Fewer committee hearings, marathon floor session coming to Nevada Legislature

CARSON CITY — The focus of the Nevada Legislature pivots from committees to floor sessions Monday when lawmakers convene for the 11th week of the 2017 session.

Friday was the deadline for bills to make it out of the committee in the house of origin, though some were given last-minute waivers or exemptions.

Because of the deadline, committee hearings took priority over floor proceedings. Now all those bills passed by committees head to the floors of the Senate or Assembly for second readings and then debate and votes.

Legislators won’t have time to dillydally. When they come back to the Legislative Building on Monday, they have only nine days until the next big deadline. Legislation must be voted out of the first house by April 25. With the clock ticking, lawmakers are approaching the point in the 120-day session where weekends at home may be abbreviated or scrapped to finish before “sine die” — the final day — on June 5.

Roughly 80 bills are awaiting floor votes, and many more will stack up after they receive a second reading.

Meanwhile, in the committees…

Committee work will continue, albeit at a slower pace this week.

The Assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees will continue to plow through agency budgets and hear bills that were referred to them from other committees.

On Monday, Senate Finance will take up body cameras for law enforcement officers and allowing rural agencies to tap into a contingency fund to pay for them. It will also hear Senate Bill 132, which would give high school students three extra semesters to meet graduation requirements.

Assembly Commerce, Labor and Energy on Monday will consider Senate Bill 292, which would give temporary exemptions for doctors licensed elsewhere to practice at athletic competitions or training programs without acquiring a Nevada license.

Money committees on Tuesday will hold a work session on various workforce development agencies, and Assembly Government Affairs will consider Senate Bill 148, which would require the Department of Veteran Services to provide assistance to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender veterans and military members.

Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development will delve into an overview of how communication services are taxed at a hearing Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Assembly Health and Human Services will hear Senate Bill 201, which would bar mental health professionals from conducting sexual “conversion therapy” on youth.

Committee agendas are subject to change with little or no notice.

Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3821. Follow @SandraChereb on Twitter.