Guinn signs 46 bills

Wednesday, June 1, 2005 | 9:36 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn Tuesday signed 46 bills into law Tuesday including one that makes permanent educational benefits to members of Nevada National Guard attending the university.

Guinn so far has approved 210 bills into law and there are hundreds still being processed by the Legislature.

Senate Bill 78 makes permanent the authority of the board of regents to grant waivers of registration and laboratory fees for active members of the Nevada National Guard. The law was due to expire on June 30 but will now be extended.

Guinn also approved a bill that gives added protection to historic and prehistoric sites in Nevada.

Senate Bill 81, which becomes effective Oct. 1, says the state Office of Historic Preservation is authorized to enter into an agreement with a state agency or local government that is going to acquire federal lands. The agreement must ensure the protection of historic or prehistoric sites.

It makes it a crime to traffic in cultural property taken from state land. The punishment is a fine of $500 for a first offense and a fine of $3,000 and up to a year in jail for a second and subsequent offenses.

The governor also signed Assembly Bill 70 that encourages local school boards to adopt policies to let groups use school facilities at minimal cost. The bill says many of these groups help school districts achieve their goals.

The bill says the school district however should adopt policies that will minimize the costs to the districts as well as the users.

Assembly Bill 59, which goes into effect on Oct. 1, requires hospitals and other health care facilities to report to the state Health Division when a patient acquires an infection. This includes pneumonia, bloodstream infections and urinary tract infections.

Starting July 1 it will be illegal for a person to use or attempt to use a false or misleading educational degree from a public or private college. Assembly Bill 395 puts the penalty at a $5,000 fine and six month in jail. The bill also opens up the person to a $5,000 civil penalty.

Assembly Bill 259 extends additional rights to peace officers who are under investigation for misconduct. It allows a peace office to have a representative or an attorney present during an interrogation or hearing. If a punishment is imposed, the officer would have the right to review and copy the entire file including the internal investigation, notes and transcripts of interviews.

The governor signed Senate Bill 229 that creates tax incentives for expanding or relocating businesses in certain depressed areas. The state Commission on Economic Development is required to give priority in the next two fiscal years to a grocery store that locates in the Southern Nevada Enterprise Community in Las Vegas.

Starting Oct. 1 a new law goes into effect aimed at repeat drunk drivers. Assembly Bill 421 says that after a felony DUI conviction, any subsequent conviction is a felony subject to a term of 2-15 years in prison and a fine of $2,000 to $5,000.