(Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 17, 2025)
FIRST REPRINT A.B. 547
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ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 547–ASSEMBLYMEMBERS YEAGER;
CONSIDINE, DICKMAN, D’SILVA, GALLANT, GOULDING
AND KASAMA
APRIL 7, 2025
____________
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
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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
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
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abilities required for the position for which the applicant is 1
applying may only be obtained through a course of study in 2
pursuit of and that culminates in the award of a bachelor’s degree. 3
Sec. 4. NRS 284.160 is hereby amended to read as follows: 4
284.160 1. The Administrator shall prepare, maintain and 5
revise as necessary a master classification plan for all positions in 6
the classified service, based upon similarity of duties and 7
responsibilities, so that the same qualifications may reasonably be 8
required for, and the same schedule of pay may be equitably applied 9
to, all positions in the same class. 10
2. In determining the qualifications that may be reasonably 11
required for all positions in the same class pursuant to subsection 1, 12
the Administrator shall [periodically review each class of positions 13
in the classified service which require a person to hold a bachelor’s 14
degree and, whenever the Administrator deems it necessary for the 15
efficiency of the public service, revise the qualifications to] allow a 16
person to substitute equivalent employment experience [or skills in 17
lieu of a bachelor’s degree.] obtained in the Federal Government 18
for any employment experience required to be obtained in the 19
government of this State. 20
3. The Administrator shall review annually the classification 21
plan of each appointing authority using the audit function developed 22
and implemented pursuant to NRS 284.107. 23
4. Subject to the provisions of subsection 5, with the approval 24
of the Administrator, an appointing authority may make changes in 25
the classification of positions within its agency whenever the 26
appointing authority deems it necessary for the efficiency of the 27
public service. 28
5. The classification plan and changes therein are subject to 29
approval by the Commission, except that the Administrator, at the 30
request of an appointing authority, may make a change in the 31
classification plan without the prior approval of the Commission if: 32
(a) The Administrator deems it necessary for the efficiency of 33
the public service; 34
(b) The change is not proposed in conjunction with an 35
occupational study; and 36
(c) The Administrator, at least 20 working days before acting 37
upon the proposed change: 38
(1) Provides written notice of the proposal to each member 39
of the Commission, to all departments and to any head of an 40
employees’ organization who requests notice of such proposals; and 41
(2) Posts a written notice of the proposal in each of the 42
principal offices of the Division. 43
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Any occupational study conducted by the Division in connection 1
with the preparation, maintenance or revision of the classification 2
plan must be approved by the Commission. 3
6. If no written objection to the proposed change to the 4
classification plan is received by the Administrator before the date it 5
is scheduled to be acted upon, the Administrator may effect the 6
change. The Administrator shall report to the Commission any 7
change in the classification plan made without its approval at the 8
Commission’s next succeeding regular meeting. 9
7. If a written objection is received before the date the 10
proposed change is scheduled to be acted upon, the Administrator 11
shall place the matter on the agenda of the Commission for 12
consideration at its next succeeding regular meeting. 13
Sec. 5. NRS 284.210 is hereby amended to read as follows: 14
284.210 In relation to positions in the classified service, each 15
appointing authority shall, consistent with the regulations adopted 16
by the Commission pursuant to NRS 284.205, recruit, evaluate, 17
select, manage and promote employees , including, without 18
limitation, through the making of any determination that affects 19
the pay of an employee: 20
1. Through open competition on the basis of knowledge, skills 21
and ability and without regard to an applicant’s or employee’s 22
religious or political opinions or affiliations, race, sex, sexual 23
orientation, gender identity or expression, age or disability. 24
2. In a manner which recognizes relevant employment 25
experience obtained by an applicant or employee in the Federal 26
Government as equivalent to employment experience obtained in 27
the government of this State. 28
Sec. 6. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval. 29
H