How can I get more involved in Nevada’s Legislative Session?

The 83rd Session of the Nevada Legislature is underway and lawmakers are putting forth hundreds of bills that could potentially impact the lives of their constituents. As someone who has spent decades interacting at the legislative level, Janine Hansen knows that the process can seem complicated and she’s doing what she can to empower her fellow citizens with the knowledge they need to lobby for their own interests this session.

Hansen, state president of Nevada Families for Freedom, made a special trip to the Pahrump Valley this month to hold a discussion on “How to be an Effective Citizen Lobbyist.” The class took place Feb. 8 and was co-hosted by the Private Well Owners Association and Pahrump Valley Republican Women, both of which are groups dedicated to civic engagement.

The presentation began with a rundown on how a bill becomes a law, a process that begins at the Bill Draft Request (BDR) stage. Aside from Nevada’s governor, state senators and assemblypersons, a variety of other entities, such as cities, counties and state agencies, can submit BDRs. Each entity is limited to a certain number – for example, Nye County is allotted one BDR per session.

The BDR provides a very broad explanation of what the bill would seek to accomplish, with the Legislative Counsel Bureau (LCB) tasked with writing the actual bill itself. The LCB then assigns the bill a number based on its origination as an Assembly Bill, Senate Bill, Assembly Joint Resolution, Senate Joint Resolution, Assembly Concurrent Resolution or Senate Concurrent Resolution.

The bill is given a first reading and assigned to a committee based on its subject. The committee chair holds the power to either do nothing with the bill and therefore allow it to die or set a date and time for a hearing on the bill. If a hearing is called, the bill sponsor presents it and testimony is taken from lobbyists and the public.

This is the point at which residents can get involved by voicing their thoughts on whichever bill is under consideration. Hearings are held at the Legislative Building in Carson City and can be attended in person, as well as via teleconference at the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas and online.

Hansen explained that the vote on presented bills is typically not held at the same time as the hearing but is instead scheduled for a work session. “This is usually where bills are amended in committee,” she noted.

If the committee chair calls for a vote and it results in a “do pass,” the bill moves forward to the House floor. If the bill originated in the Assembly, the speaker of the Assembly determines when to call it up. The Senate majority leader has the same role for senate bills and either can simply let a bill die. A majority of bills must pass the first committee by a given date, which for 2025 is April 11 and pass the house roughly 10 days later, the date for which this year is April 22.

“If the bill passes the first house, it then advances to the next house to repeat the process all over again,” Hansen detailed. “If the bill passes each house, it then goes to the governor (expect resolutions and constitutional amendments, which do not require the governor to sign them). If the governor vetoes the bill, it goes back to the Legislature for a veto override, which requires a two-thirds vote of both houses.”

When it comes to testifying during committee hearings, hearing attendees must sign in with their name, address, phone number, who they represent, the bill number they are attending for, whether they are “for,” “against” or “neutral” and whether or not they wish to testify.

“Often you will need to submit supporting materials 24 hours in advance to NELIS (Nevada Electronic Legislative Information System),” Hansen explained. “You can submit materials, testimony, etc., even if you are not attending the hearing.”

The committee chair is in charge of determining which bill to call up and in what order, Hansen noted, as well as calling forward those who are testifying. When called to speak, residents should hand any written materials to the secretary, turn on the microphone and state their name as well as who they represent.

Hansen emphasized that it is important that those testifying never attempt to argue and keep in mind that they are not permitted to ask questions of the committee. If the committee asks the person testifying a question, they are to reply by addressing their response the committee chair.

Hansen also took the time to walk workshop attendees through navigating the Nevada Legislature’s website and NELIS, which are valuable tools for engaging in the legislative session.

NELIS is particularly handy in that people can sign up for personalized tracking on up to 10 bills free of charge. If interested in following the progress of more than 10, NELIS can track additional bills for a fee.

To access NELIS, visit Leg.State.NV.us and click on the link at the top of the webpage. The Legislature’s daily schedule is posted here, along with upcoming floor sessions and a list of key dates. Additional information on budgets, committees and more can also be found here.

Under the “Legislation” link, residents can search through BDRs by bill number or name, requester or subject. Sign up for tracking by using the link on the top right-hand side of the page.

The 83rd Legislative Session began on Feb. 3 and will continue until June 2. For more information visit Leg.State.NV.us

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com