. Typical government verbiage is contained in this statue. Practically, it is likely unknown where many of these sites are located.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7404/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 171: This bill protects Rocky Mountain junipers also known as swamp cedars in the Bahsahwahbee Traditional Cultural Property in White Pine County. Effective July 1, 2021. Section 1 of this bill declares that it is the policy of this State to protect the Spring Valley population of Rocky Mountain junipers, known as “swamp cedars,” that occur in White Pine County within the Bahsahwahbee Traditional Cultural Property. Sections 1 and 2 of this bill make it unlawful for any swamp cedar within that property to willfully or negligently be cut, destroyed, mutilated or removed without first obtaining a special permit from the State Forester Fire warden. Section 2 also revises the existing exemption for Indians native to Nevada who gather flora for certain reasons to remove the requirement that such Indians be “native to Nevada. “ And in case you are wondering, below is a Rocky Mountain Juniper:

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7529/Text

Assembly Bill 200: This is another bill drafted to address the needs of the pandemic and permits veterinary telemedicine. Veterinary telemedicine” means the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications regarding the health status of an animal or a group of animals and includes, without limitation, communication via telephone, video, a mobile application or an online platform on an Internet website.” Imagine your pet is feeling ill and you are in compromised health or quarantined. Your Vet can now see your pet virtually and speak with you to diagnosis and issue prescriptions for your pet.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7595/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 356: This bill requires the Southern Nevada Water Authority to Develop a plan to identify and facilitate the removal of existing nonfunctional grass within the service area of the Southern Nevada Water Authority on property that is not zoned exclusively or a single-family residence. This means that the Southern Nevada Water Authority can now have policing authority to require businesses to remove unnecessary grass. Clearly this bill is aimed at combatting the severe drought facing our city. The plan must, without limitation:

(1) Establish phases for the removal of nonfunctional turf based on categories of water users; and
(2) Establish deadlines within the service area of the
Southern Nevada Water Authority for existing customers to remove nonfunctional turf on property that is not zoned exclusively for a single-family residence before December 31, 2026.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7910/Text

Effective immediately for purposes of implementation.

Senate Bill 52: Creates a program to award a dark sky designation to locations where stargazing isn’t affected by lights to localities, parks, reserves and other state entities. A dark-sky designation is an area, generally surrounding a park or observatory, that restricts artificial light pollution. The primary purpose of the dark-sky movement is generally to promote astronomy. It is often referred to in different terms and describes areas that national organizations have worked to have designated as “Dark Sky” areas. In fact, the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) uses International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR) and International Dark Sky Park (IDSP). A third designation, International Dark Sky Sanctuary, was introduced in 2015. This is an entire movement that I had never heard of, and many states have made “dark sky designations.” This is one of the reasons I enjoy writing blogs is to learn new things. I have never heard of “Dark Sky Designation” and there is actually an entire organization dedicated to this movement.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7230/Text

Sections effective May 10, 2021, October 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 344: This bill bars people from letting wild animals come into direct contact with others. I can note imagine that somewhere in our vast statutes that this was not already illegally. If you own a tiger, it cannot get loose. (this is where I need some emojis) Section 7 of this bill prohibits a person from allowing a dangerous wild animal, as defined in section 4 of this bill, to come in direct contact with a member of the public. “Dangerous wild animal” means any of the following live animals held in captivity:

1. All elephants from the genera Elephas and Loxodonta.
2. All species of aardwolves and hyenas.
3. All species of primates, except humans.
4. The following species from the family Canidae:
(a) Gray wolves (Canis lupus).
(b) Red wolves (Canis rufus) that have been bred in captivity.
5. The following species from the family Felidae: (a) Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), including hybrids thereof.
(b) Clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa and Neofelis diardi),
including hybrids thereof. (c) Jaguars (Panthera onca), including hybrids thereof.
(d) Leopards (Panthera pardus), including hybrids thereof.
(e) Lions (Panthera leo), including hybrids thereof. (f) Mountain lions (Puma concolor) that have been bred in
captivity, including hybrids thereof.
(g) Snow leopards (Panthera uncia), including hybrids thereof.
(h) Tigers (Panthera tigris), including hybrids thereof.
6. The following species from the family Ursidae: (a) American black bears (Ursus americanus) that have been
bred in captivity.
(b) Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus).
(c) Brown bears (Ursus arctos).
(d) Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).
(e) Polar bears (Ursus maritimus).
(f) Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus).
(g) Spectacled bears (Tremarctos ornatus), including hybrids thereof.
(h) Sun bears (Helarctos malayanus)

So, in short, keep your polar bear locked up!!!!

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7991/Text

Effective July 1, 2021.

At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical bills from an accident, please don’t hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Marie Payne, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.

At our office, we are experienced in helping injured victims get the compensation they are entitled to. Insurance companies never have the best interest of the injured person at the top of their priorities. They want to pay as little on every claim as possible. Having worked for an insurance company as an attorney for 9 years before opening my boutique law firm specializing in helping injured people, I have reviewed thousands of auto accident claims and policy provisions.

Nevada Public Lands and Resources bills passed 2021

The following is one of two of a summary of the Bills regarding Natural Resources that were passed by our Nevada legislature during the 2021 session.

Natural resources (Part 1 of 2)

Assembly Bill 71: Often times, laws are passed at the urging of various political groups or through extreme lobbying efforts. Assembly Bill 71 appears to be such a Bill. This law is really about the open meeting law and access to public information. This statute requires that certain information which is related to rare plants or animals or ecological communities that is included in the data systems maintained by the Division of Natural Heritage of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources be kept confidential. There is really no explanation for keeping specific information regarding our environment, which in the past was public information, confidential. The link below allows you to review the minutes and the meetings for the passage of each Bill. Specifically, this Bill was opposed by many community groups in our state and there was not one offering of support from the public for this Bill. In fact, this Bill was opposed by such groups including the Center for Biological Diversity, the Nevada Open Government Coalition, the Nevada Press Association, the ACLU of Nevada, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, the Sunrise Movement of Las Vegas, and the Great Basin Water Network. Despite unanimous public opposition offered to our legislature, this Bill was passed. The Bill received 42 votes in the assembly of which 26 were yea and 16 were nay and in our state Senate 16 votes were yea and 5 were nay. It is not unusual, sadly, for Bills that clearly, on their face, appear to be against the best interests of the general public to be passed through the efforts of lobbyists. In this case, time will tell what the reasoning was for keeping specific ecological data out of the view of the public. It is surprising that our governor did not veto this Bill.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7324/Text

Effective immediately.

Assembly Bill 72: Nevada assembly Bill 72 is another effort by our lawmakers to be inclusive of all cultures on state decision-making boards. This Act relating to the geographic names of our natural parks and resources requires that the State Board of Geographic Names include a representative of the Nevada Indian Commission as one of the 11 members on the voting board. This Bill also clarifies that the chair and vice chair of the board must be designated by the other voting members. The naming of national parks and even public places and sports teams has become the focus of great concern in recent years. We have seen protests regarding the names of certain national parks as offensive to Native Americans and even seen long-standing sports franchises change their names as a result of public pressure. This Bill is in direct response to those issues and requires that a representative of our native American community be on the board of geographic names for our state to prevent any offensive naming’s from occurring in the future regarding Native Americans.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7325/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 84: Assembly Bill 84, again, is in response to recent tragic events in our state as well as around the country relating to wildfires. This Bill authorizes the state Forrester Fire Warden to enter into private-public partnerships and allows for the purchase of certain equipment for the early warning or detection of wildfires. As is obvious on its face, this Bill is directly aimed at attempting to prevent the massive wildfires that have ravaged our state the past several years. It is shocking to me that if there is such equipment available for the early warning and detection of such fires that this has not been purchased and used in the past. However, at least going forward maybe these tragic events can be better controlled in the future.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7354/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 85 Assembly Bill 85 relates to agriculture and revises the provisions relating to the control of noxious weeds. In a nutshell, existing law authorized the State Quarantine Officer to declare by regulation which weeds of the state are noxious but prohibited the state quarantine officer from designating a weed as noxious if the weed was so well established in the state that the Quarantine Officer judged its control to be impractical. This Bill removed that prohibition and authorized the State Quarantine Officer to declare any weed noxious by regulation.
OK so I had to do a little digging deep to figure out why this was an issue before our legislature. In fact, the Eureka county manager opposed this Bill. Apparently, once a weed is considered to be noxious, there is a requirement to control the weed by the city or county. Weeds have a significant effect on wildfires, and this was a Bill aimed at controlling more weeds to lessen the impact of wildfires. It places the burden on counties and municipalities to be increased by requiring the control of any weed determined to be noxious by the State Quarantine Officer. The Bill was also opposed by the Nevada Mining Association. They were concerned primarily that the specific weed of cheatgrass in Nevada which is difficult to control and widespread on private and public lands. They believe this Bill will place an undue burden on private landowners already in control of extensive ranching lands to have to address the weed issues on rural lands. This is a good example of a law that seems to be inconsequential on its face but in fact can impact a very small percentage of our population in a very drastic way. It is always a balancing act of public protection versus the burden on private citizens and business https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7354/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 86: Assembly Bill 86 creates larger legal liability for the starting of wildfires. Under existing law, a person, firm, association, or agency that willfully or negligently caused a wildfire which threatened human life could be held liable for expenses incurred in extinguishing the fire. This Bill was revised to remove the requirement that “human life is threatened.” This Bill provides expanded liability for causing any wildfire regardless of the threat to human life. Really, it is a Bill to hold big business, primarily energy companies, liable for starting wildfires. It is clear that a wildfire started by an individual really would be unaffected as most individuals do not possess the resources to even come close to covering the cost of fighting a major fire. However, this law places a greater burden on companies to make sure that their equipment is updated and functioning and less likely to cause wildfires.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7355/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 89 Assembly Bill 89 relates to hunting licenses and authorizes the board of wildlife commissioners to establish a program where a person can transfer his or her hunting tag of a big game animal to a qualified organization for use by certain persons. The Bill further authorizes a family member of a deceased big game hunter to transfer a tag of a big game animal. In the past, big game tags were not transferable unless the person could demonstrate to the board of wildlife commissioners the existence of extenuating circumstances which caused the person to be unable to use the tag. This Bill provides a lengthy process to provide more circumstances under which these hunting tags can be transferred.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7370/Text

Various effective dates through July 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 101: Assembly Bill 101 authorizes a licensed veterinarian to administer animal products containing him for CBD which do not contain more than .3% of THC in order to treat animals. This Bill prevents the Nevada state Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from taking disciplinary action against a licensed veterinarian or the facility in which she or he practices for prescribing or administering CBD products to animals.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7402/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne-Payne, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical Bills from an accident, please don’t hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Marie Payne-Payne, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.

At the Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury law offices of TheOneLawyer.com, Laura Marie Payne-Payne and her staff are here to help you and your family in the event that accidents and tragedies occur. For any of your legal needs, do not hesitate to contact our Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury offices. TheOneLawyer.com is a boutique, family-owned law firm that specializes in helping injured people and the community of Las Vegas and Henderson Nevada with legal issues involving auto accidents, wrongful deaths, slip and falls, truck accidents, injuries to children, bicycle accidents, dog bites, product liability claims, and all types of injury claims. Please do not hesitate to call us anytime you have a legal question or you or a loved one has sustained an injury at 702-450-(PAYNE) 4868 and text 24/7 at 702-600-0032.

Housing Laws Nevada changes in 2021

Our lawmakers in Carson City passed bills governing all areas of the law in their 2021 session, even during the pandemic they were hard at work. Many of these laws focused on housing law. Our legislature was busy addressing many inequities in access to housing based upon socio-economic position and made efforts to address homelessness in Nevada. The 2021 legislature passed provide renters with greater protections during the pandemic.

They also looked forward in laying the foundation to provide for a framework for alternative housing options for low-income Nevadan’s by requiring cities to provide zoning for “tiny homes.” Our lawmakers were very concerned with providing Nevada renters with access to rental assistance and the time to apply and receive such aide. They helped renters by reducing late fees and providing better notice of proposed rent increases. The following is a summary of the laws passed by our 2020 legislature regarding housing law in Nevada.

Homeowners and housing

Assembly Bill 141: This Bill requires the Courts to seal records of summary evictions that occurred during the COVID-19 state of emergency. Specifically, the new bill amends NRS 40.2545 to read as follows:

1. If a court grants an action for summary eviction pursuant to NRS 40.253 during the COVID-19 emergency, the court shall automatically seal the eviction case court file.

2. In addition to the provisions for the automatic sealing of an eviction case court file pursuant to subsection 1, in any action for summary eviction pursuant to NRS 40.253, 40.254 or 40.2542, the eviction case court file is sealed automatically and not open to inspection: . .

This Bill took effect for evictions starting on March 12, 2020 and ends “on the date on which the Governor terminates the emergency described in the Declaration.” This Bill is critical to help renters who have been evicted due to job loses move forward and be able to rent another place. It is very difficult to rent again after an eviction. Therefore, if you were evicted after March 12, 2020, make sure the Court sealed the eviction record.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7469/Text Effective May 27, 2021.

Assembly Bill 249: This Bill Prohibits common interest communities that are governed by homeowners’ associations from restricting daily hours for seasonal construction below what is locally authorized. This is an unusual ordinance and must have been prompted by a specific situation facing certain HOA communities. This is why it is important to bring problematic issues you are facing to the attention of your local state lawmaker in your district.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7709/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 308: This law prevents landlords from charging a late fee if rent is paid within three days of being due and extends required notice period for rent increases. Specifically, the new law states: ”In a tenancy that is longer than week to week, no late fee may be charged or imposed until at least 3 calendar days after the date that rent is due. . .” In addition, said late fee cannot exceed five percent of the amount of the periodic rent and the maximum amount of the late fee must not be increased based upon a late fee that was previously imposed. In addition, the law changed the notice needed for a rent increase This bill increases the period for providing notices of increases in rent to:

(1) for a periodic tenancy of 1 month or more, 60 days in advance of the first rental payment to be increased; or

(2) for a periodic tenancy of less than 1 month, 30 days in advance of the first rental payment to be increased.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7813/Overview Effective July 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 486: This bill is in response to the pandemic, and it temporarily stops evictions if a tenant is awaiting rental assistance and can show they are diligently monitoring their “CHAP” (Clark County Housing Assistance Program) application. This program was created by the Cares Act and requires landlords to cooperate with the application process of their tenant in exchange for direct payment of rents to the landlord. This is not just an amendment to a law but an entire Act relating to property including the defining certain terms. This Act temporarily authorizes tenants who are facing eviction proceedings to assert certain affirmative defenses relating to rental assistance. The act also establishes procedures relating the court’s handling of evictions involving CHAP applications. It also temporarily establishes procedures relating to claims for wrongful eviction and authorizes a court to stay a designated eviction proceeding in order to facilitate alternative dispute resolution through the CHAP program. The law temporarily requires notices for designated eviction proceedings to contain certain information regarding the CHAP program and establishes temporary procedures relating to the provision of rental assistance to certain landlords of single family residences with at least one tenant who has defaulted in the payment of rent. The primary purpose of the Act is to allow for the disbursement of certain federal money for the payment of rents in circumstances relating to the pandemic.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8216/Text

Effective immediately through June 5, 2023, or earlier date set by state Supreme Court.

Senate Bill 103: This bill prohibits a property insurer from refusing to issue, cancelling, refusing to renew or increasing the premium or rate for certain policies of insurance on the sole
basis of the specific breed or mixture of breeds of a dog that is harbored or owned on an insured property unless the particular dog is known to be dangerous or vicious or declared to be dangerous or vicious pursuant to the public health laws of the State. This law may have a significant impact on homeowners insurance rates in our state. Many major insurance companies have a list of dog breads that are listed in the policy that will not be covered for a dog bite attack under the policy. This law makes those provisions void. So basically, the risk for those breeds will now be paid by all homeowners in Nevada.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7406/Text

Effective Jan. 1, 2022.

Senate Bill 150: This new law requires Nevada’s most populated counties of Clark and Washoe counties and the state’s largest cities to designate zoning districts where “tiny houses” may be built. This is an effort to alleviate the homeless issue in these areas by providing affordable alternative housing.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7544/Text

Effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Senate Bill 254: Shockingly, this bill was passed by our legislature but vetoed by Governor Sisolak. As a landlord, I agree with the Governor’s veto. The law would have barred a landlord from checking a prospective tenant’s criminal history or arrest record and refusing to rent on the basis of that record. I am not sure what the legislature was thinking on this one. A landlord has a right to know the criminal history of a prospective tenant. If the property is located near a school, do you really want someone to rent the property to a convicted child sex offender?

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7786/Text

Senate Bill 311: This bill Authorizes the Nevada Rural Housing Authority to create a for-profit business entity to support affordable housing development. This is an effort to help develop the smaller towns in the State.

https://legiscan.com/NV/text/SB311/2021

Effective October 1, 2021.

At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical bills from an accident, please don’t hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Payne, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.

At the Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury law offices of TheOneLawyer.com, Laura Payne and her staff are here to help you and your family in the event that accidents and tragedies occur. For any of your legal needs, do not hesitate to contact our Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury offices. TheOneLawyer.com is a boutique, family-owned law firm that specializes in helping injured people and the community of Las Vegas and Henderson Nevada with legal issues involving auto accidents, wrongful deaths, slip and falls, truck accidents, injuries to children, bicycle accidents, dog bites, product liability claims, and all types of injury claims. Please do not hesitate to call us anytime you have a legal question or you or a loved one has sustained an injury at 702-450-(HUNT) 4868 and text 24/7 at 702-600-0032.

Healthcare Bills passed in Nevada 2021

I am proud to live in a state where our legislators are on the forefront of protecting our communities and preserving the rights of women in our state. The 2021 legislature passed laws to improve access to contraception and healthcare for women. They also looked forward in laying the foundation to provide for a framework for health insurance for small business owners and entrepreneurs in our state. They passed laws to illuminate conflict of interest between insurers and medical Providers and protect women from unscrupulous medical providers. Perhaps the most groundbreaking law was allowing pharmacist to dispense birth control to women without a prescription. Our legislature stands on the forefront of protecting our constitutional and civil rights in the state of Nevada.

Our legislature was brave enough to step up and address the issues head on and protect and preserve women’s healthcare and reproductive freedoms. This law is indicative of the progressive nature of our state. The legislature also addressed pandemic issues to allow our state administrators greater freedom in accessing medical supplies. The following is part two of a summary of the healthcare bills that were passed by our Nevada legislature during the 2021 session.

Health and Health Care (Part 2)

Assembly Bill 287: This is an interesting bill that removes the word “mother” from the statute governing medical facilities and changes the word to “person who gave birth.” It also changes the word “father” to “parent who did not give birth.” The statue goes on to establish independent birthing centers that will be licensed by the state. This allows the use of midwives in their own facility. The statue is likely promulgated to provide reduced cost birthing options in a licensed facility.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7779/Text

Effective January 1, 2022.

Assembly Bill 436: Assembly bill 436 amends NRS 686A to mandate that an insurer shall not contract with the provider of vision care services for any rate of reimbursement if the insurer has an ownership or other pecuniary interest in the rate of reimbursement. Basically, the statute prevents insurance companies from having any interest in vision care services directly. They can only negotiate contracts and provide reimbursement for services, but they cannot have any ownership interest or monetary interest in the vision services themselves.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8091/Overview

Effective October 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 181: Senate bill 181 changes the licensing requirements for alcohol and drug counselors to allow for an expansion of addiction treatment providers. The statute still requires a total of 1500 hours of experience in counseling after graduation, but it no longer requires that experience to have been supervised by a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Other requirements for passage of an exam are still in place. It seems that this elimination of supervised residency does not benefit our community and perhaps brings less qualified providers to the profession. However, the statute still requires some supervised post graduate counseling work.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7608/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 190: This is groundbreaking in that it authorizes pharmacists to dispense hormonal birth control to women without a doctor’s visit. This is referred to as a “self-administered hormonal contraceptive” and it still requires approval of the food and drug administration of any medications dispensed. The law does require women to fill out a risk assessment questionnaire and be given information about the medication.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7622/Text

Effective January 1, 2022.

Senate Bill 196: This bill prohibits a healthcare provider from performing any type of pelvic exam on a patient who is unconscious without their prior consent. As is obvious on its face, this bill is aimed at preventing some of the atrocious acts of molestation that have occurred by medical professionals and been brought to light over the past couple of years. Although it is fair that most medical professionals are of the upmost integrity, this law protects patients from the medical professionals who engage in this illegal conduct.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7638/Overview

Effective July 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 251: Senate Bill 251 requires a primary care doctor to make an assessment of whether a female patient should be screened for the BRCA gene mutation that causes breast cancer. The law requires that state Medicaid will pay for the genetic counseling and testing of this harmful gene mutation. Although this is an admirable effort to help early diagnosis of breast cancer, the practical implication of placing this burden on primary care physicians is problematic. Is it now the law that every female is now required to fill out special paperwork for each visit to a primary care doctor to make this assessment and be sent for testing? This remains to be determined.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7773/Overview

Effective January 1, 2022.

Senate Bill 305: Senate Bill 305 prohibits providers from using discriminatory practices when making decisions regarding organ transplants based on a person’s disability. Although this sounds on its face to be an effort at fairness, it seems that providers should be able to determine who, in fact, would be the worthiest recipient of an organ transplant and consider all relevant factors. If I were donating my organs, I would want them to go to the person most likely to prosper and contribute to our society as a result of the donation. That does not mean that persons of disabilities are not worthy and deserving but this decision should be left to the people involved in making the decisions

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7920/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 364: Senate Bill 364 requires hospitals and emergency rooms to inform victims of sexual assault that they have the right to receive emergency contraception and provide such contraception to them at their request. Unlike other states like South Dakota and Texas, I am proud to live in Nevada where our legislature is preserving and protecting the rights of women.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8034/Overview

Effective October 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 396: Senate Bill 396 allows public agencies to contract with private entities or out of state entities to buy prescription drugs, pharmaceutical services, or medical supplies. This law was likely prompted by the pandemic and the severe shortage of medical supplies that arose to give our state more options in obtaining supplies.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8007/Text

Effective immediately.

Senate Bill 420: Senate Bill 420 creates a publicly managed, lower tier, private health insurance program. Unfortunately, this bill does not go into effect until January 2026 which is unusual for a law to be passed and not go into effect for five years. However, this law could greatly help self-employed entrepreneurs in our state. This law will create a health insurance system that will leverage the purchasing power of the state to create lower premiums and provide affordable healthcare for the residents of the state of Nevada who are small businesses or employed by small businesses. The option allows small businesses to start health plans that are defined in 402 US C 18021.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8151/Text

effective January 1, 2026.

At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical bills from an accident, please don’t hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Payne, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.

At the Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury law offices of TheOneLaweyer.com, Laura Payne and her staff are here to help you and your family in the event that accidents and tragedies occur. For any of your legal needs, do not hesitate to contact our Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury offices. TheOneLawyer.com is a boutique, family-owned law firm that specializes in helping injured people and the community of Las Vegas and Henderson Nevada with legal issues involving auto accidents, wrongful deaths, slip and falls, truck accidents, injuries to children, bicycle accidents, dog bites, product liability claims, and all types of injury claims. Please do not hesitate to call us anytime you have a legal question or you or a loved one has sustained an injury at 702-450-(HUNT) 4868 and text 24/7 at 702-600-0032

New Nevada Healthcare Laws 2021

Our lawmakers in Carson City passed bills governing all areas of the law in their 2021 session, even during the pandemic they were hard at work. Many of these laws focused on healthcare. In fact, there were so many healthcare bills passed that this topic will be two blogs, and this is part one of two. Our legislature was busy addressing many inequities based upon race, immigration status and socio-economic position. They updated our Medicaid laws to provide expanded coverages to address these disparities. The Nevada legislature passed laws to require our Department of Health and Human Services to study maternal mortality rates in different demographic areas to determine the need for additional services. This study will allow our lawmakers to determine whether to laws passed expanding coverage for maternity regardless of residency and expanding coverage to allow for Doula services will cut down the maternal mortality rates impacting those communities.

They also addressed issues of drug overdose and passed into law a bill allowing school district personnel to administer life-saving opioid overdose drugs to students. It is shocking and sad that this bill is necessary. However, the fact that it is necessary, and our legislature was brave enough to step up and address the issue head on will hopefully save lives of students. This law is indicative of the progressive nature of our state. The legislature also addressed pandemic issues in allowing employees to take their sick leave to take care of family members. The following is part one of a summary of the healthcare bills that were passed by our Nevada legislature during the 2021 session.

Health and Health Care (Part 1 of 2)

Assembly Bill 59: Assembly bill 59 seemed to sneak in under the radar. I was quite surprised that there was not a lot of press or social media regarding the passage of this bill. This bill is our legislatures attempt to curb this shocking and distressing trend towards kids smoking and vaping. It is sad to see kids starting these activities at such a young age that are so bad for their long-term health. It is my hope that this bill possibly curbs this trend toward of kids under 21 using nicotine and tobacco products. This new law raises legal age to use or buy tobacco or nicotine products to 21, from 18. Various effective dates through July 1, 2021. https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7312/Text

Assembly Bill 119: Existing law establishes a Maternal Mortality and Review Committee, and that committee has traditionally been required to perform studies and make recommendations to reduce maternal mortality. This bill increases the duties of the committee to identify and review disparities in the incidence of maternal mortality in the state including disparity by race and economic position. Basically, the legislature has asked the committee to review and include in their report whether there is race and economic issues that contribute to maternal mortality so that the state can address and hopefully remedy those disparities. This law revises the duties of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee to look at factors of race, ethnicity, age, and geographic region in mortality which were not previously considered. https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7440/Text

Effective May 25, 2021.

Assembly Bill 177: Senate Bill 177 is another attempt to make our state inclusive of all races. This bill requires pharmacies to print prescription labels in different languages if requested by the patient. https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7541/Text

Effective July 1, 2022.

Assembly Bill 187: This law Designates September as “Ovarian and Prostate Cancer Prevention and Awareness Month.” Assembly bill 187 specifically designates the month of September each year as the ovarian and prostate cancer prevention and awareness month in the state of Nevada. This law is put into place to bring attention to the factual information regarding the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian and prostate cancer. Hopefully , this recognition of these terrible cancers will make our citizens more aware of the early signs of these conditions to prevent death and encourage proactive health screenings.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7618/Text

Effective May 27, 2021.

Assembly Bill 189: Expands Medicaid coverage for pregnant women. Existing law requires the department of health and human services for State of Nevada to determine coverages under Medicaid for pregnancy. This bill requires the department to expand coverage under the state plan for Medicaid for pregnant women to provide Medicaid for pregnancy without submitting an application for enrollment and Medicaid which includes additional proof of eligibility. The bill also prohibits the imposition of the requirement that a pregnant woman who resides in the state and who is otherwise eligible for Medicaid must reside in the United States for a prescribed period of time before enrolling in Medicaid. This bill is to protect the health and safety of babies born in the state of Nevada by providing proper medical care for their mothers regardless of their residency status.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7577/Text

Effective July 1, 2022.

Assembly Bill 190: Assembly bill 189 is another Covid-based law that requires private employers to allow employees to use sick-leave to take care of a family member. This new law allows certain employees to use sick leave for any purpose, including to take care of an immediate family member with illness and/or medical needs. https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7578/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 191: Senate Bill 191 basically updates the Medicaid laws to recognize the treatment by physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners. Many of the existing laws refer to doctors; however, as we all know, we are seeing these medical providers much more frequently than medical doctors. This law allows coverage for physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners and other community health workers to be covered services under Medicaid. This law adds Medicaid coverage for services of different community health workers besides medical doctors. https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7582/Text

Effective July 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 192: This new law changes procedures and requirements for testing pregnant women for syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases. The new law requires that physicians treating pregnant woman test for additional sexually transmitted diseases unless the pregnant women opt out of such tests. This law also removes the penalty for a woman who refuses treatment.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7583/Text

Effective July 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 205: Bill 205 authorizes a school nurse or other designated school employee or administrator to administer medication to reverse an opioid drug overdose. Is a sad state of our country and schools that this is a necessary law. However, if any child can be saved by quick action by school personnel it is a much-needed law

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7583/Text

Various effective dates through July 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 216: This bill adds Medicaid coverage for cognitive assessment and care planning for patients showing signs of impairment including memory loss. This bill provides that the director of Medicaid shall require that the state pay the non-federal share of expenditures incurred for patients receiving cognitive assessments and care planning services due to symptoms or signs of cognitive impairment including short term memory loss, orientation as to time in place, deductive or abstract reasoning or other cognitive impairments.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7583/Text

Effective July 1, 2021.

Assembly Bill 256: This bill requires state Medicaid to pay for Doula services for pregnant women. The law further requires that applicants seeking payment for Doula services must provide prove that they possess the require training and qualifications to perform such services that are prescribed by the department of health and human services. This law is another expansion of Medicaid coverage for services.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7720/Text

Effective January 1, 2022.

At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical bills from an accident, please don’t hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Marie Payne-Hunt, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.

At the Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury law offices of TheOneLaweyer.com, Laura Marie Payne-Hunt and her staff are here to help you and your family in the event that accidents and tragedies occur. For any of your legal needs, do not hesitate to contact our Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury offices. TheOneLawyer.com is a boutique, family-owned law firm that specializes in helping injured people and the community of Las Vegas and Henderson Nevada with legal issues involving auto accidents, wrongful deaths, slip and falls, truck accidents, injuries to children, bicycle accidents, dog bites, product liability claims, and all types of injury claims. Please do not hesitate to call us anytime you have a legal question or you or a loved one has sustained an injury at 702-450-(HUNT) 4868 and text 24/7 at 702-600-0032.

A break down of the new laws and bills passed by Nevada Lawmakers in the 2021 session.

Nevada Lawmakers passed bills impacting all areas of our laws and government in the 2021 session. This blog is a continuation of my series of breaking down all of the new laws and bills passed by our legislature in the last session. If you are a new lawyer looking for legal placement opportunities, you may search online or contact a legal recruitment agency or an attorney recruiter.

Our lawmakers passed laws on issues ranging from expanding voting rights to decriminalizing speeding tickets. In this blog, I outline the new laws passed in the area of government and administration. Specifically, these laws focus on the organizing, directing, planning, coordinating, and controlling of government operations in our state.

Government and Administration

Assembly Bill 123: This bill will not make Golden Knights fans thrilled but I doubt it will deter any fans from obtaining a Golden Knights license plate. This bill increases the cost of the Golden Knights license plate by $10 to support the team’s foundation. The Golden Knights foundation is a 503(c)(3) organization that serves charitable organizations in our community. They support local nonprofits via partnerships, community programming, and direct grants. These activities are funded by financial donations and various programs throughout the year, including the sale of license plates. Some of the programs supported by the foundation include fostering growth of Las Vegas youth in K through 12 public schools with programs with emphasis on youth sports. The foundation also serves military members and first responders by providing donations as well as helping to fight hunger and homelessness in our communities. $10 well spent!!!

Effective October 1, 2021.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7444/Text

Assembly Bill 196 requires that there be designated lactation rooms in our county and city court houses. This law mirrors the federal law that has been in effect for many years which requires all federal buildings to provide space that is private and clean for mothers to feed their newborn babies or express breastmilk. This bill makes appropriations from the state general fund to allocate grants for the court houses to construct these spaces.

Effective January 1, 2022.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7590/Text

Assembly Bill 236 changes the age requirement as well as the residency requirement for a person to run for Attorney General in the state of Nevada. It is interesting that the previous law did not require our state attorney general to be an attorney in good standing in the state of Nevada. This law also increases the age from 25 to 30 years old to run for such office and in addition extends the residency requirement from the previous two years to three years residency prior to the election. In my brief research, I was unable to reveal how or why this law became necessary or relevant at this time. Our current attorney general, the 34th in our state, is attorney Aaron D Ford who is highly qualified with a long and distinguished career in both law and state politics.

Effective immediately.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7682/Text

Assembly Bill 253 updates the open meeting law to meet with the challenges that Covid has presented and the technology we currently use. This bill simply adds a process for remote access to open meetings of government committees.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7713/Text

Effective immediately.

Assembly Bill 280 requires that all public single stall restrooms now must be gender neutral. It is important to note that the bill does not require business establishments to change existing facilities with the exception that if they have a single stall restroom, they will need to change their sign to allow an “all gender” bathroom or “all accessible” bathroom. It is important to note that the bill specifically does not provide for a cause of action to be filed or a complaint to be filed with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission for a violation of this bill. For all practical purposes, the bill does not change much. Clearly, establishments that only have one single restroom obviously allow people of all genders to use their single restroom. It does not require changes to existing establishments with the exception of the sign and only if they only have one single stall restroom

Various effective dates through February 1, 2022.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7756/Text

Assembly Bill 421: Assembly Bill 421 shows that our legislature was busy in all areas of the law to remedy outdated laws that are still on the books. This law removes and replaces reference to insanity and the term “deaf and dumb” in our state code. It may be shocking that we were still using the phrase “deaf and dumb” in our laws. This bill requires Nevada law to refer to “persons with mental illness.“. The law states that “terms that are not preferred for use in Nevada revised statutes include “insane“ and insanity“. Sometimes words become slang in our environment and lose their legal meaning. This provision updates the language of the statutes to a more clinical use of terminology.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8053/Text

Effective July 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 28 Senate Bill 28 establishes the offense of sexual harassment within the Nevada code of military justice and provides punishment. Although the military operates under its own code of military justice, the national guard is governed by the states. Senate Bill 28 adds a punitive provision for sexual harassment by enforcing the zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault and harassment in the Nevada National Guard. Sexual assault has long been a criminal matter and continues to be punishable severely under our system of justice. However, the offense of sexual harassment often goes unpunished or unrecognized. This law provides stronger enforcement of the quality and safety of members of the Nevada National Guard.

https://gov.nv.gov/News/Press/2021/Governor_Sisolak_signs_Senate_Bill_28/

Effective May 19, 2021.

Senate Bill 46 Senate Bill 46 must’ve been prompted by some events as it makes certain public documents such as deeds of residence and voting records confidential for employees of the attorney general’s office.

https://legiscan.com/NV/bill/SB46/2021

Effective October 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 62: Senate Bill 62 expands which charitable organizations are required to register with the state and adds those that solicit donations but are not federally tax exempt. This bill is likely in response to the large amount of fraud that occurs by telemarketers calling and stating that they are with the police or fire departments or other organizations and are soliciting money related to those organization. Many of these are fraudulent and tarnish those they purport to represent. This bill requires that any organization that does try to solicit money from the public, whether it be for college funds or fallen firefighters or police officers, to register with the state. This is so that the state knows who is soliciting charitable donations from the public.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7247/Text

Effective on October 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 177 Senate bill 177 is simply another tax disguised as a fee to increase revenue for the state. This bill increases the surcharge on a marriage license from $25 up to $50. The bill states that the extra funding will support domestic violence services.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7601/Text

Effective July 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 430 expands projects that will be funded by the state infrastructure bank and includes projects related to renewable energy, recycling, and social and economic development among many other causes. The bill also will expand projects to include digital infrastructure

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8161/Overview

Effective July 1, 2021.

At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical bills from an accident, please don’t hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Marie Payne-Hunt, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.

Nevada State legislature in 2021 very busy looking at climate change

The state legislature in 2021 was very busy looking at climate change in improving Nevada’s reporting requirements and environmental state. Our state is on the forefront of preserving the environment. Our legislature passed several bills to require additional reporting regarding greenhouse gas emissions by Nevada companies. In addition, laws were passed to increase administrative fines for violations relating to public utilities and add fines for submitting inaccurate or misleading information to the public utilities commission.

These new laws show that Nevada is serious in enforcing climate regulation to protect our environment. The legislature authorizes local governments to create commercial property financing programs to support energy efficient and renewable energy resiliency and water efficiency improvements. Our legislature was well aware of the need to preserve and protect our environment and also protect our natural resources. The following are the bills that were passed to further these causes.

Our legislature was on the forefront in many areas this year advancing public policy and protecting our citizens and our environment. Our legislature was focused on preserving our resources and enhancing the beauty of our communities. Our legislature was well aware of the needs of our community both financially and the impact of creating projects and funding for environmentally sound projects. These bills range from funding new projects to reporting requirements regarding greenhouse gases to penalties for reporting false, misleading or inaccurate information to authorities.

Energy and Utilities

Assembly Bill 452: Under this bill, reporting requirements are improved and reporting on greenhouse gases is enhanced. Existing law required the State Department of Conservation and natural resources to prepare an annual report that includes a statewide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. This law has been in effect for 20 years in the state of Nevada. Section 1 of this bill requires these agencies and entities to submit to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources any information that is determined by the agency to be necessary to prepare the annual report including information relating to emissions from substitutes for ozone depleting substances. Basically, this law enhances reporting requirements and requires information that was used to prepare a report to be submitted with the report. The Bill Requires certain state agencies and entities to submit additional data on greenhouse gas emissions then was previously required. For the entirety of the bill see the link below

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8128/Text

Effective July 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 18: Nevada senate bill 18 relates to public utilities and increases the amount of administrative fines that the public utilities commission of the state of Nevada is authorized to assess for certain violations relating to public utilities. The new law further authorizes the commission to assess administrative fines on a person who provides in accurate or misleading information to the commission. This law revised certain provisions relating to determining how certain administrative fines are assessed by the commission. This law goes so far as to increase criminal penalties for certain violations relating to public utilities and providing other matters that relate there too The bill increased the fines to a maximum of $200,000 per day for each violation up to $2 million for any related violation. The fines imposed by this new statute are extreme and prove the commitment of our state legislatures to protecting the environment and penalizing those who violate Nevada law for firstly reporting or failing to comply with Nevada environmental policy.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7193/Text

Effective on July 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 283: Nevada senate bill 283 relates to local improvements and authorizes municipalities to create a district for certain qualified improvement projects. This new law sets forth the requirements for creating such a district and authorize a certain financing to pay for qualified projects. This law makes various changes relating to the laws regarding local improvement for environmental protections. You may live in an area where you see your city or county removing grass and changing out landscape. This Bill deals with these kind of projects and funding therefore to improve water use and Improve our energy resources. It allows for funding for landlords to improve their properties and rewards public works projects for improving environmental impacts

The bill authorizes local governments to create commercial property financing programs to support energy efficiency, renewable energy, resiliency, or water efficiency improvements.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7879/Text

Effective October 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 448: This is an extraordinarily long and multi-prong bill that aims to increase clean energy investments in our state and promote storage and transmission. The Nevada legislature approved this sweeping clean energy bill that is directed at accelerating the construction of a massive transmission project. The bill also aims at increasing spending on electric vehicle infrastructure and requires that the state join the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) by 2030. This bill puts legislative backing behind the planned $2 billion “Greenlink Nevada“ transmission upgrade which would construct two new 525 kilovolt transmission lines that would essentially link the entire state. Nevada energy would be required to complete construction of the project by the start of 2029. This bill passed our legislature 32 to 10 after passing the Senate unanimously.

This Bill was introduced by state senator Chris Brooks of Las Vegas and is advancing Nevada towards its goal of reaching 100% carbon free resources by 2050. This bill requires utilities to forecast a path to achieve 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the 2005 levels by the end of the decade. The Greenlink Nevada project encompasses more than 600 miles of new transmission lines connecting the Western part of the state to the East and to Las Vegas. These new powerlines would effectively create a transmission triangle that will connect the population centers with geothermal and solar energy. This could give Nevada access to large amounts of renewable energy that are currently not able to reach the grid because of transmission constraints. Experts believe this is a significant path towards fully decarbonizing Nevada. The bill sets our state on a path toward joining a competitive wholesale energy market with other western states creating an 18-member task force to examine the steps Nevada would need to participate in the RTO.

The bill also requires Nevada Energy to file a plan by September 2021 to invest $100 million in electric vehicle infrastructure including charging stations along interstate highways, at outdoor recreation facilities and in urban areas where people may not be able to charge vehicles at home. At least 40% of that infrastructure would have to be located in underserved communities. Nevada energy supported the bill that will transform Nevada’s clean energy landscape and create thousands of jobs in our state.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8201/Text

Various effective dates.

At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical bills from an accident, please don’t hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Marie Payne-Hunt, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.

At the Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury law offices of TheOneLawyer.com, Laura Marie Payne-Hunt and her staff are here to help you and your family in the event that accidents and tragedies occur. For any of your legal needs, do not hesitate to contact our Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury offices. TheOneLawyer.com is a boutique, family-owned law firm that specializes in helping injured people and the community of Las Vegas and Henderson Nevada with legal issues involving auto accidents, wrongful deaths, slip and falls, truck accidents, injuries to children, bicycle accidents, dog bites, product liability claims, and all types of injury claims. Please do not hesitate to call us anytime you have a legal question or you or a loved one has sustained an injury at 702-450-(HUNT) 4868 and text 24/7 at 702-600-0032.

New Nevada Laws Passed in 2021 Impacting Nevada Elections and Voter Rights

NevadaVoter Bill of Rights

The Nevada Voters’ Bill of Rights, as outlined in NRS 293.2546, includes the following provisions:

Each voter has the right to receive and cast a ballot that is written in a format that allows the clear identification of candidates, and accurately records the voter’s preference in the selection of candidates.
Each voter has the right to their questions concerning voting procedures answered and to have an explanation of the procedures for voting posted in a conspicuous place at the polling place.
Each voter has the right to vote without being intimidated, threatened or coerced.
Each voter has the right to vote on Election Day if the voter is waiting in line at his or her polling place to vote before 7:00 PM.
Each voter has the right to return a spoiled ballot and is entitled to receive another ballot in its place.
Each voter has the right to request assistance in voting, if necessary.
Each voter has the right to a sample ballot which is accurate, informative and delivered in a timely manner.
Each voter has the right to receive instruction in the use of the equipment for voting during early voting or on Election Day.
Each voter has the right to have nondiscriminatory equal access to the elections system, including, without limitation, a voter who is elderly, disabled, a member of a minority group, employed by the military, or a citizen who is overseas.
Each voter has the right to have a uniform, statewide standard for counting and recounting all votes accurately.
Each voter has the right to have complaints about election contests resolved fairly, accurately and efficiently.

Yes, there is a Nevada Voter Bill of Rights that applies to each Nevada voter. You may have heard a lot in the news lately over voting rights. This is an extremely partisan issue that has given unfair advantage to certain political candidates throughout our history. The Nevada legislature focused on voting rights and electoral issues in their last session and passed some groundbreaking Legislation. Nevada will now hold the first presidential caucuses in the natation. In addition, for the safety of all Nevadan’s to better understand the process and what these concepts mean and how they translate to in modern day politics. First, let’s start with defining the basic concept of gerrymandering. It is clear from the overall text and improvements made to our voting scheme that the Nevada legislature clearly had the intent to open the polls and make voter access and registration as easy as possible for Nevada residents. Unlike many states in this country who are currently attempting to restrict voter access and trading laws that prevent many from having access or being able to do participate in the voting process Nevada is on the forefront of creating a system which will allow every Nevadan the easiest and most efficient way to cast their ballots and exercise their constitutional right to vote.

As historical background, legal barriers to voting have existed in this country since it was founded, and unfortunately, continue to exist to this day. The voting rights act of 1965 was significant legislation to overcome many historical barriers that discriminated against minority voters. This discriminatory pattern dates back to the founding of our country. Shortly after the Civil War ( 1861 to 1865) the states ratified the Fifteenth Amendment that guaranteed that the right to vote could not be denied “ on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Unfortunately, the still Confederate south was not amiable to following the newly enacted laws. As a result, Congress continued to act enact legislation that made it a federal crime to interfere with an individual’s right to vote and to protect the rights of voting for minorities. Even with Federal legislation in place for over fifty years, inequalities and barriers still exist for many Americans in being able to cast their ballot. Nevada is on the forefront of eliminating as many barriers and obstacles as possible to allow each and every Nevada resident over 18 to cast their vote.

Elections

Assembly Bill 121: Assembly bill 121 allows special accommodations for our disabled voters in Nevada. This bill requires the Secretary of State to allow a voter with a disability to register to vote and to cast an absent ballot using the system approved electronic transmission. This is the same system that is used for military and overseas voters to be able to cast their ballot while they are serving our country. This bill also eliminates the requirement that a voter needs to cancel their registration if they want to change parties. In addition, it also extends the deadline for uniform military and overseas voters to submit an application to register to vote or to request an overseas ballot. These changes will allow our disabled voters and our military personnel easier access to voting in the state of Nevada. It will also allow for an easier change of party if anyone is considering that after the past several tumultuous years of political upheaval.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7442/Text Effective January 1, 2022.

Assembly Bill 126: Assembly bill 126 will make Nevada the first state to hold a presidential caucus in the country in the next presidential election. The bill establishes the requirements and procedures for conducting a presidential preference primary election to determine the preferences of the registered voters of the major political parties in the state of Nevada. This bill is somewhat groundbreaking and will push Nevada politics to the forefront of national attention. Iowa has historically been the first caucus to go forward and establish a foreshadowing of voter tendencies. Nevada will now become the first state to give national indication of voter preferences.
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7448/Text Effective January 1, 2022.

Assembly Bill 321: Assembly Bill 321 is also groundbreaking and was at the forefront of the Trump administration’s many challenges to the elections of 2020. This bill makes mail in voting permanent in the state of Nevada and improves our election process to allow greater voter access. Unlike many states who are moving to create more restrictive voting laws, Nevada is moving forward to expand voting access for all our residents. I commend the Nevada legislature for expanding voting rights for Nevada citizens and using their best efforts to allow every registered voter in Nevada to have access to the ballot box. Although many people think that mail in voting was created for the pandemic, that is simply not true. Mail in voting has been in effect in this country for over one hundred years. The pandemic just emphasized the need for all citizens to be able to cast their ballot regardless of their health or current location. https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7842/Text

Effective Jan 1, 2022.

Assembly Bill 422: Assembly Bill for 22 requires a statewide and centralized database of voter records to be implemented by 2024. It seemed very crazy to me that in 2020 such a database does not exist in the state. However, apparently it does not. This bill requires the Secretary of State to create a centralized database that collects and stores voter pre-registration and registration information from all counties in the state of Nevada. This bill further requires the clerk of each county to use the database created by the Secretary of State to collect and store pre-registration and registration voting information of the residents of that county. The bill also has built-in oversight provisions to allow the Director of the Legislative Council Bureau to oversee this process. https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8054/Text Effective January 1, 2024.

Assembly Bill 432 Assembly Bill 432 expands the list of state agencies that offer automatic voter registration. This is groundbreaking and will also allow much greater access and easier participation for Nevada residents to register to vote. Historically, when you obtain your driver’s license you are allowed to automatically register to vote at the same time. This bill will allow this same service to be conducted in other state processes. This bill provides that additional agencies of the executive department of state government will offer automatic voter registration to its participants. This bill further authorizes the Governor of the state of Nevada to designate additional state agencies and certain government agencies as automatic voter registration agencies. It also sets forth the requirements for automatic voter registration. It allows for these agencies to transmit certain voter registration information directly to the Secretary of State and to the county clerks. It is likely that the health department will allow voter registration when obtaining a health card as well as other county services. https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/8087/Text Effective January 1, 2024.

At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. In writing my Blog, I hope to keep my readers updated and informed about current and important legal issues. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical bills from an accident, please don’t hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Marie Payne-Hunt, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.