Committee hears AB274 to waive initial business license fees for qualifying veterans and Gold Star family members

CARSON CITY — The Assembly Committee on Government Affairs on March 12 heard Assembly Bill 274, which would waive Nevada’s state business license fee for the first three years for certain businesses owned 51% or more by (1) veterans retired after 20 or more years of service, (2) veterans retired for a service‑related disability, or (3) Gold Star family members (a spouse, parent or child of a service member killed in wartime or terrorism as defined in the bill).

Sponsor Assemblyman P.K. O'Neill (R‑Assembly District 40) said the measure is intended as a targeted economic incentive and expression of gratitude: the waiver is “a one time opportunity” to reduce startup costs during the critical early years, which he said often determine whether a new business survives. O'Neill said he narrowed eligibility after an earlier, broader veterans bill drew a larger fiscal note in a prior session; the amended draft lengthens the waiver to three years and limits eligibility to the categories above.

Gabriel De Cara, chief deputy secretary of state, told the committee the Secretary of State’s Office helped craft language and that a revised fiscal note would accompany the sponsor’s amendment. He said roughly 4.7% of new businesses list veteran ownership in state filings, but the office does not track how many of those are 20‑year retirees, medically retired veterans or Gold Star family members. The sponsor told members there are 53 Gold Star family members currently identified in Nevada; the secretary of state’s office said it could not provide an exact count of qualifying businesses without further data.

Supporters included the Nevada Small Business Development Center, the City of North Las Vegas, the United Veterans Legislative Council and the Vegas Chamber, which framed AB274 as a modest measure to lower a barrier for entrepreneurship among veterans and their families. Winnie Dowling of the Nevada SBDC said waiving the fee “for 3 years…would be a really nice way to say thank you to our veterans.” Andrew Lee Pilbitt, state chair of the United Veterans Legislative Council, said the council had identified support for assistance to Gold Star families and disabled, long‑service veterans as a legislative priority.

Committee members asked for clarity on stacking (the bill provides a single one‑time waiver and does not permit multiple uses), the precise fiscal impact and how many businesses would qualify. O’Neill and De Cara said the fiscal effects were undetermined at the hearing and that the forthcoming fiscal note should be treated as an upper bound. De Cara provided provisional counts for veteran‑owned startups in recent fiscal years (approximately 4,600 new veteran‑owned businesses in FY2024 and an estimated 5,100 in FY2025) but cautioned those figures do not equate to the number of businesses that would qualify for the waiver.

Public testimony included support from veterans and veterans’ organizations, as well as individuals who said the measure would help post‑service entrepreneurs. Some callers urged broader fee elimination or additional supports for veterans; no organized opposition appeared at the hearing. The committee closed the hearing on AB274 without a recorded vote.

Key bill provisions discussed at the hearing: a one‑time waiver limited to businesses that are at least 51% owned by a qualifying person; waiver applies to the state business license fee for the first three years of operation; an amendment offered by the sponsor to clarify the definition of Gold Star family member references federal statute language (10 U.S.C. §1126(a) as cited by the sponsor) and to prevent multiple waivers for the same individual.