Labor Commissioner seeks public‑works compliance team and apprenticeship support staff

Nevada Labor Commissioner Brett Harris told the joint subcommittee that the Office of the Labor Commissioner needs dedicated staff to improve timeliness and quality of public-works compliance audits and to support expansion of state apprenticeship programs.

Harris said public-works investigations are more audit intensive than typical wage-and-hour claims because certified payrolls, multiple employers on long projects and prevailing wage nuances require more time. He proposed a four-person public‑works compliance team (phased two positions in year one and two in year two) to increase throughput and close long-running public-works cases more quickly.

The office also requested an administrative assistant to back up the state apprenticeship director, who Harris said has successfully expanded apprenticeships but is constrained by administrative duties. Harris noted the state’s apprenticeship numbers and programs have grown substantially since the council transferred back to the Labor Commissioner’s office and said administrative support would help sustain outreach and program growth.

Harris described steps already taken—hiring a chief investigator from Carson City to help stand up public-works processes and producing guides and training—and asked that the committee consider phasing the team as the positions are filled.

Ending: Committee members asked for implementation details and timelines. Harris said the department will provide documentation, noted that hiring timelines have been slower than expected, and agreed to forward existing memos on apprenticeship recognition issues involving U.S. Department of Labor requirements.