(REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)
"                    FIRST REPRINT       A.B. 404" 


Assembly Bill No. 404--Committee on Government Affai
    rs

                  March 27, 1995
                 _____________


    Referred to Committee on Government Affairs


SUMMARY--Makes various changes regarding financial 
          disclosure by public officers. (BDR 23-664)

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.
              Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.



EXPLANATION--Matter in italics is new; matter in bra
ckets [ ] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to public officers; authorizing a specialized or local 
        ethics committee to require the filing of a statement of 
        financial disclosure; revising the required contents of and 
        the date on which annual statements of financial disclosure 
        must be filed; and providing other matters properly relating 
        thereto.

     THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE
                AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:



  Section 1.  NRS 281.541 is hereby amended to 
read as follows:
  281.541  1.  Any department, board, commission or other 
agency of the state or the governing body of a county or an 
incorporated city may establish a specialized or local 
ethics committee to complement the functions of the 
commission. Such a committee may:
  (a) Establish a code of ethical standards suitable for the 
particular ethical problems encountered in its sphere of 
activity. The standards may not be less restrictive than the 
statutory ethical standards.
  (b) Render an opinion upon the request of any public 
officer or employee of its own organization or level seeking 
an interpretation of its ethical standards on questions 
directly related to the propriety of his own future official 
conduct or refer the request to the commission. Any public 
officer or employee under such a committee shall direct his 
inquiry to that committee instead of the commission.
  \(c) Require the filing of statements of financial 
disclosure by public officers on forms prescribed by the 
committee or the city clerk if the form has been:
    (1) Submitted, at least 60 days before its anticipated 
distribution, to the commission for review; and
    (2) Upon review, approved by the commission.\\
  2.  Such a committee shall not attempt to interpret or 
render an opinion regarding the statutory ethical standards.
  3.  Each request submitted to a local ethics committee, 
each opinion rendered by a committee and any motion relating 
to the opinion is confidential unless:
  (a) The public officer or employee acts in contravention 
of the opinion; or
  (b) The requester discloses the content of the opinion.
  Sec. 2.  NRS 281.561 is hereby amended to read 
as follows:
  281.561  Every candidate for public or judicial office and 
every public or judicial officer shall file with the 
commission, and with the officer with whom declarations of 
candidacy for his respective office are filed, a statement 
of financial disclosure, as follows:
  1.  A candidate for nomination, election or reelection 
shall file a statement of financial disclosure no later than 
the 10th day after the last day to qualify as a candidate 
for the office.
  2.  A public or judicial officer appointed to fill the 
unexpired term of an elected public or judicial officer 
shall file a statement of financial disclosure within 30 
days after his appointment.
  3.  Every public or judicial officer, whether appointed or 
elected, shall file a statement of financial disclosure 
\on or before March 31 of\\ each year of the term, 
including the year the term expires \.\\ [, on or 
before the anniversary of his appointment or election to 
that office.]
  4.  A public or judicial officer who leaves office on a 
date other than the expiration of his term or anniversary of 
his appointment or election, shall file a statement of 
financial disclosure within 60 days after leaving office.
A statement filed pursuant to one of the subsections of this 
section may be used to satisfy the requirements of another 
subsection if the initial statement was filed within 3 
months before the other statement is required to be filed. 
The public or judicial officer shall notify the commission 
in writing of his intention to use the previously filed 
statement to fulfill the present requirement. \A person 
may satisfy the requirements of this section by filing with 
the commission a copy of a statement of financial disclosure 
which was filed pursuant to the requirements of a 
specialized or local ethics committee if the form of the 
statement has been approved by the commission.\\
  Sec. 3.  NRS 281.571 is hereby amended to read 
as follows:
  281.571  1.  Statements of financial disclosure [must be 
made] \, as approved pursuant to NRS 281.541 or 
\\in such form as the commission \otherwise\\ 
prescribes \,\\ [and] must contain the following 
information concerning the candidate or public or judicial 
officer:
  (a) His length of residence in the State of Nevada and the 
district in which he is registered to vote.
  (b) Each source of his income, or that of any member of 
his household. No listing of individual clients, customers 
or patients is required, but if that is the case, a general 
source such as "professional services" must be disclosed.
  (c) A list of the specific location and particular use of 
any real estate, other than a personal residence:
    (1) In which he or a member of his household has a legal 
or beneficial interest;
    (2) Whose fair market value is $2,500 or more; and
    (3) Which is located in this state or any adjacent 
state.
  (d) The name of each creditor to whom he or a member of 
his household owes $5,000 or more, except for:
    (1) A debt secured by a mortgage or deed of trust of 
real property which is not required to be listed under 
paragraph (c); and
    (2) A debt for which a security interest in a motor 
vehicle for personal use was retained by the seller.
  (e) A list of all gifts of $200 or more which the public 
or judicial officer or candidate received during the 
preceding taxable year, except:
    (1) A gift received from a person who is related to the 
public or judicial officer or candidate within the third 
degree of consanguinity or affinity.
    (2) Ceremonial gifts received for a birthday, wedding, 
anniversary, holiday or other ceremonial occasion if the 
donor does not have a substantial interest in the 
legislative, administrative, judicial or political action of 
the public or judicial officer or candidate.
  (f) A list of each business entity with which he or a 
member of his household is involved as a trustee, 
beneficiary of a trust, director, officer, owner in whole or 
in part, limited or general partner, or holder of any class 
of stock or security representing 1 percent or more of the 
total outstanding stock or securities issued by the business 
entity.
  \(g) A list of all public offices presently held by 
him for which this statement of financial disclosure is 
required.\\
  2.  The commission shall distribute or cause to be 
distributed any forms required for such a statement to each 
candidate and public or judicial officer who is required to 
file one. \The commission is not responsible for the 
costs of producing or distributing a form for filing 
statements of financial disclosure which is prescribed 
pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 281.541.\\
  3.  As used in this section:
  (a) "Business entity" means any organization or enterprise 
operated for economic gain, including a proprietorship, 
partnership, firm, business, trust, joint venture, 
syndicate, corporation or association.
  (b) "Household" includes a person who does not live in the 
same home or dwelling, but who is dependent on and receiving 
substantial support from the public or judicial officer.

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