Support Proposed Amendment to SB 425

Dear NALS Members,

As you know, NALS has voiced strong concerns about SB 78 and its potential impact on the independence of Nevada’s licensing boards, including the Nevada Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BPELS). In response, we’re pleased to share a proposed amendment to SB 425 that directly addresses those concerns while offering a more balanced path forward. This amendment aims to preserve board autonomy while achieving greater efficiency and accountability in state operations.

The proposed amendment to SB 425 would establish the Nevada Office of Shared Services (OSS), a bipartisan, cost-saving initiative, designed to improve efficiency across boards and commissions while preserving their autonomy.

The OSS proposal would:

• Offer OPTIONAL shared administrative services (e.g., IT, HR, accounting, facility management, licensing software);

• Allow boards to RETAIN FULL INDEPENDENCE over licensing, rulemaking, and professional standards;

• Lower costs for licensees and the state through collective purchasing and shared infrastructure;

• Enhance transparency and accountability through standardized reporting and governance practices.

NALS Board of Directors has taken action to support the amendments to SB 425 and we encourage our members to contact state elected officials.  Attached is a sample letter as well as a copy of the amendment.

How to support the SB 425 amendment:

• Contact your state elected officials using the attached letter as an example.
• Add your name and/or your firm’s name to the sign-on letter: Sign-On Form

We believe this amendment offers a balanced, fiscally responsible approach that strengthens our professional systems while supporting the continued independence of boards like ours.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or feedback, we value your voice and appreciate your participation in this effort.

OPPOSE SB 78 - REFORMING NEVADA'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

NALS has taken a position to oppose SB 78 and the consolidation of the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NVBPELS). Merging the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors into a broad, multi-profession board under SB 78 is unnecessary, unwarranted, and risks harming both the profession and public safety. The current board is already efficient, self-funded, and effective, ensuring that land surveyors can quickly enter the workforce while maintaining the highest professional standards.

We urge you to take the time to understand this bill and reach out to the Senate Revenue and Economic Development committee and your representative to express your opposition and concern regarding SB 78.

Click here to view the bill

Click here to view design professional board merger proposal

Click here to view the full findings and recommendations report

Click here to download sample opposition letter

Click here to download NVBPELS response

Click here to view Nevada Independent Article

Senate Revenue and Economic Development (RED)

Main Email - SenRED@sen.state.nv.us
Chair - Dina.Neal@sen.state.nv.us – Democrat, District 4, Clark County
Vice Chair - Fabian.Donate@sen.state.nv.us  - Democrat, District 10, Clark County
Shelly.Cruzcrawford@sen.state.nv.us – Democrat, District 1, Clark County
Jeff.Stone@sen.state.nv.us – Republican, District 20, Clark County
John.Steinbeck@sen.state.nv.us – Republican, District 18, Clark County

Senate Government Affairs

Chair – Senator Edgar Flores (Edgar.Flores@sen.state.nv.us)
Vice Chair – Senator James Ohrenschall (James.Ohrenschall@sen.state.nv.us)
Senator Dina Neal – Absent excused due to health issues. (Dina.Neal@sen.state.nv.us)
Senator Skip Daly (Skip.Daly@sen.state.nv.us)
Senator Lisa Krasner (Lisa.Krasner@sen.state.nv.us)
Senator John Ellison (John.Ellison@sen.state.nv.us)
Senator Lori Rogich (Lori.Rogich@sen.state.nv.us)

Talking Points

1. SB78 puts public safety at risk: This bill tears apart the licensing systems that keep Nevadans safe - from building design to financial audits - all under the misleading guise of “efficiency.”
2. The bill guts expertise and oversight: SB78 will slash oversight from 28 specialized experts to just 13 people on a consolidated board. Many professions would also lose their resources and executive directors to a shared pool of support staff.
3. This approach failed in Georgia: When Georgia tried to centralize licensing, it was a mess. Businesses couldn’t get their workers licensed, everyone complained, and the state eventually had to spend an extra $2 million to fix the problems they created
4. The current system costs taxpayers nothing: Professional boards pay for themselves through fees from the professions - they protect the public without using a single tax dollar.
5. The consequences will affect all Nevadans: The bill will create longer delays for businesses looking to hire, reduce capacity to investigate misconduct, worsen existing audit backlogs, and ultimately increase risk for Nevada’s residents and businesses.

Nevada Senate Bill 78 Overview

SB78 provides the framework to reorganize and consolidate state boards, with an effective date of July 1, 2026, if passed. The key provisions and their implications for the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NVBPELS) are detailed below.

1. Centralized Administration
• The Office of Nevada Boards, Commissions, and Councils Standards (Office) would oversee administrative functions such as legal, accounting, and IT services for all boards under its purview (Section 11).
• Boards would be prohibited from directly employing external service providers for these functions or entering contracts without the Office’s approval.
• Fees for services provided by the Office would be billed or collected from the respective boards.
2. Standardized Governance
• Board members would serve standardized 4-year terms, limited to two terms (Section 22).
• Compensation and travel reimbursement policies for board members would also be standardized.
3. Legislative Oversight
• Boards would need to route legislative drafting requests through the Deputy Director of the Office (Section 13).
• The Office would conduct periodic reviews of board effectiveness, performance, and relevance, which could influence the board’s continuation or modification (Sections 7-9).
4. Appeals Process
• Contested cases, previously handled internally by boards, would now be adjudicated by hearing officers employed by the Office (Section 79).
5. Website Management
• Board information would be hosted on a centralized website maintained by the Office, eliminating the board’s ability to manage its own web presence (Section 15).
6. New Appointment Authority
• The Director of the Department of Business and Industry would appoint executive directors for all boards under the Office’s purview, replacing the current board-led appointment process (Section 88).

Strategic Implications and Key Questions

1. Loss of Autonomy
• Independent control over regulatory board operations would significantly diminish under centralized decision-making and administration.
2. Operational Adjustments
• The transition to centralized administrative services, standardized governance, and IT support would require substantial operational realignment.
3. Policy Influence
• A centralized legislative process could limit NVBPELS’ ability to directly propose industry-specific regulations or legislative changes.

Key Questions for Clarification

• Financial Management:
• Wil NVBPELS retain its bank accounts for operational expenses, or will all funds be centralized? Would current funds from the boards proposed to be combined to create the new NBPDES be merged and tracked by the Office?
• How will the Office ensure funds from all the boards are tracked separately to prevent co-mingling?
• Contracts and Services:
• What happens to existing NVBPELS contracts, services, and leases? Will these remain valid or require renegotiation?
• Licensing and Renewal Operations:
• During reorganization, who will oversee licensing and renewals, and where will the collected fees be deposited?
• How will NVBPELS’ current online application and renewal systems be integrated with the centralized Office systems?
• Workforce Implications:
• As this bill impacts all current state boards, what plans are in place to address the potential displacement of 500-600 privately employed board staff statewide, including NVBPELS employees?
• With Nevada already facing government staffing shortages, how will the Office fill new positions needed for reorganization?
• Does the Office assume that displaced staff desire or qualify for government roles within the new structure?
• Contractual Approval:
• If boards require Office approval for contracts, is this a temporary measure until boards are fully assimilated? Why is this necessary when an Executive Director is employed by the Office?