Business and Industry outlines board-reform plan, seeks funding for tech staff and cites bills SB78 and SB44

The Nevada Department of Business and Industry told the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor on Wednesday that it will seek statutory changes and funding to consolidate occupational boards, reduce administrative overhead and add staff with expertise in emerging technologies.

Director Chris Sanchez and deputy directors outlined a reform package slated for 2025 that includes SB78, which the department said will enhance boards’ accountability, centralize administration and reduce redundancy. Sanchez said the agency expects the reforms to reduce aggregate administrative costs paid by occupational boards from about $38 million per year to about $19 million.

"We are a majority fee based agency," Sanchez said, describing the department’s funding mix and describing the reform as one path to lower licensing fees over time. He said the department currently supports about 773 staff across 12 regulatory agencies, 61 boards and commissions, and issues licenses to just under 603,000 Nevadans.

Nikki Hague, deputy director for the Office of Boards, Commissions and Council Standards, said the office currently oversees 37 occupational boards that transferred under SB 431 during the 2023 session and lacks sufficient funding and staff to carry out all centralized functions. "SB 78 is what we will be bringing in to the legislative session this year to enhance, and increase the Board Commission's accountability and transparency, enhance operations and reduce redundancy, and reduce administrative costs and the burdens to the licensees," Hague said.

Sanchez described a planned consolidation that would reduce 37 occupational boards to a proposed 17 merged boards; the merged boards would retain authority to collect license fees, and the department would cost-allocate administrative services to them. He emphasized a phased approach to implementation "over the next biennium" intended to avoid delays for licensees.

The department also previewed SB44, described as legislation to align state authority with federal mortgage-lending and data-security requirements. Deputy Director Perry Fagan and mortgage-division staff said the mortgage lending division licenses individuals and companies (majority are mortgage loan originators) and faces technology, cyber-security and federal policy changes that the division seeks authority and regulatory tools to address.

Sanchez said the department will request additional funding for new positions focused on technology, cryptocurrency, blockchain and artificial intelligence to support regulatory examinations and supervision. When asked whether that funding would come from existing budgets, Sanchez said the department is asking for additional funds; he said exact salary amounts would be provided in follow-up.

Other briefing highlights included the department’s oversight of Industrial Revenue Development Bonds (citing Brightline’s Nevada bond capacity of about $625 million), the Housing Division’s Home Means Nevada ARPA-funded programs (roughly 30–40% expended to date and federal program totals described), and consumer-protection recoveries reported by the consumer affairs unit (more than $1 million recovered in 2024).

Committee members asked about contingency planning for potential reductions in federal housing grants; Steve Acroft, housing-division administrator, said the division is coordinating with national peers and that a firm contingency plan was not yet in place. The director and staff provided a policy paper and said they will supply committee members with additional documentation on the merged-board design and staffing requests.

Chair Julie Pizzina encouraged members to follow hearings on SB78 in the Government Affairs Committee and asked the department to return with updates as needed.