Legislative History Tutorial

What do the numbers and abbreviations at the end of a section of the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) mean?

From the Legislative Counsel's Preface to the Nevada Revised Statutes:

The legislative history for each section of Nevada Revised Statutes enacted as a part of the revision bill, up to the time of enactment, has been inserted in brackets immediately following the section. Each legislative history contains a reference to the section, chapter and year of the Statutes of Nevada from which the section of NRS is derived, together with references to subsequent amendments and, when applicable, section numbers in prior compilations.

Certain abbreviations have been employed by the reviser in order to shorten the bracketed material:

• B—Bonnifield and Healy, The Compiled Laws of the State of Nevada (1873)
• BH—Baily and Hammond, The General Statutes of the State of Nevada (1885)
• C—Cutting, Compiled Laws of Nevada (1900)
• RL—Revised Laws of Nevada (1912)
• 1919 RL—Revised Laws of Nevada (1919)
• NCL—Nevada Compiled Laws (1929)
• 1931 NCL—Nevada Compiled Laws 1931—41 Supplement (1941)
• 1943 NCL—Nevada Compiled Laws 1943—49 Supplement (1949)

In the case of the Civil Practice Act, Criminal Practice Act and Crimes and Punishments Act of 1911, which were omitted from Statutes of Nevada 1911 as authorized by chapter 84, Statutes of Nevada 1911, the reviser has employed the following abbreviations in the legislative history:

• 1911 CPA—Civil Practice Act of 1911
• 1911 C&P—Crimes and Punishments Act of 1911
• 1911 Cr. Prac.—Criminal Practice Act of 1911

The following several detailed illustrations will show how the legislative history works:

1. The interpolation “[1:19:1865; B § 910; BH § 2425; C § 2508; RL § 4828; NCL § 8370]” following the text of NRS 1.010, means that NRS 1.010 was derived from section 1, chapter 19, Statutes of Nevada 1865; and that section 1, chapter 19, Statutes of Nevada 1865, subsequently appeared in the compilation of Nevada statutes in Bonnifield and Healy § 910, in Baily and Hammond § 2425, in Cutting § 2508, in Revised Laws of Nevada (1912) § 4828, and Nevada Compiled Laws (1929) § 8370.
2. The interpolation “[52:19:1865; A 1869, 136; 1881, 165; BH § 2471; C § 2553; RL § 4872; NCL § 8414]” following the text of NRS 1.060, means that NRS 1.060 was derived from section 52, chapter 19, Statutes of Nevada 1865; that section 52, chapter 19, Statutes of Nevada 1865, was subsequently amended by Statutes of Nevada 1869, at page 136, and by Statutes of Nevada 1881, at page 165; and that the last amendment subsequently appeared in the compilation of Nevada statutes in Baily and Hammond § 2471, in Cutting § 2553, in Revised Laws of Nevada (1912) § 4872, and Nevada Compiled Laws (1929) § 8414.
3. The interpolation “[42:19:1865; A 1927, 138; NCL § 8404]” following the text of NRS 1.090, means that NRS 1.090 was derived from section 42, chapter 19, Statutes of Nevada 1865; that section 42, chapter 19, Statutes of Nevada 1865, was subsequently amended by Statutes of Nevada 1927, at page 138; and that the last amendment subsequently appeared in Nevada Compiled Laws (1929) § 8404.
4. The interpolation “[Part 61:108:1866; B § 2659; BH § 1696; C § 1842; RL § 2817; NCL § 4817]” following the text of NRS 1.280, means that NRS 1.280 was derived from a part of section 61, chapter 108, Statutes of Nevada 1866; and that section 61, chapter 108, Statutes of Nevada 1866, subsequently appeared in the compilation of Nevada statutes in Bonnifield and Healy § 2659, in Baily and Hammond § 1696, in Cutting § 1842, in Revised Laws of Nevada (1912) § 2817, and Nevada Compiled Laws (1929) § 4817.
5. The interpolation “[Part 1:217:1909; A 1931, 9; 1931 NCL § 618] + [Part 2:108:1866; A 1953, 711; 1955, 459]” following the text of NRS 2.020, means that NRS 2.020 was derived from: (a) A part of section 1, chapter 217, Statutes of Nevada 1909; that section 1, chapter 217, Statutes of Nevada 1909, was subsequently amended by Statutes of Nevada 1931, at page 9; and that the last amendment to section 1, chapter 217, Statutes of Nevada 1909, subsequently appeared in Nevada Compiled Laws 1931—41 Supplement § 618; and (b) A part of section 2, chapter 108, Statutes of Nevada 1866; that section 2, chapter 108, Statutes of Nevada 1866, was subsequently amended by Statutes of Nevada 1953, at page 711, and by Statutes of Nevada 1955, at page 459.
6. The interpolation “[Part 19:33:1861; A 1947, 445; 1943 NCL § 4067]” following the text of NRS 125.340, means that NRS 125.340 was derived from a part of section 19, chapter 33, Statutes of Nevada 1861; that section 19, chapter 33, Statutes of Nevada 1861, was amended by Statutes of Nevada 1947, at page 445; and that the last amendment to section 19, chapter 33, Statutes of Nevada 1861, subsequently appeared in Nevada Compiled Laws 1943—49 Supplement § 4067.
7. The interpolation “[1911 CPA § 532; RL § 5474; NCL § 9021]” following the text of NRS 1.030, means that NRS 1.030 was derived from section 532 of the Civil Practice Act of 1911; and that that section was first printed in Revised Laws of Nevada (1912) § 5474, and subsequently appeared in Nevada Compiled Laws (1929) § 9021.
8. The interpolation “[1911 C&P § 53; RL § 6318; NCL § 10002]” following the text of NRS 198.010, means that NRS 198.010 was derived from section 53 of the Crimes and Punishments Act of 1911; and that that section was first printed in Revised Laws of Nevada (1912) § 6318, and subsequently appeared in Nevada Compiled Laws (1929) § 10002.
9. The interpolation “[1911 Cr. Prac. § 99; RL § 6949; NCL § 10747]” following the text of NRS 171.215, means that NRS 171.215 was derived from section 99 of the Criminal Practice Act of 1911; and that that section was first printed in Revised Laws of Nevada (1912) § 6949, and subsequently appeared in Nevada Compiled Laws (1929) § 10747.
10. The interpolation “[1911 C&P § 202; A 1917, 410; 1919 RL § 6467; NCL § 10150]” following the text of NRS 646.030, means that NRS 646.030 was derived from section 202 of the Crimes and Punishments Act of 1911; that that section was amended by Statutes of Nevada 1917, at page 410; and that the last amendment subsequently appeared in Revised Laws of Nevada (1919) § 6467, and Nevada Compiled Laws (1929) § 10150.
11. The interpolation “[8:264:1913; 1919 RL p. 2838; NCL § 3767]” following the text of NRS 339.030, means that NRS 339.030 was derived from section 8, chapter 264, Statutes of Nevada 1913; and that section 8, chapter 264, Statutes of Nevada 1913, subsequently appeared in Revised Laws of Nevada (1919), at page 2838, and Nevada Compiled Laws (1929) § 3767.
12. The interpolation “[1:153:1927; A 1928, 29; 1945, 208; 1951, 359; 1953, 540]” following the text of NRS 2.050, means that NRS 2.050 was derived from section 1, chapter 153, Statutes of Nevada 1927; and that section 1, chapter 153, Statutes of Nevada 1927, was subsequently amended by Statutes of Nevada 1928, at page 29, by Statutes of Nevada 1945, at page 208, by Statutes of Nevada 1951, at page 359, and by Statutes of Nevada 1953, at page 540.
13. The interpolation “[7:52:1907; added 1949, 506; 1943 NCL § 8460.01]” following the text of NRS 3.380, means that NRS 3.380 was derived from section 7, chapter 52, Statutes of Nevada 1907, which section was added to chapter 52, Statutes of Nevada 1907, by Statutes of Nevada 1949, at page 506; and that the added section appeared in Nevada Compiled Laws 1943—49 Supplement § 8460.01.
14. The interpolation “[1:229:1953]” following the text of NRS 1.220, means that NRS 1.220 was derived from section 1, chapter 229, Statutes of Nevada 1953.

Note that the legislative history of a section which was amended contains only references to compilations in which the section appeared in its latest amended form. Thus the legislative history of a section which appeared in Nevada Compiled Laws (1929), if the section was amended in 1951, contains no reference to Nevada Compiled Laws (1929).

When the legislative history of a section of NRS indicates that the section of NRS has been derived from a part of a section, the disposition and location of the balance of that original section generally may be determined by referring to the Comparative Section Tables. In some instances temporary or obsolete material of the original section was deleted by the reviser, the reason for such deletion being explained in the reviser's note to the section of NRS.

Legislative histories interpreted above are to sections of NRS as enacted by the revision act by the 1957 Legislature. Action taken on Nevada Revised Statutes by the 1957 and subsequent legislative sessions appears at the end of each legislative history enclosed in parentheses and is indicated as follows:

1. Amended section. The interpolation “[1911 CPA § 673; A 1955, 284]—(NRS A 1957, 140; 1959, 596)” following the text of NRS 37.100 means that NRS 37.100 was amended by Statutes of Nevada 1957, at page 140, and by Statutes of Nevada 1959, at page 596.
2. New section. The interpolation “(Added to NRS by 1957, 64)” following the text of NRS 18.045, means that NRS 18.045 was enacted by Statutes of Nevada 1957, at page 64.