Nevada Governor’s Office
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed dozens of bills Thursday including measures related to autism, group homes and renewable energy.
Assembly Bill 304 clarifies and establishes a standard definition of an Autism Spectrum Disorder in statute. The current definition provides language that is outdated and does not encompass new language added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).
Assembly Bill 46 was sponsored by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health and establishes new definitions and clarifies existing definition for group homes and supported living arrangements, which will aid in the improvement of regulation and oversight of these facilities. Additionally, this bill establishes a new residential facility type in statute called Community Based Living Arrangements, and allows the Division to certify and regulate these living arrangements.
Assembly Bill 113, sponsored by Assemblywoman Ellen Spiegel, requires employers to make accommodations for nursing mothers. The bill requires all public and private employers except businesses with fewer than 50 employees and contractors to provide a “reasonable break time” and a “clean, private place” to accommodate a nursing mother.
The current process to show proof of diagnosis has been a barrier and delay to accessing Medicaid. The revised definition as proposed in this bill should decrease the timeframe children wait to receive the appropriate proof of diagnosis to gain access to treatment.
Assembly Bill 5 stems from a recommendation by the New Energy Industry Task Force to enable local governments to implement Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs. PACE is a mechanism for financing energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements on private commercial property. The program offers an innovative financing opportunity that will allow for more local renewable energy and energy efficiency, and allow for the financing of those improvements to stay with the property.
Assembly Bill 163 was sponsored by Assemblyman Edgar Flores and makes a number of changes related to the “payday loan” industry. The bill generally prohibits payday loans or title loans without first making an affirmative determination that the borrower has the ability to repay the loan.
