Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Labor commissioner says bill to streamline public-works investigations needs no new budget after positions funded
Loading...
Summary
CARSON CITY — Assembly Bill 502 would allow public bodies to refer public-works claims directly to the Nevada Labor Commissioner's office and was presented to Ways and Means with testimony that four previously requested positions have been funded, eliminating the agency's fiscal note.
CARSON CITY — Assembly Bill 502, a measure that revises provisions governing public works and enforcement, was presented to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee with agency testimony that conceptual changes and recent budget actions remove a stated fiscal impact.
Brett Harris, Nevada labor commissioner, told the committee the commissioner's original fiscal note requested four positions; those four positions were subsequently approved in the governor's recommended budget and in the committee's budget actions, "so on the amended bill, we put a $0 fiscal note so that it could be in harmony with those positions that were already approved by this committee." Harris said two positions are funded for FY26 and two for FY27 and that they match the classifications in the previous fiscal note.
Sponsor Assemblymember Carter and the labor commissioner said the bill is intended to let awarding public bodies refer public-works claims to the labor commissioner's office so the state's resources can centralize investigations and reduce local compliance burdens. Harris said, "it should actually lessen their compliance responsibilities, not increase them." He added that the department had discussed the bill's implementation with the city of Las Vegas and other jurisdictions.
Industry and labor groups testified in support. Speakers included representatives of Laborers Local 872, the Associated General Contractors (Nevada Chapter), the Nevada Contractors Association, Northern Nevada Building Trades and other trade and contractor groups. Those witnesses said the bill was the product of negotiated stakeholder discussions and would provide the Labor Commissioner resources to better investigate and enforce violations.
An attorney for the Southern Nevada Labor-Management Cooperation Committee (LMCC) joined by phone to register partial opposition to specific amendments. Laura Wolf said the LMCC's objections focused on proposed language that would change certain statutory duties from "shall" to "may" in NRS provisions (sections cited in testimony as NRS 338.135 and NRS 338.07). She argued the changes would give the labor commissioner too much discretion and reduce consistent assessment of penalties, and she also objected to an amendment that would alter disqualification provisions in NRS 338.017.
The committee closed the fiscal hearing on AB502 with agencies and stakeholders on record. No formal vote occurred in the hearing.
Ending: Sponsors and the labor commissioner said budgeted positions already in the state's recommended budget remove the agency-level fiscal impact; stakeholders who support the bill said it was negotiated, while the LMCC requested retention of more mandatory penalty language in statute.
