SB3 - Revises provisions relating to emergency management. (BDR 36-161)

S.B. 3 - *SB3* SENATE BILL NO. 3–COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS (ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR) PREFILED OCTOBER 28, 2026 ____________ Referred to Committee on Government Affairs SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to emergency management. (BDR 36-161) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State: May have Fiscal Impact. 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 emergency management; revising the duties of the Chief of the Office of Emergency Management in the Office of the Governor; revising the duties of the State Disaster Identification Coordination Committee within the Office of Emergency Management; revising provisions governing the appointment of members of the Nevada Resilience Advisory Committee; transferring certain duties of the Board of Search and Rescue and the Intrastate Mutual Aid Committee to the Nevada Resilience Advisory Committee; eliminating the Board of Search and Rescue and the Intrastate Mutual Aid Committee; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law creates the Office of Emergency Management in the Office of the 1 Governor and requires the Chief of the Office of Emergency Management, in 2 adopting an integrated process for emergency management, to conduct activities 3 designed to prepare state and local governmental agencies, private organizations 4 and other persons to respond appropriately if an emergency or disaster occurs by 5 taking certain actions. (NRS 414.040) Section 1 of this bill adds conducting 6 emergency alerts, warnings and communications to such actions. 7 Existing law establishes the State Disaster Identification Coordination 8 Committee within the Office of Emergency Management and requires the 9 Committee to: (1) meet at the call of the Chief as frequently as required to perform 10 – 2 – - *SB3* its duties, but not less than once each calendar year; (2) annually review its plan for 11 performing certain duties during an activation of the Committee and annually 12 practice carrying out the plan; and (3) submit an annual report concerning 13 the activities of the Committee and any policies or procedures adopted by the 14 Committee. (NRS 414.270, 414.280) Section 3 of this bill eliminates the 15 requirement that the Committee meet at least once each calendar year. Section 4 of 16 this bill eliminates the requirements that the Committee annually review and 17 practice carrying out its plan. Section 4 also requires the Committee to submit a 18 report only if the Committee met during the immediately preceding calendar year 19 and to include in such a report the activities of the Committee and any policies or 20 procedures adopted since the submission of the last report. 21 Existing law creates the Board of Search and Rescue to: (1) provide direction 22 and guidance for the Coordinator of Search and Rescue; (2) formulate policy 23 regarding search and rescue; (3) coordinate training in techniques of search and 24 rescue; (4) establish recommendations for organizations specializing in search and 25 rescue and certify organizations which meet those recommendations; (5) maintain a 26 list of all such certified organizations; and (6) carry out certain other duties 27 assigned to the Board. (NRS 414.170, 414.180) Existing law also authorizes the 28 Board to adopt regulations for the administration of laws regarding searches and 29 rescues. (NRS 414.190) Existing law creates the Intrastate Mutual Aid Committee 30 and requires the Committee to develop guidelines and procedures regarding 31 requesting and responding to a request for intrastate mutual aid, recordkeeping 32 during an emergency or disaster for which intrastate mutual aid has been requested 33 and reimbursement of costs to assisting participants. (NRS 414A.110) Section 9 of 34 this bill eliminates the Board of Search and Rescue, the Intrastate Mutual Aid 35 Committee and a definition made unnecessary by the elimination of the Board. 36 Existing law requires the Chief, with the advice of the Board, to appoint an 37 employee of the Office of Emergency Management as Coordinator of Search and 38 Rescue. (NRS 414.200) Section 2 of this bill eliminates the requirement that the 39 Chief obtain the advice of the Board in appointing the Coordinator. 40 Existing law creates the Nevada Resilience Advisory Committee and requires 41 the Chief, with the approval of the Governor, to appoint to the Committee not more 42 than 34 voting members who have expertise in certain subjects. (NRS 239C.400) 43 Section 6 of this bill increases from 34 to 36 the maximum number of voting 44 members of the Committee and adds search and rescue and forestry to the subjects 45 in which the members of the Committee must have expertise. 46 Existing law requires the Nevada Resilience Advisory Committee to perform 47 certain duties, including, without limitation, formulating advisory recommendations 48 and policies regarding emergency management, emergency response and homeland 49 security efforts for the State, as well as statewide mitigation, preparedness, 50 response and recovery efforts. (NRS 239C.440) Section 7 of this bill transfers 51 certain duties from the Board of Search and Rescue and the Intrastate Mutual Aid 52 Committee to the Nevada Resilience Advisory Committee. Section 5 of this bill 53 makes conforming changes related to the transfer of duties made by section 7. 54 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. NRS 414.040 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1 414.040 1. An Office of Emergency Management is hereby 2 created within the Office of the Governor. The Chief of the Office 3 of Emergency Management is appointed by and holds office at the 4 – 3 – - *SB3* pleasure of the Governor. The Office of Emergency Management is 1 the State Agency for Emergency Management for the purposes of 2 the Compact ratified by the Legislature pursuant to NRS 415.010. 3 The Chief is the State’s Director of Emergency Management for the 4 purposes of that Compact. 5 2. The Chief may employ technical, clerical, stenographic and 6 other personnel as may be required, and may make such 7 expenditures therefor and for other expenses of his or her office 8 within the appropriation therefor, or from other money made 9 available to him or her for purposes of emergency management, as 10 may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. 11 3. The Chief, subject to the direction and control of the 12 Governor, shall carry out the program for emergency management 13 in this State. The Chief shall coordinate the activities of all 14 organizations for emergency management within the State, maintain 15 liaison with and cooperate with agencies and organizations of other 16 states and of the Federal Government for emergency management 17 and carry out such additional duties as may be prescribed by the 18 Governor. 19 4. The Chief shall assist in the development of comprehensive, 20 coordinated plans for emergency management by adopting an 21 integrated process, using the partnership of governmental entities, 22 business and industry, volunteer organizations and other interested 23 persons, for the mitigation of, preparation for, response to and 24 recovery from emergencies or disasters. In adopting this process, the 25 Chief shall: 26 (a) Except as otherwise provided in NRS 232.3532, develop 27 written plans for the mitigation of, preparation for, response to and 28 recovery from emergencies and disasters. The plans developed by 29 the Chief pursuant to this paragraph must include the information 30 prescribed in NRS 414.041 to 414.044, inclusive. 31 (b) Conduct activities designed to: 32 (1) Eliminate or reduce the probability that an emergency 33 will occur or to reduce the effects of unavoidable disasters; 34 (2) Prepare state and local governmental agencies, private 35 organizations and other persons to be capable of responding 36 appropriately if an emergency or disaster occurs by fostering the 37 adoption of plans for emergency operations, conducting exercises to 38 test those plans, training necessary personnel , [and] acquiring 39 necessary resources [;] and conducting emergency alerts, warnings 40 and communications; 41 (3) Test periodically plans for emergency operations to 42 ensure that the activities of state and local governmental agencies, 43 private organizations and other persons are coordinated; 44 – 4 – - *SB3* (4) Provide assistance to victims, prevent further injury or 1 damage to persons or property and increase the effectiveness of 2 recovery operations; and 3 (5) Restore the operation of vital community life-support 4 systems and return persons and property affected by an emergency 5 or disaster to a condition that is comparable to or better than what 6 existed before the emergency or disaster occurred. 7 5. In addition to any other requirement concerning the program 8 of emergency management in this State, the Chief shall: 9 (a) Maintain an inventory of any state or local services, 10 equipment, supplies, personnel and other resources related to 11 participation in the Nevada Intrastate Mutual Aid System 12 established pursuant to NRS 414A.100; 13 (b) Coordinate the provision of resources and equipment within 14 this State in response to requests for mutual aid pursuant to NRS 15 414.075 or chapter 414A of NRS; 16 (c) Coordinate with state agencies, local governments, Indian 17 tribes or nations and special districts to use the personnel and 18 equipment of those state agencies, local governments, Indian tribes 19 or nations and special districts as agents of the State during a 20 response to a request for mutual aid pursuant to NRS 414.075 or 21 414A.130; and 22 (d) Provide notice: 23 (1) On or before February 15 of each year to the governing 24 body of each political subdivision of whether the political 25 subdivision has complied with the requirements of NRS 239C.250; 26 (2) On or before February 15 of each year to the Chair of the 27 Public Utilities Commission of Nevada of whether each utility that 28 is not a governmental utility and each provider of new electric 29 resources has complied with the requirements of NRS 239C.270; 30 (3) On or before February 15 of each year to the Governor of 31 whether each governmental utility described in subsection 1 of NRS 32 239C.050 and each provider of new electric resources has complied 33 with the requirements of NRS 239C.270; 34 (4) On or before February 15 of each year to the governing 35 body of each governmental utility described in subsection 2 of NRS 36 239C.050 and each provider of new electric resources of whether 37 each such governmental utility has complied with the requirements 38 of NRS 239C.270; 39 (5) On or before November 15 of each year to the 40 Superintendent of Public Instruction of whether each board of 41 trustees of a school district, governing body of a charter school or 42 governing body of a private school has complied with the 43 requirements of NRS 388.243 or 394.1687, as applicable; and 44 – 5 – - *SB3* (6) On or before November 15 of each year to the Chair of 1 the Nevada Gaming Control Board of whether each resort hotel has 2 complied with the requirements of NRS 463.790. 3 6. The Office shall: 4 (a) Execute, administer and enforce the provisions of chapters 5 414 and 414A of NRS and perform such duties and exercise such 6 powers required pursuant to those chapters; 7 (b) Perform the duties required pursuant to chapter 415A of 8 NRS; 9 (c) Perform the duties required pursuant to NRS 353.2753 at the 10 request of a state agency or local government; 11 (d) Adopt regulations setting forth the manner in which federal 12 funds received by the Office to finance projects related to 13 emergency management and homeland security are allocated, except 14 with respect to any funds committed by specific statute to the 15 regulatory authority of another person or agency, including, without 16 limitation, funds accepted by the State Emergency Response 17 Commission pursuant to NRS 459.740; and 18 (e) Submit a written report to the Nevada Commission on 19 Homeland Security within 60 days of making a grant of money to a 20 state agency, political subdivision or tribal government to pay for a 21 project or program relating to the prevention of, detection of, 22 mitigation of, preparedness for, response to and recovery from acts 23 of terrorism that includes, without limitation: 24 (1) The total amount of money that the state agency, political 25 subdivision or tribal government has been approved to receive for 26 the project or program; 27 (2) A description of the project or program; and 28 (3) An explanation of how the money may be used by the 29 state agency, political subdivision or tribal government. 30 7. The Office shall develop a written guide for the preparation 31 and maintenance of an emergency response plan to assist a person or 32 governmental entity that is required to file a plan pursuant to NRS 33 239C.250, 239C.270, 388.243, 394.1687 or 463.790. The Office 34 shall review the guide on an annual basis and revise the guide if 35 necessary. On or before January 15 of each year, the Office shall 36 post the guide on a publicly accessible Internet website maintained 37 by the Office. 38 8. The Office shall provide a copy of the written guide 39 developed pursuant to subsection 7 to a person or governmental 40 entity that is required to file a plan pursuant to NRS 239C.250, 41 239C.270, 388.243, 394.1687 or 463.790 upon the request of such a 42 person or entity. 43 9. The Office may disseminate to a local public safety agency, 44 as the Office determines is reasonably necessary in the event of an 45 – 6 – - *SB3* act of terrorism or related emergency or for emergency 1 preparedness, coordination and response efforts: 2 (a) A plan developed pursuant to NRS 388.243 or updated 3 pursuant to NRS 388.245; 4 (b) A plan developed pursuant to NRS 394.1687 or updated 5 pursuant to NRS 394.1688; and 6 (c) A deviation approved pursuant to NRS 388.251 or 394.1692. 7 10. As used in this section, “public safety agency” has the 8 [Text truncated for display. Full text available on LegiScan.]