WestCare funding among bills signed

Tuesday, May 31, 2005 | 9:32 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn has signed 13 more bills, including one provides $370,000 for the temporary care of the mentally ill to prevent overcrowding in Southern Nevada emergency rooms.

The money will pay WestCare of Nevada for the rest of this fiscal year. Legislation is pending for the state to chip in more money in the coming two fiscal years to divert people with mental problems away from hospitals.

Assembly Bill 40 also requires the state Board of Health to adopt regulations to license the facilities.

The governor approved Assembly Bill 124 that makes it a crime to record a motion picture in a theater. The bill, which becomes effective Oct. 1, allows the owner or manager of the theater to hold the suspect a "reasonable length of time" until authorities arrive. The first offense is a misdemeanor.

A bill providing $67,900 in state money to the Western Interstate Compact for Higher Education to buy new accounting equipment was approved by the governor. The compact was criticized by legislative auditors for failing to collect on the loans made to students who attend out-of-state professional schools.

The governor also signed Assembly Bill 32 that makes confidential the records in the state Agriculture Department on the number of animals, taxes and building security of ranchers.