Deputy Director Nikki Hague of the Department of Business and Industry told the Nevada Sunset Committee that the newly formed Office of Nevada Boards, Commissions and Council Standards is working to bring statutory boards into compliance and to create consistent statewide standards.

Hague said the office, created under statutes cited to the committee, provides "statewide consistency, guidance, and support" and serves as a neutral conduit between constituents and boards. She told members the office has tracked 58 constituent inquiries from May to Nov. 1, 37 of which involved Title 54 boards, and has categorized complaints into licensing delays, investigation concerns, communication problems, procedural issues and concerns about transparency and fairness.

The office has also identified financial and audit noncompliance at several boards, Hague said, citing examples that required governor involvement to resolve audit failures. She described work with risk management to move boards onto the state workers' compensation plan and with state purchasing to address procurement and contracting irregularities.

"My role is to help boards navigate this new structure, strengthen compliance, and ensure that they have the tools, training and assistance needed to operate confidently and effectively," Hague said. She noted that risk management required boards to transfer workers' compensation coverage to the state fund and that some boards will see higher costs because the state assesses a blended rate across agencies rather than job-class-specific private-sector premiums.

Senator Skip Daley pressed Hague on whether boards must switch to the state's plan and whether the state is self-insured. Hague said the directive came through risk management under the cited statute and offered to obtain details about the state's funding model and the blended rate from risk management for the committee. "I can get that for you from risk management and provide that information to the subcommittee," she said.

Members also discussed procurement compliance. Hague described a series of problems at the State Barbers Health and Sanitation Board, including a lack of a formal lease for its office space, staff working without independent contracts, and pay to a board officer that appears to exceed the statutory limit. She said staff are working with state purchasing and the board to correct those issues and to document job duties and contracts.

Hague summarized the office's regulatory work: following last session's legislation, staff drafted regulations to set baseline governance, financial reporting and transparency standards for occupational and professional licensing boards while preserving each board's independent statutory authority. She said the office held a public workshop with about 70 attendees and plans another workshop before moving to a public hearing.

The office is also seeking to fill a management analyst position approved for fiscal year 2027 to manage quarterly and annual submissions, support financial oversight, and ensure consistent regulation implementation. "Without this position, the office cannot sustain or enforce the statewide standards," Hague said.

Next steps the committee recorded included asking risk management to brief a future hearing on the workers' compensation transfer and for the office to provide the lists and materials Hague referenced. Hague pledged to provide the committee with details on which boards had not yet transferred and with the blended-rate information from risk management.

Why this matters: The office's efforts would change how many professional and occupational boards report, manage contracts and purchase insurance, potentially affecting license fees, board operations and the public's access to complaint resolution. The committee indicated it will review selected boards in the coming interim and may request further information from risk management and state purchasing.

The committee did not take formal action on the regulations during this meeting; staff and the office will continue public workshops and bring a draft regulatory package forward for consideration.