Latest news with #AssemblyBill487
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
15 quiet casualties of the 2025 legislative session
(Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) The pharmaceutical middlemen who play a role in inflating consumer drug prices escaped additional regulations by state lawmakers, after the Nevada State Legislature failed to pass a bill designed to curb how much profit they can make. Democratic state Sen. Rochelle Nguyen's Senate Bill 316 would have established 'guardrails' for pharmaceutical benefit managers, such as requiring PBMs to pass along to consumers rebate savings they receive from the drug companies. Nguyen led the legislative effort but a bipartisan group of eight other lawmakers signed on, including Republican state Sen. Jeff Stone, a pharmacist, and Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus, a medical doctor. The Senate and Assembly passed different versions of SB216, both with broad bipartisan support. Only Democratic state Sens. Dina Neal and Fabian Donate opposed. However, those votes came in the waning days of the legislative session, and the Senate did not get around to voting on whether to accept the Assembly's amendments. Here are 14 other bills the Nevada Current has covered that fell short (or really far) from becoming law during the 2025 Legislative Session. Pet store ban. Assembly Bill 487 originally sought to ban retail pet sales statewide, following the lead of several municipalities that banned them within their borders. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Natha Anderson, passed the Assembly with bipartisan support. It appeared stalled in the Senate but, right before a key deadline, was heard by a Senate committee and amended into a study bill. When it returned to the Assembly for concurrence, Anderson moved for the chamber to reject the amendment. A trio of lawmakers from both chambers were chosen for what's known as a 'conference committee' to try and reconcile the differences between the chambers. But it appears no action was taken. That means retail pet sales remain legal in municipalities without bans. Education management organizations. Senate Bill 318 (State Sen. Skip Daly, D) would have banned charter schools from contracting with for-profit education management organizations. The bill passed the Senate on party lines, with all Republicans opposing. It was referred to the Assembly Education Committee but was never given a hearing. That committee is chaired by Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett, who is also the executive director of a Las Vegas charter school contracted with Academica, the largest EMO in the state. Third-party ticket vendors. Senate Bill 431 originally attempted to remove an exemption Nevada-based sports teams have from the state's 8% live entertainment tax on tickets. That is an effort Democratic state Sen. Dina Neal has pushed in prior sessions. This year, the bill was amended into a bill to apply LET to tickets resold by third-party vendors like StubHub. Some of the funding would have supported public transit. The amended bill passed the Assembly with bipartisan support but was never given a floor vote in the Senate. Farm worker protections. Senate Bill 172 (State Sen. Edgar Flores, D) sought to bolster protections for farm workers and amend overtime pay laws to include agriculture workers. The bill passed the Senate on party lines, with all Republicans opposing, but got stuck in the Assembly. Free phone calls for prisoners. Senate Bill 323 (State Sen. Melanie Scheible, D) would have created a pilot program to provide free phone calls at Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center. The bill passed the Senate with 20-0, with one senator excused from the vote, but died on the Assembly side. Traffic cams in construction zones. Assembly Bill 402 (Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett, D) would have authorized traffic monitoring cameras in construction work zones when workers are present. The bill passed the Assembly with some bipartisan support, but then got stuck in the Senate Finance Committee. It was one of two 'red light camera' bills introduced into the session this year. The other missed a legislative deadline earlier in the session. Prison food study. Assembly Bill 246 (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) proposed a study on food quality, waste and nutrition within Nevada Department of Corrections prisons. The bill was considered and passed by the Assembly Judiciary Committee, but died in the chamber's Ways & Means Committee. Graduate assistant unions. Assembly Bill 191 (Assemblymember Natha Anderson, D) would have given graduate assistants the right to collectively bargain for better pay and conditions. The bill got stuck in the Assembly Ways & Means Committee. Commerce tax. Assembly Bill 276 (Assemblymember P.K. O'Neill, R) would have adjusted the commerce tax threshold to inflation. The bill got stuck in the Assembly Ways & Means Committee. Weight-loss drugs. Senate Bill 244 (State Sen. Roberta Lange, D) would have expanded the types of obesity treatments covered by Nevada Medicaid, including approving weight-loss drugs like Ozempic for wider use. The bill got stuck in the Senate Finance Committee. 'Second Look' Assembly Bill 91 (Assemblymember Erica Roth, D) is known as 'second look' legislation and would have created an avenue for those incarcerated to have sentences reviewed by the State Board of Parole Commissioners after they've served extended periods of time. The bill passed the Assembly on party lines, then died in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Lombardo's health care bill Senate Bill 495, known as the Nevada Health Care Access Act, was Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's health care bill. It passed the Senate on party lines, with Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus urging her caucus to oppose the bill over amendments added by Democrats related to freestanding emergency rooms. The Assembly did not vote on the bill. SNAP app. Assembly Bill 474 would have required DWSS to create a 'Smart Surplus Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.' The bill was criticized by local food banks, but passed the Assembly 40-1. Only Democratic Assemblymember Venicia Considine opposed. It was heard by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee but never voted out. Artificial intelligence. Senate Bill 199 (State Sen. Dina Neal, D) would establish guardrails around artificial intelligence. The bill passed out of a Senate committee in early April but saw no activity after that.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nevada Senate bill aims to crack down on puppy mills
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A bill cracking down on puppy mills is heading to the Nevada Senate. Assembly Bill 487 would prohibit pet stores from selling dogs and cats for profit. The bill passed in the Nevada Assembly by a 32-9 vote. Advocates for the bill said it would allow retail pet stores to work with animal shelters or rescues for adoption purposes, with no compensation provided. 'We have a number of shelters in our community, both in northern Nevada and southern Nevada, that are bursting at the seams with wonderful, adorable, and adoptable pets,' Nevada State Director of Humane World for Animals Rebecca Goff said. AB 487 would prohibit a pet store from selling, offering to sell, bartering, auctioning, or transferring ownership of any dog or cat with certain exceptions for animal shelters and rescue organizations. 'This is really important for the state because what it would do is it would end that puppy mill to pet store pipeline that's trucking in all these puppies from Midwestern puppy mills into Nevada,' Goff said. 'Those animals are raised in deplorable conditions. Even puppy mills that meet the USDA standards, those standards are bare minimum at best.' The bill is often referred to as Cindy Lou's Law, named after a Havanese puppy who was left in the back room of a puppy boutique and later died of liver failure. The health and safety of animals and owners is a concern among advocates for AB 487. 'I bought a puppy from Petland in Boca Park,' Owner of Paws on Point Christine Miller said. 'Six months later, she died.' 'Retail pet sales bans/restrictions limit consumer protections and choice while doing nothing to actually help dogs.' – American Kennel Club, an opponent of the bill, said in a statement. However, Goff said there is a middle ground for both sides. '[Retail pet stores] can still partner with rescues, have pet adoptions to bring people into the stores, but just sell products and services instead of live animals,' Goff said. For people looking for a new furry friend, Miller said adoption is the way to go. 'I would prefer people to adopt from the shelter since they're completely booked out and full,' Miller said. If you're looking for a specific breed, the Humane World for Animals recommends seeking out a reputable breeder. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill would expand ban on retail pet sales statewide
Cindy Lou, a Havenese puppy kept in an employees' bathroom at Puppy Heaven in Las Vegas while ill. (Photo provided by Humane Society of the United States) Efforts by local governments to put a kink in the pipeline between midwest puppy mills and Nevada are being derailed by neighboring municipalities that permit retail sales of dogs and cats, say advocates of legislation that would expand the bans statewide. The bill is sponsored by Assemblywoman Natha Anderson and was heard Tuesday by the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources. 'Eight states, including the entire West Coast and nearly 500 localities, including Clark County, Reno, North Las Vegas, and Mesquite have prohibited the sale of puppies in pet stores,' testified Rebecca Goff of Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the U.S. 'Assembly Bill 487 can bridge that divide and allow us to bring our nation one big step closer to that day when puppy mills must no longer exist.' The City of Henderson allows pet sales at existing stores, while the City of Las Vegas has refused to ban sales, prompting retailers affected by the ban to move across city limits and into pet store-friendly territory. Regulations imposed by Las Vegas in lieu of a ban have increased transparency and 'exposed just how awful the puppy mill pipeline is,' Goff told lawmakers. 'It's crucial that this should be tackled statewide, rather than a patchwork of ordinances.' An undercover investigation by the Humane Society released in January alleges pet stores in Southern Nevada are keeping sick puppies without seeking veterinary treatment, and in at least one case, failing to obey a law requiring regular veterinarian visits for animals for sale. The legislative measure is named for Cindy Lou, a sick Havenese puppy kept in a pen in the employee bathroom at Puppy Heaven and allegedly denied medical care until animal officials who were tipped off the illness required the store to take her to a veterinarian, where she died, according to the investigation. 'Her story is a heartbreaking example of what happens when profit is placed above animal welfare,' testified Christy Stevens, executive director of Hearts Alive Village, who described horrific incidents of animal cruelty and neglect that were allegedly known to a Las Vegas pet store that continued to sell animals to the alleged perpetrator. 'These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a systemic problem.' Clark County's largest shelter, the Animal Foundation, as well as the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals support the measure. The legislation would permit pet stores to hold adoption events for shelters and rescues. It prohibits the sale of pets on street corners, parking lots, and other public places. A violation of the proposed law would be a misdemeanor. The legislation would give the 15 retail stores that sell pets in Nevada a year to adjust their business model. The Retailers Association of Nevada is neutral on the legislation, testified executive director Bryan Wachter. 'The vast majority of pet stores in Nevada already do not sell puppies, but rather thrive as part of the $147 billion pet products and service industry,' Goff testified. Pet store puppies are likely to be sick or have behavioral issues, making them more likely to land in local shelters, supporters of the measure said. Amy Jesse of Humane World for Animals noted a report from the Centers for Disease Control that traced a drug-resistant, multistate human infection outbreak to 'puppies from breeders and distributors sold through pet stores as the outbreak source.' Of 149 retail store puppies, 95% received one or more courses of antibiotics. The bill is opposed by pet stores, some of which are named in the Humane Society investigation, including the owner of Petland in Henderson. Ken Kirkpatrick, owner of Petland in Boca Park, testified he and his staff have provided pets and peace of mind to Las Vegans since 2001 in a highly regulated environment. He predicted backyard breeding will expand. thanks to demand from families 'who can't adopt from shelters or rescues because they want a specific breed, or they need a hypoallergenic dog.' Kirkpatrick noted a review of the Animal Foundation's adoption list revealed 200 dogs for adoption. For a population of 2.5 million people, 'it's really not that many dogs.' On Tuesday, the Animal Foundation listed 370 dogs for adoption. Last year, the shelter euthanized more than 3,300 dogs, down from just under 3,900 the previous year. Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama, a Republican from Clark County, said her family visited a shelter recently while looking for an addition to the family 'and for some reason it was just not a right fit. I wanted a smaller dog, and we ended up at a pet store.'
