AB20 - Revises provisions related to juvenile justice. (BDR 5-566)

A.B. 20 - *AB20* ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 20–COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY (ON BEHALF OF THE NEVADA SUPREME COURT) PREFILED OCTOBER 28, 2026 ____________ Referred to Committee on Judiciary SUMMARY—Revises provisions related to juvenile justice. (BDR 5-566) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State: No. Effect on the State Highway Fund: No. ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to juvenile justice; revising provisions governing recommendations of juvenile judicial officers; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law authorizes a juvenile judicial officer to make findings of fact and 1 recommendations in certain juvenile proceedings and establishes a process for 2 review of those recommendations by the juvenile court. Existing law further 3 provides that a recommendation of a juvenile judicial officer is not effective until 4 expressly approved by the juvenile court. (NRS 62B.030) Section 1 of this bill 5 instead provides that a recommendation of a juvenile judicial officer is effective 6 upon issuance and remains in effect pending review by the juvenile court unless 7 stayed by the juvenile court. 8 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. NRS 62B.030 is hereby amended to read as 1 follows: 2 62B.030 1. The juvenile court may order a juvenile judicial 3 officer to: 4 (a) Swear witnesses. 5 (b) Take evidence. 6 (c) Make findings of fact and recommendations. 7 – 2 – - *AB20* (d) Conduct all proceedings before the juvenile judicial officer 1 in the same manner as a district judge conducts proceedings in a 2 district court. 3 2. Not later than 10 days after the evidence before a juvenile 4 judicial officer is closed, the juvenile judicial officer shall file with 5 the juvenile court: 6 (a) All papers relating to the case; 7 (b) Written findings of fact; and 8 (c) Written recommendations. 9 3. A juvenile judicial officer shall provide to the parent or 10 guardian of the child, the attorney for the child, the district attorney, 11 and any other person concerned, written notice of: 12 (a) The findings of fact of the juvenile judicial officer; 13 (b) The recommendations of the juvenile judicial officer; 14 (c) The right to object to the recommendations of the juvenile 15 judicial officer; and 16 (d) The right to request a hearing de novo before the juvenile 17 court as provided in subsection 4. 18 4. After reviewing the recommendations of a juvenile judicial 19 officer and any objection to the recommendations of the juvenile 20 judicial officer, the juvenile court shall: 21 (a) Approve the recommendations of the juvenile judicial 22 officer, in whole or in part, and order the recommended disposition; 23 (b) Reject the recommendations of the juvenile judicial officer, 24 in whole or in part, and order such relief as may be appropriate; or 25 (c) Direct a hearing de novo before the juvenile court if, not later 26 than 5 days after the juvenile judicial officer provides notice of the 27 recommendations of the juvenile judicial officer, a person who is 28 entitled to such notice files with the juvenile court a request for a 29 hearing de novo before the juvenile court. 30 5. A recommendation of a juvenile judicial officer is [not] 31 effective [until expressly approved] upon issuance and remains in 32 effect pending review by the juvenile court [as evidenced] unless 33 stayed by the [signature of a judge of the] juvenile court. 34 Sec. 2. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2027. 35 H