Assembly Bill 114
Revises provisions related to manufacturers of electric motor vehicles.
Legislative Summary: AB 114 would revise Nevada’s auto dealers franchise laws by allowing out-of-state electric vehicle manufacturers the ability to directly sell their products to consumers without being required to have a physical retail presence in Nevada.
While the Chamber welcomes innovation, entrepreneurship, and diversification efforts, there are several concerns with the bill as introduced. The Chamber is concerned about jobs and consumers. The impact on job losses in Nevada’s auto industry is a concern of our members who are employers in this sector of the economy. Regarding consumers, the Chamber has concerns about competitive pricing, responsive customer service and accountability if these electronic vehicle manufactures are not required to have a physical presence in the state.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen
Position: Oppose
Assembly Bill 141
Revises provisions relating to evictions.
Legislative Summary: AB 141 deals with the sealing of pandemic-related evictions specifically, and the necessary notice period that is given by landlords to tenants in the evictions process. AB 141 addresses the current notice the landlords are required to provide tenants to vacate, increasing the minimum notice period to 30 days for tenants with a tenancy time of less than a year, with an escalator based on the length of tenancy increasing up to 90 days for tenants who have been in a property for 3 years or more.
AB 141 also deals with the sealing of eviction records, providing a broad record sealing for any tenants evicted for nonpayment of rent during the state of emergency declared because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This would mean that going forward, those evicted because of willful nonpayment without financial hardship would have no record of their eviction.
The Vegas Chamber is opposed to AB 141 for several reasons. First, the Vegas Chamber opposes making long-term changes to Nevada law, especially changes that dramatically affect an industry, in response to the temporary conditions of the pandemic, as the section of AB 141 dealing with increased noticing times does. Second, the Vegas Chamber recognizes the difficulties this will place on smaller landlords being forced to accept higher risk from potential bad tenants and the likelihood that more will sell their properties into the owner-occupied market rather than continue to rent. The reduction of supply to the rental market, coupled with guaranteed increases in prices in the remaining rental housing stock will severely affect the availability and affordability of housing throughout the state.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Assemblyman Howard Watts
Position: Oppose
Assembly Bill 153
Revises provisions governing performance contracts.
Legislative Summary: AB 153 addresses the use of performance contracts and provides cleanup and clarification language to further enable local governments to take advantage of these opportunities. The use of performance contracts allows local governments such as cities and counties to retrofit or replace existing systems and equipment to save on operating costs for energy, water, waste disposal and similar public services. AB 153 clarifies that these government entities may specifically use savings generated by the new efficiencies to make payments or finance charges required under the performance contract.
The Vegas Chamber supports the use of performance contracts as a means to increase government efficiency and save taxpayer dollars in the long term.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Assemblywoman Bilbray Axelrod
Position: Support
Senate Bill 11
Authorizes certain incorporated cities to impose a supplemental governmental services tax.
Legislative Summary: SB 11 would allow the City of Reno to impose a supplemental governmental services tax of 1 cent on each $1 valuation of a vehicle-based in the city. The funds generated by this tax would be used for homeless services.
The Vegas Chamber’s opposition to SB 11 is based on the proposed change of existing tax policy including the use and creation of secondary Governmental Services Tax funds including how those funds would be accessed and managed by local governments. The precedent of such a measure is a concern from the taxpayer's perspective. The Chamber’s opposition is solely based on the tax policy presented in the bill, not what the funds would be used for by the City.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Senate Committee Revenue and Economic Development
Position: Oppose
Senate Bill 73
Allows the imposition of certain taxes or the reallocation of certain tax revenue to fund certain natural resources projects and services in the City of Reno based on the recommendations of a committee and voter approval.
Legislative Summary: SB 73 per Section 1 would allow the City of Reno the authority to create a citizen’s advisory board to review tax-generating proposals. Per Section 3, if the committee is created, it would have the ability to consider and recommend the following tax proposals to the City Council:
- (1) an additional tax on the gross receipts from the rental of transient lodging in the City of Reno;
- (2) a supplemental governmental services tax for the privilege of 11operating a vehicle upon the public streets, roads and highways of the City of Reno
- (3) an additional tax on the transfer of real property in the City of Reno;
- (4) an additional sales and use tax in the City of Reno; and
- (5) an additional property tax in the City of Reno. That recommendation may then be placed on the General Election 2022 ballot for consideration by the voters. Per Sections 3 and 4, the funds generated would be used for the management of the Truckee River along with funding capital projects and ongoing operational costs for parks and recreational facilities within the City of Reno.
The Chamber opposes SB 73 because of the significant shift in existing tax policy in Nevada. While this bill is specific to the City of Reno, the enabling of a city to consider multiple tax options to increase revenue would contradict Nevada’s longstanding position as a Dillon Rule State and move it towards a fiscal home rule model, which could lead to additional tax increases to employers and employees by city governments. The Chamber also had concerns about the accountability of the tax revenue as the funds would be placed in the City’s General Fund.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Senate Committee Revenue and Economic Development
Position: Oppose
Senate Bill 100
Enacts provisions governing the interstate practice of physical therapy.
Legislative Summary: SB 100 allows Nevada to join the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact with 21 other states. With this bill, therapists who are licensed through the compact are able to practice in other participating states, after a fee to participate in each state. The bill has a consistent language with other states in the compact and includes consumer protections as well.
The Vegas Chamber is in support of SB 100 as it will allow for more physical therapists to practice in the state of Nevada.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Senator Heidi Gansert
Position: Support
Senate Bill 117
Revises provisions relating to economic development.
Legislative Summary: SB 117 requires the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) to update the State Plan for Economic Development every three years. Changes are based on regional development authorities’ briefs to the Director of GOED occurring every two years, as written in Section 2.
The Vegas Chamber supports a dynamic effort to diversify Nevada’s economy, and periodic updates by GOED will help to address issues and opportunities as they emerge.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Senator Heidi Gansert
Position: Support
Senate Bill 118
Establishes provisions relating to education.
Legislative Summary: SB 118 would expand an existing mentorship and tutoring program to the rest of Nevada. Currently called the Dean’s Future Scholars program, it is available to low-income, first-generation students in sixth grade. Through mentoring and tutoring, the students are directed toward college by increasing their math proficiency and taking summer college classes during high school to prepare them for university-style learning.
The Vegas Chamber is in support of SB 118 as it addresses higher education readiness among Nevada’s high school graduates.
Primary Bill Sponsor: Senator Heidi Gansert
Position: Support
