SB414 - Revises provisions relating to governmental administration. (BDR 23-1111)

- 83rd Session (2025) Senate Bill No. 414–Senators Scheible, Cannizzaro; Dondero Loop and Pazina Joint Sponsor: Assemblymember Yeager CHAPTER.......... AN ACT relating to governmental administration; requiring certain state employees to file financial disclosure statements; revising provisions governing financial disclosure statements filed by certain public officers and candidates for public office; defining the term “inaugural committee”; requiring an inaugural committee to report certain contributions and expenditures; requiring a candidate who is elected to a constitutional office to report certain contributions and expenditures for a certain period preceding the election and preceding the next regular legislative session; prohibiting a foreign national from making a contribution or commitment to make a contribution to an inaugural committee; providing a penalty; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: The Nevada Financial Disclosure Act requires certain public officers and candidates for public office to disclose certain information in financial disclosure statements filed with the Secretary of State. (NRS 281.005, 281.5555-281.581) Section 1.4 of this bill requires a state employee to file a financial disclosure statement with the Secretary of State if the state employee: (1) is appointed to a position of employment by a constitutional officer; (2) is in neither the classified or unclassified service of this State; (3) serves at the pleasure of the constitutional officer; and (4) is not otherwise a public officer. Section 1.9 of this bill applies certain existing civil penalties to such a state employee who willfully fails to file a financial disclosure statement or willfully fails to file a financial disclosure statement in a timely manner. Section 1.7 of this bill provides that, for a state employee who serves more than 1 year in the same position of employment or more than one position of employment for which a financial disclosure statement is required, the date of filing of the last financial statement is the date which begins the period in which such statements must be retained by the Secretary of State. Section 1.8 of this bill requires each constitutional officer who appoints a state employee who is required to file a financial disclosure statement to submit to the Secretary of State a list of each such state employee appointed by the constitutional officer. Sections 1-1.35, 1.5 and 13 of this bill make additional conforming changes to incorporate such public employees into the existing provisions of the Act. The Act requires the disclosure of: (1) the specific location and use of certain real estate, other than a personal residence, located in this State or an adjacent state in which the public officer, candidate or member of the public officer’s or candidate’s household has a legal or beneficial interest and whose fair market value is $2,500 or more; and (2) each business entity with which the public officer or candidate or member of the public officer’s or candidate’s household is involved as – 2 – - 83rd Session (2025) a holder of a class of stock or security representing 1 percent or more of the total outstanding stock or securities issued by the business entity. (NRS 281.571) Section 1.5 of this bill removes the requirement that only real estate located in this State or an adjacent State be disclosed. Section 1.5 additionally requires the disclosure of each: (1) business entity with which the public officer, state employee or candidate or a member of the public officer’s, state employee’s or candidate’s household is involved as a holder of a class of stock or security issued by the business entity that is valued at $5,000 or more; and (2) investment security, with certain exceptions, held by the public officer, state employee or candidate that is valued at more than $5,000. Existing law requires certain persons who make independent expenditures and certain committees for political action, political parties and committees sponsored by a political party which receive certain contributions or make certain expenditures to report such contributions and expenditures. (NRS 294A.140, 294A.150, 294A.210, 294A.220, 294A.230) Section 5 of this bill requires an inaugural committee to report certain contributions and expenditures. Section 4 of this bill defines the term “inaugural committee.” Existing law requires a candidate for office at a primary election or general election to report certain contributions made during the election year. (NRS 294A.120) Section 6 of this bill requires a candidate who has been elected to a constitutional office to report certain contributions and expenditures in relation to the transition to the constitutional office. Section 3 of this bill defines the terms “constitutional office” and “constitutional officer.” Section 7 of this bill makes a conforming change to apply the terms defined in sections 3 and 4 to certain provisions of law governing campaign practices. Section 8 of this bill prohibits a foreign national from making a contribution or a commitment to make a contribution to an inaugural committee. Sections 9-12 of this bill make conforming changes to incorporate the requirements of sections 5 and 6 into existing law governing campaign practices. EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. NRS 281.5583 is hereby amended to read as follows: 281.5583 1. “Educational or informational meeting, event or trip” means any meeting, event or trip undertaken or attended by a public officer , state employee or candidate if, in connection with the meeting, event or trip: (a) The public officer , state employee or candidate or a member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household receives anything of value to undertake or attend the meeting, event or trip from an interested person; and (b) The public officer , state employee or candidate provides or receives any education or information on matters relating to the – 3 – - 83rd Session (2025) legislative, administrative or political action of the public officer , state employee or the candidate if elected. 2. The term includes, without limitation, any reception, gathering, conference, convention, discussion, forum, roundtable, seminar, symposium, speaking engagement or other similar meeting, event or trip with an educational or informational component. 3. The term does not include: (a) A meeting, event or trip undertaken or attended by a public officer , state employee or candidate or a member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household for personal reasons or for reasons relating to any professional or occupational license held by the public officer , state employee or candidate or the member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household, unless the public officer , state employee or candidate or the member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household participates as one of the primary speakers, instructors or presenters at the meeting, event or trip. (b) A meeting, event or trip undertaken or attended by a public officer , state employee or candidate or a member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household if the meeting, event or trip is undertaken or attended as part of his or her bona fide employment or service as an employee or independent contractor and anything of value received by the public officer , state employee or candidate or the member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household for the meeting, event or trip or otherwise paid for or reimbursed to the public officer , state employee or candidate or the member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household as part of his or her bona fide employment or service as an employee or independent contractor. (c) A meeting, event or trip excluded from the term “educational or informational meeting, event or trip” as defined in NRS 218H.045. 4. For the purposes of this section, “anything of value” includes, without limitation, any actual expenses for food, beverages, registration fees, travel or lodging provided or given to or paid for the benefit of the public officer , state employee or candidate or a member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household or reimbursement for any such actual expenses paid by the public officer , state employee or candidate or a member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household, if the expenses are incurred on a day during which the public officer , state employee or candidate or a member of the – 4 – - 83rd Session (2025) public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household undertakes or attends the meeting, event or trip or during which the public officer or candidate or a member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household travels to or from the meeting, event or trip. Sec. 1.1. NRS 281.5585 is hereby amended to read as follows: 281.5585 1. “Gift” means any payment, conveyance, transfer, distribution, deposit, advance, loan, forbearance, subscription, pledge or rendering of money, services or anything else of value, unless consideration of equal or greater value is received. 2. The term does not include: (a) Any political contribution of money or services related to a political campaign. (b) Any commercially reasonable loan made in the ordinary course of business. (c) Anything of value provided for an educational or informational meeting, event or trip. (d) Anything of value excluded from the term “gift” as defined in NRS 218H.060. (e) Any ceremonial gifts received for a birthday, wedding, anniversary, holiday or other ceremonial occasion from a donor who is not an interested person. (f) Anything of value received from a person who is: (1) Related to the public officer , state employee or candidate, or to the spouse or domestic partner of the public officer , state employee or candidate, by blood, adoption, marriage or domestic partnership within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity; or (2) A member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household. (g) Anything of value received by a person as part of his or her bona fide employment or service as an employee or independent contractor or otherwise paid for or reimbursed to the person as part of his or her bona fide employment or service as an employee or independent contractor. Sec. 1.2. NRS 281.5586 is hereby amended to read as follows: 281.5586 1. “Interested person” means a person who has a substantial interest in the legislative, administrative or political action of a public officer , state employee or a candidate if elected. 2. The term includes, without limitation: (a) A lobbyist as defined in NRS 218H.080. (b) A group of interested persons acting in concert, whether or not formally organized. – 5 – - 83rd Session (2025) Sec. 1.3. NRS 281.5587 is hereby amended to read as follows: 281.5587 1. “Member of the public officer’s , state employee’s or candidate’s household” means: (a) The spouse or domestic partner of the public officer , state employee or candidate; (b) A relative who lives in the same home or dwelling as the public officer , state employee or candidate; or (c) A person, whether or not a relative, who: (1) Lives in the same home or dwelling as the public officer , state employee or candidate and who is dependent on and receiving substantial support from the public officer , state employee or candidate; (2) Does not live in the same home or dwelling as the public officer , state employee or candidate but who is dependent on and receiving substantial support from the public officer , state employee or candidate; or (3) Lived in the same home or dwelling as the public officer , state employee or candidate for 6 months or more during the immediately preceding calendar year or other period for which the public officer , state employee or candidate is filing the financial disclosure statement and who was dependent on and receiving substantial support from the public officer , state employee or candidate during that period. 2. For the purposes of this section, “relative” means a person who is related to the public officer , state employee or candidate, or to the spouse or domestic partner of the public officer , state employee or candidate, by blood, adoption, marriage or domestic partnership within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity. Sec. 1.35. NRS 281.5588 is hereby amended to read as follows: 281.5588 1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 281.572, the Secretary of State shall provide access through a secure Internet website for the purpose of filing financial disclosure statements to each public officer , state employee or candidate who is required to file electronically with the Secretary of State a financial disclosure statement pursuant to NRS 281.5555 to 281.581, inclusive. 2. A financial disclosure statement that is filed electronically with the Secretary of State shall be deemed to be filed on the date that it is filed electronically if it is filed not later than 11:59 p.m. on that date. Sec. 1.4. NRS 281.559 is hereby amended to read as follows: 281.559 1. Except as otherwise provided in this section and NRS 281.572, [if a] each public officer who was appointed to the – 6 – - 83rd Session (2025) office for which the public officer is serving who is entitled to receive annual compensation of $6,000 or more for serving in that office , [or if the] each public officer who was appointed to the office of Legislator [, the public officer] and each state employee who was appointed to a position of employment by a constitutional officer, who is not in the classified or unclassified service of the State, who serves at the pleasure of the constitutional officer and who is not otherwise a public officer shall file electronically with the Secretary of State a financial disclosure statement, as follows: (a) A public officer or state employee appointed to fill the unexpired term or position of an elected or appointed public officer or state employee shall file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days after the public officer’s or state employee’s appointment. (b) Each public officer or state employee appointed to fill an office shall file a [Text truncated for display. Full text available on LegiScan.]