Legislative briefs for February 16, 2005

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005 | 8:42 a.m.

Tougher rules for teen drivers urged

A bill to tighten the issuance of driver's licenses to those younger than 18 has been introduced by Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas.

Present law allows a person to get a license at age 15 3/4. Senate Bill 60, which was referred for study to the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, would raise that to 16 years old.

The measure requires a person 16 or 17 years old to hold an instruction permit for at least six months before applying for a full license, an extension of three months from the current 90 days a teen must carry an instruction permit.

Bill establishes rural law program

A program would be established at the William S. Boyd Law School in Las Vegas to attract their graduates to practice law in rural Nevada, under a bill introduced by the Senate Human Resources and Education Committee Tuesday.

Senate Bill 57 would create a Rural Nevada Legal Services Corp to encourage its law graduates to practice in the underserved areas of the state.

The measure would require the law school to set up a program under which student loans would be repaid for each year the lawyer practices in rural Nevada.

Charter school changes offered

Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, wants to change some of the rules governing charter schools in Nevada.

Washington on Tuesday introduced Senate Bill 56 that would permit those wanting a charter school to go directly to the state Board of Education, rather than first applying through the local school district.

The bill would require a charter school to foot the bill for administering additional examinations if irregularities were found in the testing. At present the local school district must bear that cost.

The measure also permits the founders of a charter school to apply to provide distance education.

It was referred to the Senate Human Resources and Education Committee, which Washington chairs.

DMV refund changes proposed

A bill to make it easier for people to get a refund when they cancel their auto registration and surrender their license plates was introduced by Sen. Sandra Tiffany, R-Henderson.

At present a resident is entitled to a refund if that refund exceeds $100. Also, extenuating circumstances must exist.

Senate Bill 54 would lower the refund available to $25 and remove the requirement for extenuating circumstances to exist before the refund can be issued by the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

The bill was referred for study to the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee.