A.B. 547
- *AB547*
ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 547–ASSEMBLYMEMBER YEAGER
APRIL 7, 2025
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Referred to Committee on Government Affairs
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to public employment.
(BDR 23-994)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: No.
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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 public employment; requiring an appointing
authority to recognize relevant employment experience
obtained in the Federal Government as equivalent to
employment experience obtained in the government of
this State for certain purposes; prohibiting, with certain
exceptions, an appointing authority from requiring an
applicant for a position of employment in the classified or
unclassified service of the State to have obtained a
bachelor’s degree as a condition precedent to
employment; requiring the Administrator of the Division
of Human Resource Management of the Department of
Administration to take certain actions with respect to the
master classification plan for all positions in the classified
service of the State; and providing other matters properly
relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law sets forth various requirements and procedures governing the 1
employment of persons in the classified and unclassified service of this State. 2
(Chapter 284 of NRS) Existing law requires the Administrator of the Division of 3
Human Resource Management of the Department of Administration to prepare, 4
maintain and revise a master classification plan for all positions in the classified 5
service, based on similarity of duties and responsibilities, so that the same 6
qualifications may reasonably be required for, and the same schedule of pay may be 7
equitably applied to, all positions in the same class. (NRS 284.160) Section 4 of 8
this bill requires the Administrator, in determining the qualifications that may be 9
reasonably required for all positions in the same class, to allow a person to 10
substitute equivalent employment experience obtained in the Federal Government 11
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for any employment experience required to be obtained in the government of this 12
State. 13
Existing law requires an appointing authority, with respect to positions in the 14
classified service of the State, to recruit, evaluate, select, manage and promote 15
employees through open competition on the basis of knowledge, skills and ability 16
and without regard to certain characteristics of an applicant or employee. (NRS 17
284.210) Section 5 of this bill specifies that the requirement applies, without 18
limitation, to the recruitment, evaluation, selection, management and promotion of 19
an employee through the making of any determination that affects the pay of an 20
employee. Sections 2 and 5 of this bill additionally require an appointing authority, 21
with respect to positions in the classified and unclassified service, to recruit, 22
evaluate, select, manage and promote employees, including, without limitation, 23
through the making of any determination that affects the pay of an employee, in a 24
manner which recognizes relevant employment experience obtained by an applicant 25
or employee in the Federal Government as equivalent to employment experience 26
obtained in the government of this State. 27
Section 3 of this bill prohibits, with certain exceptions, an appointing authority 28
from requiring an applicant for a position in the classified or unclassified service to 29
have obtained a bachelor’s degree as a condition precedent to employment. Section 30
3 provides an exception from that prohibition if the appointing authority makes 31
certain determinations. Because section 3 prohibits an appointing authority from 32
requiring an applicant to have obtained a bachelor’s degree except under certain 33
limited circumstances, section 4 eliminates provisions of existing law which 34
require the Administrator to conduct certain periodic reviews of classes of positions 35
in the classified service which require a person to hold a bachelor’s degree. 36
(NRS 284.160) 37
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 284 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1
thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 and 3 of this act. 2
Sec. 2. In relation to positions in the unclassified service, 3
each appointing authority shall recruit, evaluate, select, manage 4
and promote employees, including, without limitation, through the 5
making of any determination that affects the pay of an employee, 6
in a manner which recognizes relevant employment experience 7
obtained by an applicant or employee in the Federal Government 8
as equivalent to employment experience obtained in the 9
government of this State. 10
Sec. 3. 1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, an 11
appointing authority shall not require an applicant for a position 12
of employment in the classified or unclassified service of the State 13
to have obtained a bachelor’s degree as a condition precedent to 14
employment. 15
2. The provisions of subsection 1 do not apply if the 16
appointing authority determines that the knowledge, skills or 17
abilities required for the position for which the applicant is 18
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applying may only be obtained through a course of study in 1
pursuit of and that culminates in the award of a bachelor’s degree. 2
Sec. 4. NRS 284.160 is hereby amended to read as follows: 3
284.160 1. The Administrator shall prepare, maintain and 4
revise as necessary a master classification plan for all positions in 5
the classified service, based upon similarity of duties and 6
responsibilities, so that the same qualifications may reasonably be 7
required for, and the same schedule of pay may be equitably applied 8
to, all positions in the same class. 9
2. In determining the qualifications that may be reasonably 10
required for all positions in the same class pursuant to subsection 1, 11
the Administrator shall [periodically review each class of positions 12
in the classified service which require a person to hold a bachelor’s 13
degree and, whenever the Administrator deems it necessary for the 14
efficiency of the public service, revise the qualifications to] allow a 15
person to substitute equivalent employment experience [or skills in 16
lieu of a bachelor’s degree.] obtained in the Federal Government 17
for any employment experience required to be obtained in the 18
government of this State. 19
3. The Administrator shall review annually the classification 20
plan of each appointing authority using the audit function developed 21
and implemented pursuant to NRS 284.107. 22
4. Subject to the provisions of subsection 5, with the approval 23
of the Administrator, an appointing authority may make changes in 24
the classification of positions within its agency whenever the 25
appointing authority deems it necessary for the efficiency of the 26
public service. 27
5. The classification plan and changes therein are subject to 28
approval by the Commission, except that the Administrator, at the 29
request of an appointing authority, may make a change in the 30
classification plan without the prior approval of the Commission if: 31
(a) The Administrator deems it necessary for the efficiency of 32
the public service; 33
(b) The change is not proposed in conjunction with an 34
occupational study; and 35
(c) The Administrator, at least 20 working days before acting 36
upon the proposed change: 37
(1) Provides written notice of the proposal to each member 38
of the Commission, to all departments and to any head of an 39
employees’ organization who requests notice of such proposals; and 40
(2) Posts a written notice of the proposal in each of the 41
principal offices of the Division. 42
Any occupational study conducted by the Division in connection 43
with the preparation, maintenance or revision of the classification 44
plan must be approved by the Commission. 45
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6. If no written objection to the proposed change to the 1
classification plan is received by the Administrator before the date it 2
is scheduled to be acted upon, the Administrator may effect the 3
change. The Administrator shall report to the Commission any 4
change in the classification plan made without its approval at the 5
Commission’s next succeeding regular meeting. 6
7. If a written objection is received before the date the 7
proposed change is scheduled to be acted upon, the Administrator 8
shall place the matter on the agenda of the Commission for 9
consideration at its next succeeding regular meeting. 10
Sec. 5. NRS 284.210 is hereby amended to read as follows: 11
284.210 In relation to positions in the classified service, each 12
appointing authority shall, consistent with the regulations adopted 13
by the Commission pursuant to NRS 284.205, recruit, evaluate, 14
select, manage and promote employees , including, without 15
limitation, through the making of any determination that affects 16
the pay of an employee: 17
1. Through open competition on the basis of knowledge, skills 18
and ability and without regard to an applicant’s or employee’s 19
religious or political opinions or affiliations, race, sex, sexual 20
orientation, gender identity or expression, age or disability. 21
2. In a manner which recognizes relevant employment 22
experience obtained by an applicant or employee in the Federal 23
Government as equivalent to employment experience obtained in 24
the government of this State. 25
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