The Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities works to ensure people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in Nevada have access to all aspects of society, including quality education, health care, careers, and opportunities for economic self-sufficiency. Through our work with the Nevada Legislators, we are able to continue our mission.
About Nevada’s Legislature
The Nevada Legislature has two branches, the Assembly, with 42 members, and the Senate, with 23 members. With a total of 63 seats, the Nevada Legislature is the third-smallest two branch state legislature in the United States. All 42 members of the Assembly are elected for 2-year terms and members of the Senate are elected for 4-year terms.
Legislative sessions are held every other year in odd-numbered years. They begin on the first Monday in February after the election of members of the Senate and Assembly. Sessions are limited to 120 calendar days.
At other times, the Governor may, for a specific purpose, call the Legislature into special session, or the Legislature may, upon a petition signed by two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the Legislature, convene a special session for a specific purpose without action by the Governor.
In addition to their ongoing duties, members of the Legislature are also involved in committee work between sessions. Members are assigned to various permanent and interim study committees to investigate a wide range of issues and make recommendations to the next session of the Legislature. These committees hold public hearings, direct research, and deliberate on proposed legislation for the next session of the Legislature.
The Legislative Counsel Bureau provides support for the Legislature, supervised by the Legislative Commission, a body of 12 legislators, 6 from each house. The Commission meets periodically to take action on behalf of the Legislative Branch of government and provides guidance to the staff of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.
The 83rd (2025) Session
Begins in February 3, 2025. More information on this session will be made available when it is released.
- You can view all meetings by video or on their YouTube channel.
- Comments and testimony will be available by reservation through the Legislature’s Website for videoconference participation through Zoom. This reservation system will be available prior to session and a tutorial will be included.
- You can also provide public comment by phone, or through videoconference at designated locations being developed across the state.
- Virtual meetings between individual Legislators and persons who are not in the building will be made possible through Microsoft Teams.
- Once lawmakers and staff have been vaccinated, lobbyists and members of the public will be allowed at hearings in person by reservation, available prior to the opening of the building to the Public and Lobbyists and a tutorial will be included.
- The Council tracks bills that are related to disabilities, public bodies, and anything that could potentially impact the work our office does.
- Bills the Council tracked are listed in the document linked below.
Meetings and Floor Sessions (state.nv.us)
Links and Resources
Nevada Legislative Process
- Frequently asked questions about the Nevada Legislature’s Website
- How to Testify at the Legislature
- Accessibility of the Nevada Legislature
- Legislative Calendar of Events (to be available soon!)
- 120 Day Calendar (to be updated soon!)
- Find your District and Legislators
NGCDD Legislative Information
Lobbying V.S. Educating
What DD Council’s and Council members acting on behalf of the Council can and can’t do:
CAN:
- Council’s are authorized under the provisions of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, (the Act), to “educate,” “advise” or “inform” Federal, State and local policymakers in order to assist policymakers to improve the services and opportunities available to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The “policymakers” referred to in the statute include members of Congress, officials of the Federal executive branch, Governors, members of State legislatures and staff of State agencies.
- Councils have the responsibility under the Act to advocate on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities.
- Using a nonpartisan approach, advocate a particular position or viewpoint in a balanced way discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the legislation and comparing it with other proposals that may also be under consideration. There must be a sufficiently full and fair exposition of the pertinent facts to enable the policymaker to form an independent opinion or conclusion.
- A nonpartisan approach does not require neutrality about outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities but needs to demonstrate an unbiased attitude when considering alternatives for meeting the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities.
- Emphasize their role as a source of information and advice in helping legislators and other policymakers to identify and evaluate the available alternatives for meeting the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities.
CANNOT:
- Present unsupported opinions, distorted facts, inflammatory and disparaging terms, or conclusions based more on strong emotional feelings than on objective factual conclusions.
- Influence the outcome of a Federal, state or local election or for contributions to political parties.
- Use funds to pay any person for influencing or attempting to influence a Member of Congress, any agency official, or other category of person concerning the “awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement” and the similar provision in OMB Circular A-87, Attachment B, Paragraph 27, which applies to State and local governments and Indian tribes (www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/ ).
- Influence the enactment of legislation and related activities that are applicable to any Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disability grantees (Councils are considered grantees). There is, however, an issue of how the restrictions imposed by the appropriation statute and OMB Circular 122, Attachment B, Paragraph 25 are to be reconciled with the responsibilities of ADD grantees to educate, inform and advise policymakers, including Federal and State legislators.
For more information, Council documents in different formats or questions on current initiatives in Nevada, please contact our Executive Director, Catherine Nielsen at cmnielsen@dhhs.nv.gov or 775-684-8620.