Policy analyst outlines differences among bills, joint and concurrent resolutions

Haley Proll, Committee Policy Analyst with the Research Division of the Legislative Council Bureau, gave the Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections an overview of the types of legislation the committee commonly sees, including bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions and one-house resolutions. Proll explained the purposes and enactment paths for each type and noted why this committee frequently receives joint and concurrent resolutions that relate to legislative business.

Proll said that a bill "proposes a new statute or proposes changes to an existing statute or several statutes" and that to become law a bill must be passed by both houses and signed by the governor. She explained that a joint resolution may propose to amend the Nevada Constitution, ratify a U.S. Constitutional amendment, or request actions by federal officials; joint resolutions are adopted by both houses but generally do not require the governor's approval. Proll cited Article 16, Section 1 of the Nevada Constitution when explaining that legislatively referred constitutional amendments must be adopted by two consecutive legislatures in identical form and then approved by voters to take effect. She also described concurrent resolutions, which often relate to legislative business (adopting joint standing rules, establishing joint committees, directing interim studies) and one-house resolutions used within a single chamber. Proll noted that eight of the nine Assembly joint resolutions so far had been referred to this committee. The committee raised no substantive questions during the brief overview.