Wednesday, May 25, 2005 | 9:06 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn signed 22 bills into law Tuesday including ones to allow a fee for the importation of water, a ban on smoking in video arcades and to allow sale of tax liens to private investors.
This brings the number of bills approved by the governor this session so far to 152 of the more than 1,100 bills introduced in the Legislature.
Counties that import water from another county could be charged an annual $6 an acre-foot of water beginning in July under Senate Bill 35. The rate rises to an annual $10 per acre-foot per year starting in July 2007 under the law.
This would apply to efforts by Clark County to import water from rural Nevada in the future.
Starting Oct. 1, smoking will be prohibited in video arcades that are accessible to people younger than 18. Assembly Bill 118 applies the ban to arcades that have more than 10 machines.
Assembly Bill 393 allows counties to start a program of selling delinquent property tax liens to private investors. The rate of interest on these liens could be anywhere from 10-20 percent.
The investor would pay the county to hold the lien and local government would get its money up-front, rather than waiting for three years. A property for which tax payments are delinquent for three years or more could be sold by the county at auction to pay off the back taxes.
The homeowner would still be able to pay off the delinquent taxes at any time along with the interest rate. This bill becomes effective in July.
Another bill signed by the governor, Assembly Bill 188, prohibits government disclosure of e-mail addresses of people who use this method to communicate with government officials. The disclosure would be subject only to a court order.
However the electronic records are open if a person is working on a business deal or a contract with the government. The new law is effective immediately.
Assembly Bill 235 requires local planning officials in Clark and Washoe counties to conduct a study of the walking routes for pupils within one mile of each public school.
The bill, which becomes effective in July, requires the study to include a set of recommendations on improving safety. These studies must be presented to the 2007 Legislature.
The governor also signed Assembly Bill 271, which calls for the state to reimburse hospice centers for care of the terminally ill through the Medicaid program, if the federal government agreed to contribute.
Chuck Duarte, administrator of the Medicaid program, said the bill defines a terminally ill person as having less than a year to live. The former definition, he said, was a person who has six months to live.
Also approved was Assembly Bill 237 which prohibits justice courts in Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas from issuing protection orders in domestic violence cases. These orders would have to come from district or family courts.
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