[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6627276,"mediaKeyId","2729318-1b4e08335ee582a3c5e47342bb2b9b2a","parentId",2729318,"title","Assembly panel hears AB344 to change child‑welfare court terms and attorney pay, and to clarify transfers of cases","audioSeconds",472,"startMs",1226000,"endMs",1698000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2729318-1b4e08335ee582a3c5e47342bb2b9b2a&start=1226&end=1698","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2729318-1b4e08335ee582a3c5e47342bb2b9b2a/thumbnail_1226000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6627276/Nevada/Assembly-panel-hears-AB344-to-change-childwelfare-court-terms-and-attorney-pay-and-to-clarify-transfers-of-cases","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627276-280455a337d89993b313bee1d6c2c3fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1775798156&Signature=kPbbJpybP3Av3t7z3x79izGGyj~KZqGlB6nszsx83LgoT6g9eovR3-JIZGzW~mjl04bNncMZymZglRq2yvY93mGT6fBOK65fnDbCYq0lvIj5L~hGj-wJrEgq75iSXGCaYP70VFKEhgEyPdqWg2W574Crm4dgbuR2rD6tAN6-hoNfMM4wTUurAYAZT8kKP5CyYRxR4XfnhhCzrr~Tr9xc6xOvuTs80TlrTbF8XbcjDEA3Iw0Pf6tUUMOCRXFkkb~z1zM70gbyroA6sEM5JUtELSREVHm3A47M6h3hYkrdMzwVX~ihtQgLmwlTGgMTzxlxMqL79Q-hLA00RDdBmqw9bw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nevada Legislature","date","2025-03-21T16:54:47.29Z","article","Assemblymember Elaine Marzola introduced Assembly Bill 344 before the Nevada Assembly Judiciary Committee, saying the measure seeks to “modernize and improve various aspects of our judicial process with a particular focus on child welfare proceedings and the appointment of attorneys in certain cases.”

The bill would change terminology in child‑welfare statutes — most prominently replacing the term “master” with “judicial officer” — respond to requests from children and judges, and adjust how jurisdictions pay attorneys who represent parents in child‑welfare cases. Kelly Brandon, supervising deputy district attorney in Carson City and chair of the Court Improvement Project legislative subcommittee, told the committee the change responds to children’s questions about the word “master” and that other states have made similar changes.

The bill also seeks to align attorney pay for parents in child‑welfare cases with criminal pay scales to improve recruitment and retention. \"Attorneys were telling local jurisdictions, ‘why would I take a child welfare case that's more complicated ... for less pay,’\" Brandon said, explaining the proposal would fund counsel in typical child‑welfare cases at misdemeanor rates and in termination proceedings at felony rates. Brandon told the committee the change also clarifies that jurisdictions should pay attorneys for work outside the courtroom — such as child and family team meetings and mediations — because much of the representation occurs in those settings.

Another portion would clarify inter‑jurisdictional transfers within Nevada. Brandon described Section 27 as allowing courts to move proceedings between jurisdictions inside the state so children can remain in their schools and placements when appropriate. The amendments would make explicit that parties entitled to notice at a joint hearing must be heard, and would require courts to consider whether a child’s receiving jurisdiction can continue services the child already receives.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about who decides whether an attorney may withdraw based on a client breakdown. Brandon said the court would make that determination based on information from the attorney and the client. She described cases in which frequent attorney turnover left jurisdictions without counsel for parents.

Supporters who spoke included John McCormick, assistant court administrator at the Nevada Supreme Court, who said he supports removing the term “master” from statute, and representatives of the Washoe County Alternate Public Defender’s Office who said they back the bill and the proposed amendment.

No members of the public spoke in opposition. The committee closed the hearing after testimony and questions; no vote on final passage was taken during the session.

Ending: The committee heard technical and practice‑oriented changes to the child‑welfare statutes in AB344 and received support from court administrators and defenders; the bill will move forward through the legislative process for further consideration and amendment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","3/21/2025 - Assembly Committee on Judiciary","oneSentenceSummary","Assemblymember Elaine Marzola introduced Assembly Bill 344 before the Nevada Assembly Judiciary Committee, saying the measure seeks to “modernize and improve various aspects of our judicial process with a particular focus on child welfare proceedings and the appointment of attorneys in certain cases.”","taxTitle","2025 Legislature NV, Nevada","taxId",78440,"location","Nevada","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6627261,"Judiciary Committee approves three BDR introductions to become bills",148,1032000,1180000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2729318-1b4e08335ee582a3c5e47342bb2b9b2a&start=1032&end=1180","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2729318-1b4e08335ee582a3c5e47342bb2b9b2a/thumbnail_1032000.jpg","/articles/6627261/Nevada/Judiciary-Committee-approves-three-BDR-introductions-to-become-bills","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627261-9c743fe3ec5f7235d0cb7efd03ded666/orig.mp4?Expires=1775798156&Signature=la2u5wL~xaI-UYlE2wKgrF8SV7SvcEuX74BjbkYpmWkn7h96DXnAp8BSNFCY1V-I-gULD9Djy2q7qYGrPNfRlxrNVEc-Fl2QUEcPFV-EFHLC3eQupQhr~qpELY4sOxVoRGKRh6~XO6t2P7eX9P2qw3i6mnf9O8kY2loS3q-5D2LlFS5Al9S5IpkuV2Ek9kUshJXq7QA1XPfV2c-BMu0JXqb0d2Ji6l6Yw86eZz3LUNQ3eevigA8yFwk~ZXbw7~Z9uuMAneWEYelbI~3RBAlsMMOWd55coSkSJrOaOeFsGcq-u~uOQM3jIRCZQJoaT9jhOGmw8qydS9uMsqIL4RBEMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of the hearing the committee voted to introduce three bill draft requests (BDRs) for drafting into bills. Chair Miller explained that BDR introduction votes are procedural and do not indicate a member’s position on the substance of the proposed bill.

The committee approved:

- BDR 14873, described by the chair as revising provisions related to criminal convictions of certain victims. Motion: Vice Chair Marzola; second: Assemblymember Gonzales. The chair called for the vote and members responded \"aye.\" The motion carried.

- BDR 31141, described by the chair as revising provisions relating to civil actions. Motion: Assemblymember Gonzales; second: Assemblymember Dahlia. The committee voted \"aye\" and the motion carried.

- BDR 0870, described by the chair as revising provisions related to courts. Motion: Vice Chair Marzola; second: Vice Chair Gonzales. The motion carried after the aye vote.

Ending: These votes authorized the Legislative Counsel Bureau to draft bills based on the BDRs; they were procedural introductions and do not indicate final committee positions on the subject matters.","The Assembly Judiciary Committee voted to introduce three BDRs (14873, 31141 and 0870) for drafting into bills. The introductions were procedural votes to authorize bill drafting, not expressions of policy support.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6627266,"AB387 would revise minor guardianship law to speed access to care, expand emergency options and emphasize child‑centered standards",1521,2721000,4242000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2729318-1b4e08335ee582a3c5e47342bb2b9b2a&start=2721&end=4242","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2729318-1b4e08335ee582a3c5e47342bb2b9b2a/thumbnail_2721000.jpg","/articles/6627266/Nevada/AB387-would-revise-minor-guardianship-law-to-speed-access-to-care-expand-emergency-options-and-emphasize-childcentered-standards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627266-f7e15e5b3b2eb172ce07710f0dc2eea2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775798156&Signature=ljTS1Q4geyVPTtLPSmRHQj0vE67L6~d2AQUSfITbRW0uhBaU6vEBIohYngib1ElFbjgjsh5BZ8Gyj~-FL8mQh5GGJ56SmwMpxIOVEc2Iirs~BgRKLGL5boaaPxRw7RIXwOYL9bEhD8ohNaTtwiwb1p~Iklq~tH0ctP3-6W-Ky8HHfYx~~WIhs~B8dAMUayeCJU1B2-RNG75E0VknsVNMPsmqGKOlJDwQBUxdw4wKK0QDUGBEodsG0mTQlCQ-FxCX0VnQ~JCFw5sxpb6YvjN2KotYMfgBRqrJGfI5KMP8C5Ou4uWoSX7YyD-UUukqhBtrvG1BBdH9gG2rFyWoJMttAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Assemblymember Nathan Anderson presented Assembly Bill 387 to the Judiciary Committee as a set of updates to Nevada’s minor guardianship statute to better serve families, caregivers and children who rely on guardianship when parents are unable to care for a child.

Jonathan Norman of the Nevada Coalition of Legal Service Providers said the bill builds on the 2017 split of guardianship law into separate statutes for minors and adults (NRS 159A for minors, NRS 159 for adults) and would make the law more practical for children and caregivers. \"We will continue to work with our partners on the Guardianship Commission and the private bar to ensure we hit the right policy in each section of the bill,\" Norman said.

Legal Aid Center attorneys and advocates described specific cases in which procedural hurdles delayed care. Marcus Brouwers, who leads Legal Aid’s minor guardianship unit, recounted an 8‑year‑old with cerebral palsy whose grandmother could not complete service and did not obtain guardianship for approximately six months, delaying medical care. Brouwers said clearer service rules and simplified procedures would reduce such delays.

Marina Dahlia Hunt, formerly team lead for the Minor Guardianship Advocacy Program, said the bill contains child‑centered reforms: simplifying alternative service, requiring petitioners to disclose prior Child Protective Services history and their ability to meet basic needs, establishing best‑interest factors for guardianship decisions, clarifying a minor's right to counsel or pro bono counsel, and requiring courts to consider a child’s wishes and, for minors 14 and older, obtain consent to guardianship. \"Children are the most important people in these cases,\" Dahlia Hunt told the committee.

The bill also clarifies that guardians have a duty to facilitate appropriate parent‑child relationships, removes punitive barriers to parent petitions to terminate guardianships, and makes several estate‑related and procedural clarifications.

Supporters included Leah Dodds from Foster Kinship, who said the navigator program helps caregivers manage filings, pay service costs and enroll children in school; she said AB387 would make guardianship more accessible for older relatives on fixed incomes.

No opposition callers appeared during the hearing. The committee closed the hearing without a recorded committee vote that day.

Ending: Proponents emphasized the bill’s focus on timeliness, child‑centered standards and easing procedural burdens for kinship caregivers; AB387 will proceed through the legislative process for further drafting and committee consideration.","Assembly Bill 387 would update Nevada's minor guardianship statute (NRS 159A) to simplify service, strengthen temporary emergency guardianship rules, set best‑interest and visitation factors, and expand access to appointed counsel for minors. Legal aid advocates and kinship navigators testified in support, citing case examples of delays and harm.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6627271,"Attorney General backs AB35 to rename and update law on child sexual abuse material and AI‑generated images",358,2144000,2502000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2729318-1b4e08335ee582a3c5e47342bb2b9b2a&start=2144&end=2502","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2729318-1b4e08335ee582a3c5e47342bb2b9b2a/thumbnail_2144000.jpg","/articles/6627271/Nevada/Attorney-General-backs-AB35-to-rename-and-update-law-on-child-sexual-abuse-material-and-AIgenerated-images","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627271-b45af349a9e60ba462d69079e12e5980/orig.mp4?Expires=1775798156&Signature=mnK49qMRX3PPV6ixEaTzfoJ1kyW0v22HKCdzV1BXXWEy35V23CL1UT7-i6t9di9fe7DElAc9fonHIyLr5rRuJbyMg1BA4BSrJT1nRN6oHfJV4UTpt2~8Vrt-FPSU9iTUjkbOrxaOogbZay6MpBLyHc5z0pasVwGnMqcLX7r35o6~NWd~SEsWkONJ7VhecRpMKmzIV~o-~YixlCaRF-xf4IB9pG4wP0FitxJZ3bc-gzVP~vIt5pi2X5-~tKrk1cH9fDH4Qk1NDgTIKtp4~TwrLpEdmp1dWnoONJDDMM~YBXiJ~u4pqql03cER7js2BoDB5XpzZoTg3i5WrK9FzhKl~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Attorney General Aaron Ford presented Assembly Bill 35 to the Assembly Judiciary Committee, saying the measure \"seeks to protect children in the rapidly growing, and changing world of artificial intelligence.\" Ford said AB35 would prohibit the distribution, production or possession of computer‑generated images or images altered by AI that depict a child engaging in sexual conduct and would change statutory language to \"child sexual abuse material\" (CSAM) to better reflect the crime and harm to victims.

Ford noted that the change in nomenclature is in use elsewhere and that \"this change in language is something that is happening across the nation.\" He cited seven states that have adopted similar laws and said the U.S. Department of Justice adopted the language change effective 2023. Ford also said he supports a companion Senate bill introduced earlier in the week and that his bill fills a nomenclature gap not covered in that bill.

Committee members asked process questions about the scope of the legislative directive to update language across statutes. Michael Morton, assisting the presentation, said the amendment captures many existing instances and that sections 30 and 31 direct Legislative Counsel Bureau (and possibly agencies) to use the new language going forward when codifying or drafting new laws.

Assemblymember Cole asked about the initial language on receipt standards and the meaning of \"knows or reasonably should know.\" Ford responded that the amendment deletes sections 1 through 5 of the initial version of the bill, addressing that concern.

Supporters who testified included representatives of the Washoe County Sheriff's Office and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, both of whom said they supported AB35. No callers voiced opposition; the committee closed the hearing with no final passage vote taken that day.

Ending: Committee members and law enforcement representatives voiced support; the bill will proceed through the legislative process with the sponsor and counsel to refine statutory drafting and cross‑references.","Attorney General Aaron Ford told the Assembly Judiciary Committee AB35 would change statutory language to 'child sexual abuse material (CSAM)' and prohibit certain AI‑generated images of children; the sponsor said the amendment removed several initial sections and the bill aligns Nevada with other states and federal terminology changes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Assembly panel hears AB344 to change child‑welfare court terms and attorney pay, and to clarify transfers of cases

Judiciary Committee approves three BDR introductions to become bills

AB387 would revise minor guardianship law to speed access to care, expand emergency options and emphasize child‑centered standards

Attorney General backs AB35 to rename and update law on child sexual abuse material and AI‑generated images