Hundreds of new laws set to take effect on Friday

Monday, Sept. 27, 1999 | 9:04 a.m.

The 268 laws passed by the 1999 Legislature include all or part of 146 measures authored by members of the Assembly, and another 122 from the Senate.

Some will affect many Nevadans, such as the Millennium Scholarship program announced by Gov. Kenny Guinn in his State of the State speech in January.

The scholarships, funded with tobacco settlement money the state has yet to receive, will be available to any Nevada high school student who graduates with a B or better average in core subjects.

The scholarships, $2,500 a year for university students and $1,250 a year for community college students, will be available for the first time next fall.

Many new laws are consumer-related, including one providing more protections for people who invest in mortgage companies.

The law was sought by Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, and was spawned by the 1997 collapse of the Harley L. Harmon Mortgage Co. of Las Vegas. The company's failure cost 700 investors a potential $22.7 million in losses.

Another new law creates a fund that can be used by homeowners to fix defects in their homes. Residential contractors will pay fees to establish the fund.

Yet another law will require health insurers to cover prescription birth control if they already cover prescription drugs. The "contraceptive equity" bill was sponsored by Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, who said the law will help end problems of gender bias in health care.

Also taking effect is a bill requiring people to notify police if they see violent acts being committed against a child. This bill by Assemblyman Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, came about after the 1997 murder of 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson in a Primm casino restroom.

Jeremy Strohmeyer pleaded guilty last year to the murder, kidnapping and rape of the girl and got a no-parole life term. But his friend, David Cash, who witnessed part of the attack and did nothing, escaped criminal punishment because Nevada had no law requiring people to be good Samaritans. Now, such inaction could mean six months in jail.

Another new law bans discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. The law was sought by Assemblyman David Parks, D-Las Vegas, who said in testimony during the session that he believed discrimination against homosexuals was on the increase.

Guinn signed the bill in May, making Nevada the 11th state with a law that prohibits employers from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

A stronger Ethics Commission is another result of the 1999 session, although some critics question whether the ethics measure sought by Guinn goes far enough.

The new law expands the commission to eight members from six and provided for critical staffing needs, but doesn't clearly address the complicated issue of elected or public officials using their positions to do favors for friends.

Other new laws include one requiring minimum regulations for skydiving businesses. A rural state senator sponsored the measure after losing a friend in a skydiving accident.

Another measure will allow tenants in mobile home parks to put up political signs without interference from landlords.

Finally, much of the business world will change as a result of the 1999 session, with new laws on deregulation of electrical utilities and the telecommunications industries.

All the new laws can be seen by going to the Legislature's Web page at http://www.leg.state.nv.us/ and then clicking on "Session Information" and then "Bills & Sponsor Lists."