(Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 14, 2025)
FIRST REPRINT A.B. 249
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ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 249–COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS
FEBRUARY 18, 2025
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Referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to fiscal notes.
(BDR 17-932)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Yes.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to fiscal notes; revising the information
concerning fiscal effect that must be included in the
summary of each bill or joint resolution introduced in the
Legislature; revising provisions relating to the preparation
of a fiscal note by a local government; revising provisions
relating to the preparation of fiscal notes relating to
petitions for initiative or referendum; and providing other
matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law requires the summary of a bill or joint resolution introduced in the 1
Legislature to include certain statements relating to the fiscal effect on the State and 2
local government. (NRS 218D.415) Section 1 of this bill amends the summary of a 3
bill or joint resolution relating to the fiscal effect on the State from “Effect on the 4
State: Yes” to “Effect on the State: May have Fiscal Impact.” Section 1 further 5
requires the summary of a bill or resolution to include certain statements relating to 6
the fiscal effect of the bill or joint resolution on the State Highway Fund. 7
Existing law provides that, if a bill or joint resolution is submitted to a local 8
government for a fiscal note and the local government determines the bill or joint 9
resolution reduces the revenues or increases the expenditures of the local 10
government, the local government is required to prepare a fiscal note and return it 11
to the Fiscal Analysis Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau within 8 working 12
days. (NRS 218D.475) Section 1.5 of this bill authorizes the Fiscal Analysis 13
Division to extend the period of time to return the fiscal note by not more than 7 14
additional days if the matter requires extended research. 15
Existing law requires the Secretary of State to consult with the Fiscal Analysis 16
Division to determine whether a petition for initiative or referendum may have any 17
anticipated financial effect on the State or local governments if the initiative or 18
referendum is approved by the voters. If the Fiscal Analysis Division determines 19
that the petition may have an anticipated financial effect on the State or local 20
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governments, the Fiscal Analysis Division is required to prepare a fiscal note 21
regarding the petition that includes an explanation of any such effect. The Secretary 22
of State is required to post on the Secretary of State’s Internet website any fiscal 23
note prepared by the Fiscal Analysis Division not later than 10 business days after 24
the Secretary of State receives the petition. (NRS 295.015) Existing law also 25
authorizes the description of effect of an initiative or referendum to be challenged 26
by filing a complaint in the First Judicial District Court not later than 15 days, 27
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays excluded, after a copy of the petition is placed on 28
file with the Secretary of State. (NRS 295.061) Section 2 of this bill revises the 29
deadline for posting the fiscal note prepared by the Fiscal Analysis Division on the 30
Internet website of the Secretary of State to be: (1) if the description of effect of 31
the petition is challenged in the First Judicial District, not later than 10 business 32
days after the decision of the First Judicial District Court relating to the challenge is 33
issued; or (2) if the description of effect is not challenged in the First Judicial 34
District, not later than 10 business days after the last day to file a challenge. 35
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 218D.415 is hereby amended to read as 1
follows: 2
218D.415 1. The summary of each bill or joint resolution 3
introduced in the Legislature must include the statement: 4
(a) “Fiscal Note: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal 5
Impact,” 6
“Fiscal Note: Effect on Local Government: No,” or 7
“Fiscal Note: Effect on Local Government: Increases or 8
Newly Provides for Term of Imprisonment in County or City Jail or 9
Detention Facility,” 10
whichever is appropriate . [; and] 11
(b) “Effect on the State: [Yes,”] May have Fiscal Impact,” 12
“Effect on the State: No,” 13
“Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation from the State 14
General Fund included in Executive Budget,” 15
“Effect on the State: Executive Budget,” or 16
“Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation from the State 17
General Fund not included in Executive Budget,” 18
whichever is appropriate. 19
(c) “Effect on the State Highway Fund: May have Fiscal 20
Impact,” 21
“Effect on the State Highway Fund: No,” 22
“Effect on the State Highway Fund: Contains 23
Appropriation from the State Highway Fund included in 24
Executive Budget,” or 25
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“Effect on the State Highw ay Fund: Contains 1
Appropriation from the State Highway Fund not included in 2
Executive Budget,” 3
whichever is appropriate. 4
2. The Legislative Counsel shall consult the Fiscal Analysis 5
Division to secure the appropriate information for summaries of 6
bills and joint resolutions. 7
3. If an amendment adds an appropriation to a bill that 8
previously did not include an appropriation or removes all 9
appropriations from a bill that previously included one or more 10
appropriations, the Legislative Counsel shall change the summary of 11
the bill to reflect the inclusion or removal. 12
Sec. 1.5. NRS 218D.475 is hereby amended to read as 13
follows: 14
218D.475 1. Whenever a bill or joint resolution is submitted 15
to an agency for a fiscal note, the agency shall prepare the fiscal 16
note and return it to the Fiscal Analysis Division within 5 working 17
days. The Fiscal Analysis Division may extend the period for not 18
more than 10 additional working days if the matter requires 19
extended research. 20
2. Whenever a bill or joint resolution is submitted to a local 21
government for a fiscal note, the local government shall: 22
(a) Review the provisions of the bill or joint resolution to 23
determine whether the bill or joint resolution reduces the revenues 24
or increases the expenditures of the local government; and 25
(b) If the local government determines that the bill or joint 26
resolution reduces the revenues or increases the expenditures of the 27
local government, prepare a fiscal note for that bill or joint 28
resolution and return it to the Fiscal Analysis Division within 8 29
working days. The Fiscal Analysis Division may extend the period 30
for not more than 7 additional working days if the matter requires 31
extended research. 32
Sec. 2. NRS 295.015 is hereby amended to read as follows: 33
295.015 1. Before a petition for initiative or referendum may 34
be presented to the registered voters for their signatures, the person 35
who intends to circulate the petition must: 36
(a) File a copy of the petition for initiative or referendum, 37
including the description of the effect of the initiative or referendum 38
required pursuant to NRS 295.009, with the Secretary of State. 39
(b) Submit to the Secretary of State on a form prescribed by the 40
Secretary of State: 41
(1) The name and signature of the person. 42
(2) If the person has formed a committee for political action 43
for the purposes of advocating the passage of the initiative or 44
referendum, the name of that committee for political action. 45
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(3) The names of not more than three persons who are 1
authorized to withdraw the petition or submit an amended petition. 2
2. If a petition for initiative or referendum or the description of 3
the effect of the initiative or referendum required pursuant to NRS 4
295.009 is amended after the petition is placed on file with the 5
Secretary of State pursuant to subsection 1: 6
(a) The revised petition must be placed on file with the Secretary 7
of State before it is presented to the registered voters for their 8
signatures; 9
(b) Any signatures that were collected on the original petition 10
before it was amended are not valid; and 11
(c) The requirements for submission of the petition to each 12
county clerk set forth in NRS 295.056 apply to the revised petition. 13
3. Upon receipt of a petition for initiative or referendum placed 14
on file pursuant to subsection 1 or 2: 15
(a) The Secretary of State shall assign to the petition for 16
initiative or referendum a unique identifier that must: 17
(1) Consist of a serial number or letter, or both; and 18
(2) Distinguish among each different type of petition 19
received. 20
(b) The Secretary of State shall consult with the Fiscal Analysis 21
Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau to determine whether 22
the petition for initiative or referendum may have any anticipated 23
financial effect on the State or local governments if the initiative or 24
referendum is approved by the voters. If the Fiscal Analysis 25
Division determines that the petition for initiative or referendum 26
may have an anticipated financial effect on the State or local 27
governments if the initiative or referendum is approved by the 28
voters, the Fiscal Analysis Division must prepare a fiscal note 29
regarding the petition that includes an explanation of any such 30
effect. 31
(c) The Secretary of State shall consult with the Legislative 32
Counsel regarding the petition for initiative or referendum. The 33
Legislative Counsel may provide technical suggestions regarding 34
the petition for initiative or referendum. 35
4. Not later than 10 business days after the Secretary of State 36
receives a petition for initiative or referendum filed pursuant to 37
subsection 1 or 2, the Secretary of State shall post on the Secretary 38
of State’s Internet website a copy of the petition, including: 39
(a) The description of the effect of the initiative or referendum 40
required pursuant to NRS 295.009; 41
(b) The unique identifier assigned to the petition by the 42
Secretary of State pursuant to subsection 3; and 43
(c) [Any fiscal note regarding the petition prepared by the Fiscal 44
Analysis Division pursuant to subsection 3; and 45
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(d)] Any suggestions regarding the petition made by the 1
Legislative Counsel pursuant to subsection 3. 2
5. The Secretary of State shall post on the Secretary of State’s 3
Internet website any fiscal note regarding a petition prepared by 4
the Fiscal Analysis Division pursuant to subsection 3: 5
(a) If the description of effect of the petition is challenged 6
pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 295.061, not later than 10 7
business days after the decision of the First Judicial District Court 8
relating to the challenge is issued; or 9
(b) If the description of effect is not challenged pursuant to 10
subsection 1 of NRS 295.061, not later than 10 business days after 11
the last day to file a challenge pursuant to subsection 1 of 12
NRS 295.061. 13
Sec. 3. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 14
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