SB367 - Revises provisions relating to governmental administration. (BDR 18-1085)

S.B. 367 - *SB367* SENATE BILL NO. 367–SENATOR FLORES MARCH 17, 2025 ____________ JOINT SPONSORS: ASSEMBLYMEMBERS NGUYEN, D’SILVA; HUNT, JACKSON AND KARRIS ____________ Referred to Committee on Government Affairs SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to governmental administration. (BDR 18-1085) 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 governmental administration; establishing the Rural and Community Media Program in the Department of Administration; requiring the Director of the Department to report to the Legislature annually certain information relating to the Program; authorizing a department or agency of this State, to the extent possible, to utilize rural or community media outlets for public outreach, public engagement, marketing and advertising to certain communities; requiring such departments and agencies to report to the Director of the Department certain information relating to the Program; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: It is the policy of this State to strengthen and promote inclusive and meaningful 1 engagement by the general public and interested stakeholders in the activities of the 2 State Government through various tools. (NRS 232.003) Section 2 of this bill 3 establishes the Rural and Community Media Program in the Department of 4 Administration to assist a department or agency of this State with public outreach, 5 public engagement, marketing and advertising to members of rural communities 6 and historically underrepresented communities through the use of rural and 7 community media. Section 2 requires the Director of the Department, in 8 administering the Program, to: (1) develop and maintain a database of rural and 9 community media outlets in this State; (2) conduct training, education and outreach 10 to departments and agencies of this State to inform them of the importance of rural 11 – 2 – - *SB367* and community media and the benefits of inclusive and equitable strategies to 12 increase public engagement in State government; (3) advise such departments and 13 agencies on strategies to better tailor public outreach, public engagement, 14 marketing and advertising to rural communities and historically underrepresented 15 communities; and (4) cultivate relationships with rural and community media 16 outlets. Section 2 requires the Director to submit to the Legislature on January 1 of 17 each year, and post on the official Internet website of this State, a report on the 18 Program that includes, without limitation, certain information regarding the 19 utilization of, and contracts or subcontracts with, rural and community media 20 outlets by a department or agency of this State. Section 4 of this bill applies certain 21 definitions in existing law relating to the Department of Administration to sections 22 2 and 3 of this bill. 23 Section 3 requires a department or agency of this State that expends money on 24 public outreach, marketing or advertising, to the greatest extent possible, to direct 25 expenditures to rural and community media outlets to improve outreach to and 26 engagement with members of the communities served by those outlets. Section 3 27 further requires that a department or agency of this State that utilizes or contracts or 28 subcontracts with rural or community media outlets to report to the Director of the 29 Department, on or before October 1 of each year, certain information relating to 30 that utilization and those contracts or subcontracts. 31 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Chapter 232 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1 thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 and 3 of this act. 2 Sec. 2. 1. The Rural and Community Media Program is 3 hereby established within the Department to assist a department or 4 agency of this State with public outreach, public engagement, 5 marketing and advertising to members of rural communities and 6 historically underrepresented communities through the use of 7 rural and community media. 8 2. The Director shall administer the Program. In 9 administering the Program, the Director shall: 10 (a) Develop and maintain a database of rural and community 11 media outlets in this State. 12 (b) Conduct training, education and outreach to the 13 departments and agencies of this State to inform them of the 14 importance of rural and community media to members of rural 15 communities and historically underrepresented communities and 16 the benefits of inclusive and equitable strategies to increase public 17 engagement in State government. 18 (c) Advise the departments and agencies of this State on 19 strategies to better tailor public outreach, public engagement, 20 marketing and advertising to rural communities and historically 21 underrepresented communities. 22 (d) Cultivate relationships with rural and community media 23 outlets. 24 – 3 – - *SB367* 3. On or before January 1 of each year, the Director of the 1 Department shall submit a report to the Director of the Legislative 2 Counsel Bureau for transmittal to the Legislature, a copy of which 3 must be posted on the official Internet website of this State, that 4 sets forth for the immediately preceding 12 months: 5 (a) A list of each department or agency of the State, if any, that 6 utilized a rural or community media outlet for marketing and 7 advertising. 8 (b) The amount paid by each department or agency of this 9 State, if any, to a rural or community media outlet pursuant to a 10 contract or subcontract for marketing and advertising. 11 (c) A list of each rural or community media outlet, if any, that 12 received from a department or agency of this State a contract or 13 subcontract to place marketing or advertising material. 14 (d) A list of the languages in which marketing and advertising 15 materials were provided by a rural or community media outlet with 16 a contract or subcontract with a department or agency of this 17 State. 18 (e) An analysis of the challenges the Program has faced, if 19 any, the efforts to address those challenges and recommendations 20 to improve the Program. 21 4. As used in this section: 22 (a) “Rural or community media” means any nonprofit 23 organization or small business that produces community news and 24 cultural content of specific interest to a community, including a 25 historically underrepresented community, a neighborhood or a 26 region in this State. 27 (b) “Rural or community media outlet” means an entity in 28 which at least one-half of the content is originally produced 29 community news and cultural content of specific interest to a 30 community, including a historically underrepresented community, 31 a neighborhood or a region in this State through broadcast, print 32 or digital means, including, without limitation, television, radio or 33 online outlets on a daily, weekly or other regular interval and that 34 has continually produced such content for at least 1 year. 35 Sec. 3. 1. A department or agency of this State that expends 36 money on public outreach, marketing or advertising shall, to the 37 greatest extent possible, direct expenditures to rural or community 38 media outlets to improve outreach to and engagement with 39 members of the communities served by those outlets. 40 2. On or before October 1 of each year, each department or 41 agency of this State that expends money pursuant to subsection 1 42 shall provide to the Director a report that sets forth for the 43 immediately preceding 12 months: 44 – 4 – - *SB367* (a) Each rural or community media outlet the department or 1 agency utilized, if any, for marketing or advertising, whether a 2 contract or subcontract was entered into with the media outlet 3 and, if so, the amount paid pursuant to such a contract or 4 subcontract. 5 (b) A list of all the languages in which marketing and 6 advertising materials were provided by a rural or community 7 media outlet with a contract or subcontract with the department or 8 agency. 9 3. As used in this section, “rural or community media outlet” 10 has the meaning ascribed to it in section 2 of this act. 11 Sec. 4. NRS 232.212 is hereby amended to read as follows: 12 232.212 As used in NRS 232.212 to 232.2198, inclusive, and 13 sections 2 and 3 of this act, unless the context requires otherwise: 14 1. “Department” means the Department of Administration. 15 2. “Director” means the Director of the Department. 16 3. “Public body” has the meaning ascribed to it in 17 NRS 241.015. 18 Sec. 5. 1. The first report that a department or agency of this 19 State is required to prepare and submit pursuant to section 3 of this 20 act must be submitted on or before October 1, 2026. 21 2. The first report that the Director of the Department of 22 Administration is required to prepare and submit to the Director of 23 the Legislative Counsel Bureau pursuant to section 2 of this act must 24 be submitted on or before January 1, 2027. 25 Sec. 6. The provisions of NRS 218D.380 do not apply to any 26 provision of this act which adds or revises a requirement to submit a 27 report to the Legislature. 28 H