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Bill would protect Civil Air Patrol volunteers’ jobs during training and missions
Summary
Assembly Bill 422 would let Civil Air Patrol (CAP) volunteers take limited unpaid leave for training and emergency missions without losing seniority, accrued leave or position; testimony described CAP missions, statewide volunteer counts and recent disaster support such as COVID PPE distribution and search‑and‑rescue operations.
The Senate Government Affairs Committee heard Assembly Bill 422, which would give Nevada Civil Air Patrol volunteers limited job protection when they take time off for CAP training or emergency missions.
Assemblyman Steve Yeager, sponsor of AB 422, described the Civil Air Patrol as ‘‘a congressionally chartered, federally funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that is the civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force’’ and outlined its three missions: emergency services, aerospace education and cadet programs. Yeager said Nevada’s wing includes hundreds of adult members and cadets and stressed the organization is volunteer‑based.
Section 1 of the bill would allow a CAP volunteer to take up to 10 days of training leave and up to 30 days for emergency mission work without losing their position, seniority or accrued benefits. Employers could treat the leave as unpaid; volunteers would provide sufficient documentation and employers who violated the protection would be subject to civil action under the bill’s terms. Section 2 would prohibit employers from barring CAP volunteers from search and rescue activities required by CAP membership when the employee meets the statute’s conditions.
Colonel Russell Smith of the Nevada Wing Civil Air Patrol described missions that included prolonged searches (for example, the Steve Fossett search) and the statewide COVID‑19 distribution of personal protective equipment and supplies to remote areas. Smith said CAP’s small‑aircraft fleet and ground teams helped get supplies to Ely, Elko and Winnemucca during the pandemic; he also recounted a recent mission in Monitor Valley where CAP located a missing pilot.
No opposition testimony was recorded; the committee took no formal vote at the hearing. Lawmakers praised CAP’s volunteer work and said the bill would give volunteers assurance they could participate in critical missions without risking employment.
Ending: The committee closed the hearing with no recorded vote; sponsors said the measure is aimed at strengthening Nevada’s emergency‑response capacity by protecting volunteer participation in CAP missions.
