AB182 - Creates the Legislative Committee on the Reduction of Nonessential State Expenditures. (BDR 17-929)

A.B. 182 - *AB182* ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 182–ASSEMBLYMEMBER DICKMAN PREFILED FEBRUARY 2, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections SUMMARY—Creates the Legislative Committee on the Reduction of Nonessential State Expenditures. (BDR 17-929) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State: Yes. ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to legislative affairs; creating the Legislative Committee on the Reduction of Nonessential State Expenditures; prescribing the powers and duties of the Committee; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law creates various committees consisting of Legislators to study 1 specified issues and perform other activities during the interim between legislative 2 sessions. (See, e.g., NRS 218E.150-218E.815) Section 5 of this bill creates the 3 Legislative Committee on the Reduction of Nonessential State Expenditures as a 4 statutory interim committee and provides for its membership. Section 6 of this bill 5 provides for the meetings of the Committee, prescribes the manner in which 6 meetings must be conducted and provides for the compensation of the members of 7 the Committee. 8 Section 7 of this bill prescribes the duties of the Committee, including the 9 review and evaluation of issues relating to state governmental spending and 10 efficiency. Specifically, section 7 requires the Committee to: (1) identify areas in 11 which state expenditures may be eliminated or avoided; (2) identify areas in which 12 state expenditures may be reduced; (3) investigate alleged instances within state 13 agencies of abuse, fraud or waste with respect to public money; and (4) make 14 recommendations for corrective action by such an agency relating to such an 15 investigation. Section 7 also requires a state agency to collaborate with the 16 Committee in carrying out its duties and to provide the Committee with certain 17 information upon request. 18 Section 8 of this bill authorizes the Committee to: (1) conduct investigations 19 and hold hearings; (2) request that the Legislative Counsel Bureau assist in the 20 research, investigations, hearings and reviews of the Committee; and (3) 21 recommend legislation concerning state governmental spending and efficiency. 22 Section 8 also requires the Committee to submit to the Legislature a biennial report 23 describing its activities. Section 8 also authorizes the Committee to submit such 24 – 2 – - *AB182* additional reports to the Interim Finance Committee or the Legislature as it deems 25 appropriate. 26 Sections 2, 3 and 4 of this bill define certain terms for the purposes of this bill. 27 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Chapter 218E of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1 thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 to 8, inclusive, of this 2 act. 3 Sec. 2. As used in sections 2 to 8, inclusive, of this act, unless 4 the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in 5 sections 3 and 4 of this act have the meanings ascribed to them in 6 those sections. 7 Sec. 3. “Agency” means an agency, bureau, board, 8 commission, department, division or any other unit of the State 9 Government. 10 Sec. 4. “Committee” means the Legislative Committee on the 11 Reduction of Nonessential State Expenditures created by section 5 12 of this act. 13 Sec. 5. 1. The Legislative Committee on the Reduction of 14 Nonessential State Expenditures is hereby created. The 15 membership of the Committee consists of: 16 (a) Two members of the Senate appointed by the Majority 17 Leader of the Senate; 18 (b) Two members of the Assembly appointed by the Speaker of 19 the Assembly; 20 (c) One member of the Senate appointed by the Minority 21 Leader of the Senate; and 22 (d) One member of the Assembly appointed by the Minority 23 Leader of the Assembly. 24 2. The Legislative Commission shall review and approve the 25 budget and work program for the Committee and any changes to 26 the budget or work program. 27 3. The Legislative Commission shall select a Chair and Vice 28 Chair of the Committee from among the members of the 29 Committee. After the initial selection, each Chair and Vice Chair 30 holds office for a term of 2 years commencing on July 1 of each 31 odd-numbered year. The office of Chair of the Committee must 32 alternate each biennium between the Houses. If a vacancy occurs 33 in the office of the Chair or Vice Chair, the vacancy must be filled 34 in the same manner as the original selection for the remainder of 35 the unexpired term. 36 4. A member of the Committee who is not a candidate for 37 reelection or who is defeated for reelection continues to serve after 38 – 3 – - *AB182* the general election until the next regular or special session of the 1 Legislature convenes. 2 5. A vacancy on the Committee must be filled in the same 3 manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the 4 unexpired term. 5 Sec. 6. 1. Except as otherwise ordered by the Legislative 6 Commission, the members of the Committee shall meet not earlier 7 than September 1 of each odd-numbered year and not later than 8 August 31 of the following even-numbered year at the times and 9 places specified by a call of the Chair or a majority of the 10 Committee. 11 2. The Director or the Director’s designee shall act as the 12 nonvoting recording Secretary of the Committee. 13 3. Four members of the Committee constitute a quorum, and 14 a quorum may exercise all the power and authority conferred on 15 the Committee. 16 4. Except during a regular or special session of the 17 Legislature, for each day or portion of a day during which a 18 member of the Committee attends a meeting of the Committee or is 19 otherwise engaged in the business of the Committee, the member 20 is entitled to receive the: 21 (a) Compensation provided for a majority of the members of 22 the Legislature during the first 60 days of the preceding regular 23 session; 24 (b) Per diem allowance provided for state officers and 25 employees generally; and 26 (c) Travel expenses provided pursuant to NRS 218A.655. 27 5. All such compensation, per diem allowances and travel 28 expenses must be paid from the Legislative Fund. 29 Sec. 7. 1. The Committee shall review and evaluate issues 30 relating to state governmental spending and efficiency. The 31 Committee shall: 32 (a) Identify areas in which state expenditures may be 33 eliminated or avoided, including, without limitation, by identifying 34 programs or services provided by agencies that the Committee 35 determines are duplicative of other programs or services, 36 ineffective or nonessential for the operation of the State 37 Government. 38 (b) Identify areas in which the costs to an agency of providing 39 services that the Committee determines are essential for the 40 operation of the State Government may be reduced, including, 41 without limitation, areas in which increased efficiencies may be 42 found. 43 (c) Upon concluding that an agency: 44 – 4 – - *AB182* (1) May be engaging in abuse, fraud or waste with respect 1 to public money, investigate the agency. 2 (2) Is engaged in abuse, fraud or waste with respect to 3 public money, provide written notice to the agency of that 4 determination. Such notice must include, without limitation, any 5 recommendations for corrective action by the agency. 6 2. Each agency shall: 7 (a) Collaborate with the Committee in carrying out the duties 8 prescribed in this section; and 9 (b) Provide the Committee with any information requested by 10 the Committee as soon as is reasonably practicable after receiving 11 the request. 12 3. An agency that receives notice of a determination by the 13 Committee that the agency is engaged in abuse, fraud or waste 14 pursuant to subparagraph (2) of paragraph (c) of subsection 1 15 shall, upon the request of the Committee, provide the Committee 16 with a written report regarding any corrective actions taken by the 17 agency to implement the recommendations made by the Committee 18 pursuant to that subparagraph. 19 Sec. 8. 1. The Committee may: 20 (a) Conduct investigations and hold hearings in connection 21 with its duties pursuant to section 7 of this act and exercise any of 22 the investigative powers set forth in NRS 218E.105 to 218E.140, 23 inclusive. 24 (b) Request that the Legislative Counsel Bureau assist in the 25 research, investigations, hearings and reviews of the Committee. 26 (c) Recommend to the Legislature, as a result of its review and 27 evaluation, any appropriate legislation concerning state 28 governmental spending and efficiency. 29 2. On or before October 1 of each even-numbered year, the 30 Committee shall: 31 (a) Compile a report describing the activities of the Committee 32 during the legislative interim. The report must include, without 33 limitation: 34 (1) Any recommendations for legislation considered by the 35 Committee. The report must indicate, for each such 36 recommendation, whether the recommendation was approved by a 37 majority vote of all of the members of the Committee. 38 (2) A summary of the areas identified by the Committee in 39 which state expenditures may be eliminated or avoided pursuant to 40 paragraph (a) of subsection 1 of section 7 of this act. 41 (3) A summary of the areas identified by the Committee in 42 which state expenditures may be reduced pursuant to paragraph 43 (b) of subsection 1 of section 7 of this act. 44 – 5 – - *AB182* (4) A summary of any investigation conducted pursuant to 1 paragraph (c) of subsection 1 of section 7 of this act and any 2 recommendations for corrective action made by the Committee. 3 (5) A summary of any corrective action taken by an agency 4 to implement any recommendations made by the Committee of 5 which the Committee is aware. 6 (b) Submit the report to the Director for transmittal to the 7 Legislature. 8 3. The Committee may submit to the Director for transmittal 9 to the Interim Finance Committee or the Legislature any such 10 additional reports as it deems appropriate. 11 Sec. 9. The provisions of subsection 1 of NRS 218D.380 do 12 not apply to any provision of this act which adds or revises a 13 requirement to submit a report to the Legislature. 14 Sec. 10. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 15 H