Bill would add advisory council and small appropriation to expand Nevada Civic Seal program

Senate Bill 245, presented by Senator Roberta Lang, would establish an advisory council on civics education to support implementation of the Nevada Civic Seal, expand the council's membership to include gubernatorial appointees and the secretary of state or a designee, and appropriate $20,000 to the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement as fiscal agent for program needs such as seals, cords and a website.

"The Nevada Civic Seal is more than a graduation recognition. It's an opportunity to deepen students engagement in civics and their communities across all grade levels," Christine Hull (Hull), executive director of the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement, told the committee in support of the proposal. Lang said the appropriation would fund graduation cords, seal printing and website development.

Committee members asked about the fiscal impacts and why participation had been limited. Christine Hull and Department of Education staff said limitations were largely technical: districts use Infinite Campus differently and some elements required by the seal (for example, tracking citizenship grades and service-learning projects) are not universally configured. Amanda Hughes of the Department of Education explained, "Currently, all districts do not use Infinite Campus the same way. And so putting it into the system in a way we can track it has to be adjusted."

Supporters from school districts, chambers and civic groups testified in favor. Clark County School District representatives said virtual meetings by the council could address travel cost concerns reflected in some district fiscal notes. A neutral commenter urged preserving local control and keeping the program on-topic.

The bill's sponsor and witnesses said the advisory council would make administering the seal more feasible statewide and improve tracking and participation. The committee closed the hearing after testimony; no vote was taken at that time.