LEGISLATIVE ASSIGNMENT 1

Legislative Assignment

Adrian E. Duarte

College of Southern Nevada

LEGISLATIVE ASSIGNMENT 2

1. Search for, identify and summarize (In your own words...) in one or two paragraphs, one of

the proposed education related bills (Either Assembly Bill [AB]or Senate Bill [SB]) for the most

recent Legislative Session at the Nevada legislature website.

S.B.  544

79th  Legislature  Session  

Senate  Bill  544  designates  allocations  of  monies  and  establishes  sources  of  funding  for  K-­‐12  education  

during  the  fiscal  2017  to  2019  years.  This  bill  allots  State  Controller  privilege  to  access  and  utilize  funds  

in  the  State  General  Fund  primarily  and  the  State  Distributive  School  Account  secondary  to  cover  

amounts  that  may  exceed  the  amount  available  from  primary  fund.  Subsections  of  the  bill  outline  the  

sums  that  are  to  be  financed  for  specific  programs  (e.g.,  National  School  Lunch  Program,  transportation  

costs,  grant  programs,  students  with  disabilities,  etc.)  in  the  2017-­‐2018  and  2018-­‐2019  fiscal  years.  Bill  

establishes  guidelines  and  enforces  that  such  funds  must  be  used  to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  current  

Senate  Bill  and  previous  amended  Senate  Bills.  This  bill  was  introduced  May  30,  2017.  The  Senate  voted  

in  approval  of  the  bill  on  June  1,  2017.  The  Assembly  voted  in  favor  of  the  passage  of  this  bill  on  June  2,  

2017.      

 
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2. Go to the law library section of the Nevada Legislature website (http://www.leg.state.nv.us/),

click on table of contents under Nevada Revised Statutes and read the following chapters: 385,

386, or 387(all related to education). Select one of the chapters and summarize (In your own

words...) the purpose of the chapter. For example, chapter 386 identifies the school district

organization - from Board of Trustees down to personnel. What does each section in this chapter

tell you?

Nevada Revised Statutes: Chapter 386

Local Administrative Organization

Chapter 386 introduces the powers and duties of many different bodies of a school district, as well as the

organization structure of the district. Provisions in this chapter include the powers and responsibilities to

be fulfilled by each district’s Board of Trustees, the establishment of fundamental operations that take

place within the district, such as transportation, recycling programs, funding of school programs, and

enacted health precautions concerning the safety of students and school personnel.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Established by the State, County school districts are established by the boundaries of each Nevada
(Nevada has sixteen counties). Each school district serves and adheres to any rules/guidelines set by the
Nevada Department of Education and the State of Nevada. Each school district can sue and be sued.
School districts are referred to by the name of the state county, followed by “… School District.”

BOARDS OF TRUSTEES
School board members are elected officials. If 1,000 pupils are enrolled, seven trustee members will be
elected. Less than 1,000 pupils in one specific district, five trustee members will be elected. For districts
with more than 75,000 students enrolled, seven election districts are to be established, by which members
of the specific county’s Board of Trustees will be appointed to. Moreover, this subsection of Chapter 386
further identifies procedures, change of district boundaries, and the election of trustees. For prospective
trustees, qualifications, to be considered a candidate, include being a qualified elector and presenting
qualifications of residence within the county school district. Nevada primary election laws of this state
establish nomination and filing procedures for trustee candidates. At any time where a vacancy become
present, the current Board of Trustees must appoint a new trustee in a public meeting. A temporary
appointment for any vacancy in which a member is an active duty service member of the United States
LEGISLATIVE ASSIGNMENT 4

military will be fulfilled. As required by NRS Chapter 386, all members of a county’s Board of Trustees
must successfully complete a minimum of six hours of professional development. In addition, detailed in
this chapter includes how the board of trustees must be organized pertaining to status identities (e.g.,
president, clerk, etc.), salaries of trustees, duties, and frequency of board meetings (at least once a month).
In addition, powers allocated to each trustee and the necessitated reporting to the district Superintendent
of Public Instruction is described within the statue.

RECYCLING OF MATERIALS; USE OF RECYCLED PRODUCTS

School districts may establish whether they choose to partake in a recycling program or not, as long as it
is determined that a burden will not be placed on the operations of the district. When purchasing products
for a school or district, preference must be given to recycled products, as long as it meets specified NRS
386.418 guidelines.

ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE CLEANING PRODUCTS FOR FLOOR SURFACES IN

PUBLIC SCHOOLS
State legislature acknowledges the severe effects that chemical wastes, hazardous wastes, and
environmental hazards have on the children immune system. Each school district must ensure that only
environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products/supplies are used. As defined by the statue,
“environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products” are those that reduce the present exposure
of chemicals, hazardous wastes and other environmental hazards to students and school faculty.

TRANSPORTATION
A school district’s Board of Trustees hold ultimate privilege to decide whether or not transportation will
be provided within the district, the bus routes, and expected conduct of students who take such forms of
transportation. Transportation funds of the school district shall be used to cover: (1) The purchasing
and/or rental to use vehicles. (2) Necessary repairs of vehicles. (3) Employment for District
Transportation Department. (4) Insuring vehicles. Board of Trustees, when deemed necessary and most
appropriate, may purchase reduced-rate tickets on public transpiration (i.e., city busses, railroad, etc.), for
all students enrolled in middle school, junior high school and high school to travel to and from school.
Transportation for students may extend beyond “normal” school-hours drop-offs, if the use for busses is
used for (1) interscholastic contests; (2) School festivals; or (3) Extracurricular school programs (e.g.,
sports, clubs, etc.). School district must require twice a year students in the school district who ride a
school bus to practice safety procedures and evacuation drills. This statue also establishes the
requirements and qualifications set by the district Board of Trustees for acquiring and hiring bus drivers,
and the necessary trainings, evaluations, and responsibilities that must be upheld by the employed drivers.
In this specific subsection of the Nevada Revised Statue, standards for current and new school buses
(purchases), conditions, and state of repair are established that must adhere to the Department of Public
Safety’s guidelines. Effective July 1, 2019, new school buses purchased by a school district to transport
pupils must have should-harness-type safety belt assemblies installed in the seating position. School
district may enter into an agreement with another party to lease school busses or vehicles that are within
the same county and does not interfere with transportation of pupils. Specific requirements of necessary
school bus equipment (e.g., flashing red lights system, stop signs, etc.) are stated in this subsection of the
Nevada Revised Statue.

SCHOOL UNIFORMS
The board of trustees of a school district may establish a mutual and warranted agreement between
schools, parents and legal guardians of current district student, and education employee associations and
organization to create a policy that requires standard-student attire. The Nevada Revised Statue 386.855
establishes requirements and details that the policy must adhere to and describe.
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MAINTENANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OF AUTO-INJECTABLE EPINEPHRINE; FOOD

ALLERGIES AND ANAPHYLAXIS
Epinephrine, auto-injectable supplies, and medications, must be stored in a safe location by public
schools. Each school district must establish methods of how to care, transport, and handle these
supplies/medications. A minimum of two auto-injectable epinephrines must be present at each Nevada
public and chart schools. The school nurse may administer auto-injectable epinephrine to any student on
school property during regular school hours who is believed to be suffering from anaphylaxis. Gifts,
grants, and donations to schools are accepted to support keeping auto-injectable epinephrines present in
schools. Employees who work around or manage food must be trained concerning food allergies. Each
public school must create and establish an action plan for matters concerning possible anaphylaxis.

PROGRAM OF INFORMATION CONCERNING MISSING CHILDREN

In accordance to NRS 386.975, the district Board of Trustees must establish and adopt a program for
missing children for other pupils, relatives and guardians on the missing child(ren), and residents of the
district. Assistance to help initiate or execute this program may be requested of the Attorney General or
the State Board of Education.
LEGISLATIVE ASSIGNMENT 6

3. Identify the Legislator's in your district that are your representatives for both the Nevada State

Assembly and the Nevada State Senate (The information is posted on the website and you are

expected to figure it out!).

My name is Adrian Duarte. I live in the zip code of 89123 which puts me in Senate District 20,

Assembly District 41, and Congressional District 3. My State Senator is Michael Roberson, and

my Assembly member is Sandra Jauregui. Furthermore, Jacky Rosen currently serves as

Congresswoman in the United States House of Representatives representing her constituents

from Nevada Congressional District 3. Representing all constituents of Nevada in the United

States Senate are Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Dean Heller.
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4. Write an email about an education related issue that you are concerned about and send to one

or more of your State Legislator's either in support or against any issue for which you have

concerns about as a future educator and make a copy of your actual email (including the

address(s) of your legislator(s) that was sent and any response that you may have received back.

Even if you have posted this assignment and get a response, send a copy to me in "mail."

* Copy of email sent is attached to this Canvas assignment. *