A.B. 66
- *AB66*
ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 66–COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
(ON BEHALF OF THE NEVADA SUPREME COURT)
PREFILED NOVEMBER 20, 2024
____________
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to district courts.
(BDR 1-473)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal Impact.
Effect on the State: Yes.
CONTAINS UNFUNDED MANDATE (§§ 1-9)
(NOT REQUESTED BY AFFECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT)
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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 district courts; prescribing the method for
increasing the number of district judges in certain judicial
districts based upon certain increases in population;
increasing the number of district judges in certain judicial
districts; and providing other matters properly relating
thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law: (1) divides the State into 11 judicial districts; and (2) sets forth 1
the number of district judges in each judicial district. (NRS 3.010, 3.011-3.0197) 2
The Nevada Constitution authorizes the Legislature to increase or decrease the 3
number of district judges. (Nev. Const. Art. 6, § 5) Section 1 of this bill revises 4
requirements governing the number of district judges in each judicial district whose 5
population is 350,000 or more by setting forth a schedule for increasing the number 6
of district judges in any such judicial district based upon certain increases in the 7
population of the judicial district. If the schedule requires an increase in the number 8
of district judges due to an increased population of a judicial district, section 1 9
provides that if the Chief Judge of the judicial district submits to the Legislature 10
and the board of county commissioners of each county located within the judicial 11
district an opinion stating that the caseload of the judicial district does not warrant 12
the increase in the number of district judges set forth in the schedule, the number of 13
district judges must not be increased unless the Legislature, by resolution, expressly 14
approves of the increase. 15
Section 2 of this bill increases the number of district judges in the First Judicial 16
District, which includes Carson City and Storey County, from two district judges to 17
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three district judges. (NRS 3.010, 3.011) Sections 3 and 4 of this bill increase the 18
number of district judges in the Second Judicial District, which includes Washoe 19
County, by three district judges, one of whom must be a judge of the family court. 20
(NRS 3.010, 3.012, 3.0125) Section 5 of this bill increases the number of district 21
judges in the Sixth Judicial District, which includes Humboldt County, from one 22
district judge to two district judges. (NRS 3.010, 3.016) Sections 6 and 7 of this 23
bill increase the number of district judges in the Eighth Judicial District, which 24
includes Clark County, by eighteen district judges, eight of whom must be judges 25
of the family court. (NRS 3.010, 3.018, 3.0185) Section 8 of this bill increases the 26
number of district judges in the Tenth Judicial District, which includes Churchill 27
County, from one district judge to two district judges. (NRS 3.010, 3.0195) Section 28
9 of this bill increases the number of district judges in the Eleventh Judicial 29
District, which includes Lander County, Mineral County and Pershing County, 30
from one district judge to two district judges. (NRS 3.010, 3.0197) Section 10 of 31
this bill sets out the timeframe for the election of the additional judges who will 32
take office on January 4, 2027. 33
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 3 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1
thereto a new section to read as follows: 2
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, in addition to 3
the district judges established pursuant to NRS 3.011 to 3.0197, 4
inclusive, the number of district judges of each judicial district 5
whose population is 350,000 or more must be increased according 6
to the population of the county or counties constituting the judicial 7
district, as certified by the Governor in even-numbered years 8
pursuant to NRS 360.285, in accordance with the following 9
schedule: 10
(a) In each judicial district in which a family court has been 11
established pursuant to NRS 3.0105, the number of district judges 12
must be increased by one district judge who is not a judge of the 13
family court and one district judge who is a judge of the family 14
court for each 40,000 population increase of the judicial district 15
that occurs on or after January 1, 2026. 16
(b) In each judicial district in which a family court has not 17
been established, the number of district judges must be increased 18
by one district judge for each 40,000 population increase of the 19
judicial district that occurs on or after January 1, 2026. 20
2. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, if the 21
schedule set forth in subsection 1 provides for an increase in the 22
number of district judges in a judicial district, each new district 23
judge must be elected at the next general election to a term that 24
expires on the same date as the current terms of the district judges 25
who are serving on the date of the general election. 26
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3. If the schedule set forth in subsection 1 provides for an 1
increase in the number of district judges in a judicial district, and 2
a majority of the district judges of the judicial district, in 3
consultation with the board of county commissioners of each 4
county located within the judicial district, determine that the 5
caseload does not warrant the increase provided for in subsection 6
1, the Chief Judge shall notify the Director of the Legislative 7
Counsel Bureau and the board of county commissioners of each 8
county located within the judicial district of his or her opinion on 9
or before March 15 of the even-numbered year in which the 10
population of the judicial district provides for such an increase. 11
The Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau shall submit the 12
opinion to the next regular session of the Legislature for its 13
consideration. If the Chief Judge transmits such a notice to the 14
Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau and any board of 15
county commissioners, the number of district judges must not be 16
increased during that period unless the Legislature, by resolution, 17
expressly approves the increase. 18
Sec. 2. NRS 3.011 is hereby amended to read as follows: 19
3.011 For the First Judicial District there must be [two] three 20
district judges. 21
Sec. 3. NRS 3.012 is hereby amended to read as follows: 22
3.012 For the Second Judicial District there must be [nine] 11 23
district judges who are not judges of the family court. 24
Sec. 4. NRS 3.0125 is hereby amended to read as follows: 25
3.0125 For the Second Judicial District, in addition to the 26
district judges established pursuant to NRS 3.012, there must be 27
[seven] eight district judges who are judges of the family court. 28
Sec. 5. NRS 3.016 is hereby amended to read as follows: 29
3.016 For the Sixth Judicial District there must be [one] two 30
district [judge.] judges. 31
Sec. 6. NRS 3.018 is hereby amended to read as follows: 32
3.018 For the Eighth Judicial District there must be [32] 42 33
district judges who are not judges of the family court. 34
Sec. 7. NRS 3.0185 is hereby amended to read as follows: 35
3.0185 For the Eighth Judicial District, in addition to the 36
district judges established pursuant to NRS 3.018, there must be 37
[26] 34 district judges who are judges of the family court. 38
Sec. 8. NRS 3.0195 is hereby amended to read as follows: 39
3.0195 For the Tenth Judicial District there must be [one] two 40
district [judge.] judges. 41
Sec. 9. NRS 3.0197 is hereby amended to read as follows: 42
3.0197 For the Eleventh Judicial District, there must be [one] 43
two district [judge.] judges. 44
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Sec. 10. Each additional district judge required pursuant to the 1
amendatory provisions of sections 2 to 9, inclusive, of this act must 2
be selected at the general election to be held on November 3, 2026, 3
and take office on January 4, 2027, for a term that expires on 4
January 3, 2033. 5
Sec. 11. The provisions of NRS 354.599 do not apply to any 6
additional expenses of a local government that are related to the 7
provisions of this act. 8
Sec. 12. 1. This section and sections 1, 10 and 11 of this act 9
become effective on January 1, 2026. 10
2. Sections 2 to 9, inclusive, of this act become effective on 11
January 4, 2027. 12
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