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REQUIRES TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY VOTE EXEMPT
(§ 8 & NRS 502.240)
(Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 17, 2025)
FIRST REPRINT A.B. 85
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ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 85–ASSEMBLYMEMBER WATTS
PREFILED DECEMBER 9, 2024
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Referred to Committee on Natural Resources
SUMMARY—Authorizes the management of designated
invertebrates. (BDR 45-229)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: Increases or Newly
Provides for Term of Imprisonment in County or City
Jail or Detention Facility.
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 wildlife; authorizing the management of
designated invertebrates by the Board of Wildlife
Commissioners and the Department of Wildlife; requiring
the Depart ment to coordinate with the State Department
of Agriculture in preparing the State Wildlife Action Plan;
revising the definition of “wildlife” to include designated
invertebrates; establishing a wildlife classification for
designated invertebrates; requiri ng the listing of
designated invertebrates as a fully protected species under
certain circumstances; providing a penalty; and providing
other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law establishes certain provisions gove rning the management of 1
wildlife in this State by the Board of Wildlife Commissioners, commonly known as 2
the “Commission,” and the Department of Wildlife. (Chapter 501 of NRS) This bill 3
expands the wildlife managed by the Commission and Department to inclu de 4
designated invertebrates. As a result of the inclusion of designated invertebrates, 5
certain fees and penalties that apply to violations of certain provisions of existing 6
law relating to wildlife will also apply to violations related to designated 7
invertebrates. (See, e.g., NRS 501.385, 502.240, 504.295) 8
Section 2 of this bill defines “designated invertebrate” to mean any species of 9
invertebrate designated as a species of greatest conservation need in the State 10
Wildlife Action Plan , not including pests, as defined in section 2.5 of this bill. 11
Section 3 of this bill defines “State Wildlife Action Plan.” Section 5 of this bill 12
revises the definition of “wildlife” to include designated invertebrates. 13
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Section 3.5 of this bill requires t he Department, in preparing the State Wildlife 14
Action Plan, to coordinate with the State Department of Agriculture and consider 15
the Nevada Managed Pollinator Protection Plan prepared by the State Department 16
of Agriculture. 17
Section 4 of this bill applies the definitions in sections 2, 2.5 and 3 to the 18
provisions of existing law that govern wildlife. 19
Existing law requires: (1) wildlife to be classified into certain categories; and 20
(2) the Commission to place each species of wildlife in a classification by 21
regulation. (NRS 501.110) Section 6 of this bill establishes a classification for 22
designated invertebrates. 23
Existing law provides that if the Commission determines that the existence of a 24
species or subspecies of native fish, wildlife and other fauna is e ndangered and its 25
survival requires assistance, the Commission must place the animal on the list of 26
fully protected species and the animal may not be captured, removed or destroyed 27
except by means of a special permit issued by the Department. (NRS 503.585) 28
Sections 7 and 8 of this bill provide for the placement of designated invertebrates 29
on the list of fully protected species. 30
Existing law: (1) requires the Commission and Director of the Department to 31
carry out a program for conserving, protecting, resto ring and propagating selected 32
species of native fish, wildlife and other vertebrates and their habitats which are 33
threatened with extinction and destruction; and (2) authorizes the Director to 34
cooperate and enter into agreements with other states, counties and legal entities in 35
carrying out the program. (NRS 503.587, 503.589) Sections 9 and 10 of this bill 36
require the Commission and Director to include designated invertebrates in the 37
program. 38
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 501 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1
thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 to 3.5, inclusive, of this 2
act. 3
Sec. 2. “Designated invertebrate” means any species of 4
invertebrate designated as a species of greatest conservation need 5
in the State Wildlife Action Plan. The term does not include pests. 6
Sec. 2.5. “Pest” has the meaning ascribed to it in 7
NRS 555.005. 8
Sec. 3. “State Wildlife Action Plan” means a statewide plan 9
prepared by the Department and approved by the United States 10
Fish and Wildlife Service which sets forth provisions for the 11
conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat, including, without 12
limitation, provisions for assisting in the prevention of any species 13
of wildlife from becoming threatened or endangered. 14
Sec. 3.5. 1. In preparing the State Wildlife Action Plan, the 15
Department shall: 16
(a) Coordinate with the State Department of Agriculture; and 17
(b) Consider the Nevada Managed Pollinator Protection Plan. 18
2. As used in this section, “ Nevada Managed Pollinator 19
Protection Plan” means the plan prep ared by the State 20
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Department of Agriculture to reduce pesticide exposure to certain 1
bees. 2
Sec. 4. NRS 501.001 is hereby amended to read as follows: 3
501.001 As used in this title, unless the context otherwise 4
requires, the words and terms defined in NRS 501.003 to 501.097, 5
inclusive, and sections 2, 2.5 and 3 of this act have the meanings 6
ascribed to them in those sections. 7
Sec. 5. NRS 501.097 is hereby amended to read as follows: 8
501.097 “Wildlife” means any wild mammal, wild bird, fish, 9
reptile, amphibian, mollusk , [or] crustacean or designated 10
invertebrate found naturally in a wild state, whether indigenous to 11
Nevada or not and whether raised in captivity or not. 12
Sec. 6. NRS 501.110 is hereby amended to read as follows: 13
501.110 1. For the purposes of this title, wildlife must be 14
classified as follows: 15
(a) Wild mammals, which must be further classified as either 16
game mammals, fur -bearing mammals, protected mammals or 17
unprotected mammals. 18
(b) Wild birds, which must be further classified as either game 19
birds, protected birds or unprotected birds. Game birds must be 20
further classified as upland game birds or migratory game birds. 21
(c) Fish, which must be further classified as either game fish, 22
protected fish or unprotected fish. 23
(d) Reptiles, which must be further classified as either protected 24
reptiles or unprotected reptiles. 25
(e) Amphibians, which must be further classified as either game 26
amphibians, protected amphibians or unprotected amphibians. 27
(f) Mollusks, which must be further classified as either protected 28
mollusks or unprotected mollusks. 29
(g) Crustaceans, which must b e further classified as either 30
protected crustaceans or unprotected crustaceans. 31
(h) Designated invertebrates. 32
2. Protected wildlife may be further classified as either 33
sensitive, threatened or endangered. 34
3. Each species of wildlife must be placed in a classification by 35
regulation of the Commission and, when it is in the public interest to 36
do so, species may be moved from one classification to another. 37
Sec. 7. NRS 503.584 is hereby amended to read as follows: 38
503.584 1. The Legislature finds that: 39
(a) The economic growth of the State of Nevada has been 40
attended with some serious and unfortunate consequences. Nevada 41
has experienced the extermination or extirpation of some of the 42
State’s native species of anim als, including fish , [and] vertebrate 43
wildlife [.] and designated invertebrates. Serious losses have 44
occurred and are occurring in other species of native wild animals 45
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with important economic, educational, historical, political, 1
recreational, scientific and aesthetic values. 2
(b) The people of the State of Nevada have an obligation to 3
conserve and protect the various species of native fish and wildlife 4
that are threatened with extinction. 5
2. The purpose of NRS 503.584 to 503.589, inclusive, is to 6
provide a program for the: 7
(a) Conservation, protection, restoration and propagation of 8
selected species of designated invertebrates, native fish and [other] 9
vertebrate wildlife, including , without limitation, migratory birds; 10
and 11
(b) Perpetuation of the populations and habitats of such species. 12
Sec. 8. NRS 503.585 is hereby amended to read as follows: 13
503.585 A species or subspecies of native fish, wildlife , 14
including, without limitation, vertebrates and designated 15
invertebrates, and other fauna must be regarded as threatened with 16
extinction when the Commission, after consultation with competent 17
authorities, determines that its existence is endangered and it s 18
survival requires assistance because of overexploitation, disease or 19
other factors or its habitat is threatened with destruction, drastic 20
modification or severe curtailment. Any animal so declared to be 21
threatened with extinction must be placed on the li st of fully 22
protected species, and no member of its kind may be captured, 23
removed or destroyed at any time by any means except under 24
special permit issued by the Department. 25
Sec. 9. NRS 503.587 is hereby amended to read as follows: 26
503.587 The Commission shall use its authority to manage 27
land to carry out a program for conserving, protecting, restoring and 28
propagating selected species of native fish [,] and wildlife [and 29
other] , including, without limitation, vertebrates and designated 30
invertebrates, and their habitats which are threatened with 31
extinction and destruction. 32
Sec. 10. NRS 503.589 is hereby amended to read as follows: 33
503.589 In carrying out the program authorized by NRS 34
503.584 to 503.589, inclusive, the Director shall cooperate, to the 35
maximum extent practicable, with other states and with the counties 36
in the State of Nevada, and the Director may enter into agreements 37
with such other states and counties and with other legal e ntities for 38
the administration and management of any area established pursuant 39
to NRS 503.584 to 503.589, inclusive, for the conservation, 40
protection, restoration and propagation of species of native fish, 41
wildlife , including, without limitation, vertebra tes and designated 42
invertebrates, and other fauna which are threatened with extinction. 43
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