Creates the Legislative Committee on the Reduction of Nonessential State Expenditures. (BDR 17-929)

A.B. 182

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ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 182–ASSEMBLYMEMBER DICKMAN

PREFILED FEBRUARY 2, 2025
____________

Referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections

SUMMARY—Creates the Legislative Committee on the Reduction
of Nonessential State Expenditures. (BDR 17-929)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Yes.

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to legislative affairs; creating the Legislative
Committee on the Reduction of Nonessential State
Expenditures; prescribing the powers and duties of the
Committee; and providing other matters properly relating
thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law creates various committees consisting of Legislators to study 1
specified issues and perform other activities during the interim between legislative 2
sessions. ( See, e.g. , NRS 218E.150 -218E.815) Section 5 of this bill creates the 3
Legislative Committee on the Reduction of Nonessential State Expenditures as a 4
statutory interim committee and provides for its membership. Section 6 of this bill 5
provides for the meetings of the Committee, prescribes the manner in which 6
meetings must be conducted and provides for the compensation of the members of 7
the Committee. 8
Section 7 of this bill prescribes the duties of the Committee, including the 9
review and evaluation of issues relating to state governmental spending and 10
efficiency. Specifically, section 7 requires the Committee to: (1) identify areas in 11
which state expenditures may be eliminated or avoided; (2) identify areas in which 12
state expenditures may be reduced; (3) investigate alleged instances within state 13
agencies of a buse, fraud or waste with respect to public money; and (4) make 14
recommendations for corrective action by such an agency relating to such an 15
investigation. Section 7 also requires a state agency to collaborate with the 16
Committee in carrying out its duties and to provide the Committee with certain 17
information upon request. 18
Section 8 of this bill authorizes the Committee to: (1) conduct investigations 19
and hold hearings; (2) request that the Legislative Counsel Bureau assist in the 20
research, investigations, hearings and reviews of the Committee; and (3) 21
recommend legislation conc erning state governmental spending and efficiency. 22
Section 8 also requires the Committee to submit to the Legislature a biennial report 23
describing its activities. Section 8 also authorizes the Committee to submit such 24

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additional reports to the Interim Finance Committee or the Legislature as it deems 25
appropriate. 26
Sections 2, 3 and 4 of this bill define certain terms for the purposes of this bill. 27

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Chapter 218E of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1
thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 to 8, inclusive, of this 2
act. 3
Sec. 2. As used in sections 2 to 8, inclusive, of this act, unless 4
the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in 5
sections 3 and 4 of this act have the meanings ascribed to them in 6
those sections. 7
Sec. 3. “Agency” means an agency, bureau, board, 8
commission, department, division or any other unit of the State 9
Government. 10
Sec. 4. “Committee” means the Legislative Committee on the 11
Reduction of Nonessential State Expenditures created by section 5 12
of this act. 13
Sec. 5. 1. The Legislative Committee on the Reduction of 14
Nonessential State Expenditures is hereby created. The 15
membership of the Committee consists of: 16
(a) Two members of the Senate appointed by the Majority 17
Leader of the Senate; 18
(b) Two members of the Assembly appointed by the Speaker of 19
the Assembly; 20
(c) One member of the Senate appointed by the Minority 21
Leader of the Senate; and 22
(d) One member of the Assembly appointed by the Minority 23
Leader of the Assembly. 24
2. The Legislative Commission shall review and approve the 25
budget and work program for the Committee and any changes to 26
the budget or work program. 27
3. The Legislative Commission shall select a Chair and Vice 28
Chair of the Committee from among the members of the 29
Committee. After the initial selection, each Chair and Vice Chair 30
holds office for a term of 2 years commencing on July 1 of each 31
odd-numbered year. The office of Chair of the Committee mu st 32
alternate each biennium between the Houses. If a vacancy occurs 33
in the office of the Chair or Vice Chair, the vacancy must be filled 34
in the same manner as the original selection for the remainder of 35
the unexpired term. 36
4. A member of the Committee who is not a candidate for 37
reelection or who is defeated for reelection continues to serve after 38

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the general election until the next regular or special session of the 1
Legislature convenes. 2
5. A vacancy on the Committee must be filled in the same 3
manner as t he original appointment for the remainder of the 4
unexpired term. 5
Sec. 6. 1. Except as otherwise ordered by the Legislative 6
Commission, the members of the Committee shall meet not earlier 7
than September 1 of each odd -numbered year and not later than 8
August 31 of the following even -numbered year at the times and 9
places specified by a call of the Chair or a majority of the 10
Committee. 11
2. The Director or the Director’s designee shall act as the 12
nonvoting recording Secretary of the Committee. 13
3. Four members of the Committee constitute a quorum, and 14
a quorum may exercise all the power and authority conferred on 15
the Committee. 16
4. Except during a regular or special session of the 17
Legislature, for each day or portion of a day d uring which a 18
member of the Committee attends a meeting of the Committee or is 19
otherwise engaged in the business of the Committee, the member 20
is entitled to receive the: 21
(a) Compensation provided for a majority of the members of 22
the Legislature during the first 60 days of the preceding regular 23
session; 24
(b) Per diem allowance provided for state officers and 25
employees generally; and 26
(c) Travel expenses provided pursuant to NRS 218A.655. 27
5. All such compensation, per diem allowances and travel 28
expenses must be paid from the Legislative Fund. 29
Sec. 7. 1. The Committee shall review and evaluate issues 30
relating to state governmental spending and efficiency. The 31
Committee shall: 32
(a) Identify areas in which state expenditures m ay be 33
eliminated or avoided, including, without limitation, by identifying 34
programs or services provided by agencies that the Committee 35
determines are duplicative of other programs or services, 36
ineffective or nonessential for the operation of the State 37
Government. 38
(b) Identify areas in which the costs to an agency of providing 39
services that the Committee determines are essential for the 40
operation of the State Government may be reduced, including, 41
without limitation, areas in which increased efficiencies ma y be 42
found. 43
(c) Upon concluding that an agency: 44

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(1) May be engaging in abuse, fraud or waste with respect 1
to public money, investigate the agency. 2
(2) Is engaged in abuse, fraud or waste with respect to 3
public money, provide written notice to the age ncy of th at 4
determination. Such notice must include, without limitation, any 5
recommendations for corrective action by the agency. 6
2. Each agency shall: 7
(a) Collaborate with the Committee in carrying out the duties 8
prescribed in this section; and 9
(b) Provide the Committee with any information requested by 10
the Committee as soon as is reasonably practicable after receiving 11
the request. 12
3. An agency that receives notice of a determination by the 13
Committee that the agency is engaged in abuse, fraud or wa ste 14
pursuant to subparagraph (2) of paragraph (c) of subsection 1 15
shall, upon the request of the Committee, provide the Committee 16
with a written report regarding any corrective actions taken by the 17
agency to implement the recommendations made by the Committee 18
pursuant to that subparagraph. 19
Sec. 8. 1. The Committee may: 20
(a) Conduct investigations and hold hearings in connection 21
with its duties pursuant to section 7 of this act and exercise any of 22
the investigative powers se t forth in NRS 218E.105 to 218E.140, 23
inclusive. 24
(b) Request that the Legislative Counsel Bureau assist in the 25
research, investigations, hearings and reviews of the Committee. 26
(c) Recommend to the Legislature, as a result of its review and 27
evaluation, any appropriate legislation concerning state 28
governmental spending and efficiency. 29
2. On or before October 1 of each even -numbered year, the 30
Committee shall: 31
(a) Compile a report describing the activities of the Committee 32
during the legislative interim. Th e report must include, without 33
limitation: 34
(1) Any recommendations for legislation considered by the 35
Committee. The report must indicate, for each such 36
recommendation, whether the recommendation was approved by a 37
majority vote of all of the members of the Committee. 38
(2) A summary of the areas identified by the Committee in 39
which state expenditures may be eliminated or avoided pursuant to 40
paragraph (a) of subsection 1 of section 7 of this act. 41
(3) A summary of the areas identified by the Committee in 42
which state expenditures may be reduced pursuant to paragraph 43
(b) of subsection 1 of section 7 of this act. 44

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(4) A summary of any investigation conducted pursuant to 1
paragraph (c) of subsection 1 of section 7 of this act and any 2
recommendations for corrective action made by the Committee. 3
(5) A summary of any corrective action taken by an agency 4
to implement any recommendations made by the Committee of 5
which the Committee is aware. 6
(b) Submit the report to the Director for transmittal to the 7
Legislature. 8
3. The Committee may submit to the Director for transmittal 9
to the Interim Finance Committee or the Legislature any such 10
additional reports as it deems appropriate. 11
Sec. 9. The provisions of subsection 1 of NRS 218D.380 do 12
not apply to any provision of this act which adds or revises a 13
requirement to submit a report to the Legislature. 14
Sec. 10. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 15

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