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- 83rd Session (2025)
Assembly Bill No. 547 –Assemblymembers Yeager; Considine,
Dickman, D’Silva, Gallant, Goulding and Kasama
CHAPTER..........
AN ACT relating to public employment; requiring an appointing
authority to recognize relevant employment experience
obtained in the Federal Government as equivalent to
employment experience obtained in the government of this
State for certain purposes; prohibiting, with certain
exceptions, an appointing authority from requiring an
applicant for a position of employment in the classified or
unclassified service of the State to have obtained a bachelor’s
degree as a condition precedent to employment; requiring the
Administrator of the Division of Human Resource
Management of the Department of Administration to take
certain actions with respect to the master classification plan
for all positions in the classified service of the Sta te; and
providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law sets forth various requirements and procedures governing the
employment of persons in the classified and unclassified service of this State.
(Chapter 284 of NRS) Existing law requires the Administrator of the Division of
Human Resource Management of the Department of Administration to prepare,
maintain and revise a master classification plan for all positions in the classified
service, based on similarity of duties and responsibilities, so that the same
qualifications may reasonably be required for, and the same schedule of pay may be
equitably applied to, all positions in the same class. (NRS 284.160) Section 4 of
this bill requires the Administrator, in d etermining the qualifications that may be
reasonably required for all positions in the same class, to allow a person to
substitute equivalent employment experience obtained in the Federal Government
for any employment experience required to be obtained in the government of this
State.
Existing law requires an appointing authority, with respect to positions in the
classified service of the State, to recruit, evaluate, select, manage and promote
employees through open competition on the basis of knowledge, skills and ability
and without regard to certain characteristics of an applicant or employee. (NRS
284.210) Section 5 of this bill specifies that the requirement applies, without
limitation, to the recruitment, evaluation, selection, management and promoti on of
an employee through the making of any determination that affects the pay of an
employee. Sections 2 and 5 of this bill additionally require an appointing authority,
with respect to positions in the classified and unclassified service, to recruit,
evaluate, select, manage and promote employees, including, without limitation,
through the making of any determination that affects the pay of an employee, in a
manner which recognizes relevant employment experience obtained by an applicant
or employee in the Federal Government as equivalent to employment experience
obtained in the government of this State.
Section 3 of this bill prohibits, with certain exceptions, an appointing authority
from requiring an applicant for a position in the classified or unclas sified service
to have obtained a bachelor’s degree as a condition precedent to employment.
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Section 3 provides an exception from that prohibition if the appointing authority
makes certain determinations. Because section 3 prohibits an appointing authority
from requiring an applicant to have obtained a bachelor’s degree except under
certain limited circumstances, section 4 eliminates provisions of existing law which
require the Administrator to conduct certain periodic reviews of classes of positions
in the classified service which require a person to hold a bachelor’s degree.
(NRS 284.160)
EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 284 of NRS is hereby amended by adding
thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 and 3 of this act.
Sec. 2. In relation to positions in the unclassified service,
each appointing authority shall recruit, evaluate, select, manage
and promote employees, including, without limitation, through the
making of any determination that affects the pay of an employee,
in a manner which recognizes relevant employment experience
obtained by an applicant or employee in the Federal Government
as equivalent to employment exp erience obtained in the
government of this State.
Sec. 3. 1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, an
appointing authority shall not require an applicant for a position
of employment in the classified or unclassifi ed service of the State
to have obtained a bachelor’s degree as a condition precedent to
employment.
2. The provisions of subsection 1 do not apply if the
appointing authority determines that the knowledge, skills or
abilities required for the position for which the applicant is
applying may only be obtained through a course of study in
pursuit of and that culminates in the award of a bachelor’s degree.
Sec. 4. NRS 284.160 is hereby amended to read as follows:
284.160 1. The Administrator shall prepare, maintain and
revise as necessary a master classification plan for all positions in
the classified service, based upon similarity of duties and
responsibilities, so that the same quali fications may reasonably be
required for, and the same schedule of pay may be equitably applied
to, all positions in the same class.
2. In determining the qualifications that may be reasonably
required for all positions in the same class pursuant to subs ection 1,
the Administrator shall [periodically review each class of positions
in the classified service which require a person to hold a bachelor’s
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degree and, whenever the Administrator deems it necessary for the
efficiency of the public service, revise the qualifications to] allow a
person to substitute equivalent employment experience [or skills in
lieu of a bachelor’s degree. ] obtained in the Federal Government
for any employment experience required to be obtained in the
government of this State.
3. The Administrator shall review annually the classification
plan of each appointing authority using the audit function developed
and implemented pursuant to NRS 284.107.
4. Subject to the provisions of subsection 5, with the approval
of the Administrator, an appointing authority may make changes in
the classification of positions within its agency whenever the
appointing authority deems it necessary for the efficiency of the
public service.
5. The classification plan and changes therein are subject to
approval by the Commission, except that the Administrator, at the
request of an appointing authority, may make a change in the
classification plan without the prior approval of the Commission if:
(a) The Administrator deems it necessary for the efficiency of
the public service;
(b) The change is not proposed in conjunction with an
occupational study; and
(c) The Administrator, at least 20 working days before acting
upon the proposed change:
(1) Provides written notice of the proposal to each member
of the Commission, to all departments and to any head of an
employees’ organization who requests notice of such proposals; and
(2) Posts a written notice of the proposal in each of the
principal offices of the Division.
Any occupational study conducted by the Division in connection
with the preparation, maintenance or revision of the classification
plan must be approved by the Commission.
6. If no written objection to the proposed change to the
classification plan is received by the Administrator before the date it
is scheduled to be acted upon, the Administrator may effect the
change. The Administrator shall report to the Commission any
change in the classification plan made without its approval at the
Commission’s next succeeding regular meeting.
7. If a written objection is received before the date the
proposed change is scheduled to be acted upon, the Administrator
shall place the matter on the agenda of the Commission for
consideration at its next succeeding regular meeting.
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Sec. 5. NRS 284.210 is hereby amended to read as follows:
284.210 In relation to positions in the classified service, each
appointing authority shall, consistent with the regulations adopted
by the Commission pursuant to NRS 284.205, recruit, ev aluate,
select, manage and promote employees , including, without
limitation, through the making of any determination that affects
the pay of an employee:
1. Through open competition on the basis of knowledge, skills
and ability and without regard to an applicant’s or employee’s
religious or political opinions or affiliations, race, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression, age or disability.
2. In a manner which recognizes relevant employment
experience obtained by an applicant or employe e in the Federal
Government as equivalent to employment experience obtained in
the government of this State.
Sec. 6. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.
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