Senate Bill No. 309–Senators McGinness and Titus

 

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AN ACT relating to democracy; establishing the Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy within the Office of the Secretary of State; prescribing its powers and duties; requiring certain reports to the Legislature; 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.  The Legislature hereby declares that it is committed

 to working with election officers and agencies throughout the State

 and the Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy to

 achieve, by the 2008 general election, the goals of having 75

 percent of all eligible voters in the State registered and having 70

 percent of those registered voters participate in the general election.

    Sec. 2.  Chapter 225 of NRS is hereby amended by adding

 thereto the provisions set forth as sections 3 to 10, inclusive, of this

 act.

    Sec. 3.  As used in sections 3 to 10, inclusive, of this act,

 unless the context otherwise requires, the words and terms

 defined in sections 4, 5 and 6 of this act have the meanings

 ascribed to them in those sections.

    Sec. 4.  “Advisory Committee” means the Advisory

 Committee on Participatory Democracy created by section 7 of

 this act.

    Sec. 5.  “Participatory democracy” means the participation of

 residents of this state in the development of public policy and in

 the improvement of the operation of government at all levels.

    Sec. 6.  “Repository” means the Repository for Records

 Concerning Programs, Activities and Events Related to the

 Participation of Citizens in the Development of Public Policy and

 the Improvement of the Operation of Government created by

NRS 378.400.

    Sec. 7.  1.  The Advisory Committee on Participatory

 Democracy is hereby created within the Office of the Secretary of

 State.

    2.  The Advisory Committee consists of 10 members

 including:

    (a) The Secretary of State or his designee; and

    (b) Nine other members appointed by the Secretary of State.

    3.  The Secretary of State shall:

    (a) Consider political, geographical and demographical factors

 when appointing members of the Advisory Committee;

    (b) Select the Chairman of the Advisory Committee from

among its members; and

    (c) Designate an employee of the Office of the Secretary of

 State to serve as Secretary for the Advisory Committee.

    4.  The Secretary of State may assign such other employees of

 his Office as he deems necessary to assist the Advisory Committee

 in its duties.

    5.  The Chairman of the Advisory Committee shall appoint a

 Vice Chairman from among the members of the Advisory

 Committee.

    6.  After the initial term, each member of the Advisory

 Committee shall serve for a term of 3 years. Each member of the

 Advisory Committee serves at the pleasure of the Secretary of

 State. If a vacancy occurs, the Secretary of State shall appoint a

 new member to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the

 unexpired term.

    7.  Members of the Advisory Committee serve without

 compensation. If sufficient money is available in the Special

 Account for the Support of the Advisory Committee created by

 section 10 of this act, members are entitled to the per diem and

 travel allowances provided for state officers and employees

 generally while attending meetings of the Advisory Committee.

    Sec. 8.  1.  The Advisory Committee shall:

    (a) Advise the Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs

 concerning the Repository and make recommendations to support

 greater use of the Repository and collection of materials for the

 Repository;

    (b) Assist the Secretary of State in identifying and proposing

 programs that support participatory democracy and solutions to

 any problem concerning the level of participatory democracy,

 including, without limitation, proposing methods to involve the

 news media in the process of addressing and proposing solutions

 to such a problem;

    (c) Make recommendations to and discuss recommendations

 with the Secretary of State concerning matters brought to the

 attention of the Advisory Committee that relate to a program,

 activity, event or any combination thereof designed to increase or

 facilitate participatory democracy, including, without, limitation,

 the interaction of citizens with governing bodies in the

 formulation and implementation of public policy;

    (d) Establish a “Jean Ford Democracy Award” to honor

 citizens who perform exemplary service in promoting

 participatory democracy in this state;

    (e) Support projects by national, state and local entities that

 encourage and advance participatory democracy, including

 programs established by the National Conference of State

Legislatures, the State Bar of Nevada, and other public and

private organizations; and

    (f) Advise the Secretary of State and the Governor concerning

 the substance of any proclamation issued by the Governor

 pursuant to NRS 236.035.

    2.  The Advisory Committee may establish a panel to assist the

 Advisory Committee in carrying out its duties and responsibilities.

 The panel may consist of:

    (a) Representatives of organizations, associations, groups or

 other entities committed to improving participatory democracy in

 this state, including, without limitation, representatives of

 committees that are led by youths and established to improve the

 teaching of the principles of participatory democracy in the

 schools, colleges and universities of this state; and

    (b) Any other interested persons with relevant knowledge.

    Sec. 9.  1.  The Advisory Committee shall hold meetings at

 least once every 3 months. A special meeting of the Advisory

 Committee may be called by the Secretary of State and the

 Chairman of the Advisory Committee at such additional times as

 they deem necessary.

    2.  The Chairman of the Advisory Committee or, in his

 absence, the Vice Chairman of the Advisory Committee, shall

 preside at each meeting of the Advisory Committee. Six members

 of the Advisory Committee constitute a quorum.

    Sec. 10.  1.  The Secretary of State may apply for any

 available grants and accept any gifts, grants or donations for the

 support of the Advisory Committee and its activities pursuant to

 sections 3 to 10, inclusive, of this act.

    2.  Any money received pursuant to this section must be

 deposited in the Special Account for the Support of the Advisory

 Committee, which is hereby created in the State General Fund.

 Interest and income earned on money in the Account must be

 credited to the Account. Money in the Account may only be used

 for the support of the Advisory Committee and its activities

 pursuant to sections 3 to 10, inclusive, of this act.

    Sec. 11.  NRS 378.400 is hereby amended to read as follows:

    378.400  1.  The Repository for Records Concerning

 Programs, Activities and Events Related to the Participation of

 Citizens in the Development of Public Policy and the Improvement

 of the Operation of Government is hereby created within the

 Department.

    2.  The Director shall receive, store and maintain in the

 Repository and make available to members of the public materials,

 information and records submitted to the Department:

    (a) In response to a proclamation issued pursuant to NRS

 236.035; or

    (b) By the Federal Government, any state or local government

or any political subdivision thereof reporting the results of an action

 taken to increase the extent and quality of the participation of

 citizens in the development of public policy and the improvement

 of the operation of government.

    3.  To maintain and develop the Repository, the Director may:

    (a) Apply for any available grants and accept any gifts, grants or

 donations; and

    (b) Delegate his powers and duties to any person within the

 Department . [; and

    (c) Create and appoint an Advisory Committee.

    4.  An Advisory Committee created pursuant to this section

 must be created by a regulation adopted in accordance with the

 provisions of chapter 233B of NRS. The regulation must specify

 the:

    (a) Membership of the Committee;

    (b) Purpose for which the Committee is created;

    (c) Duties of the Committee;

    (d) Period of existence of the Committee; and

    (e) Rules for the governance of the Committee.

    5.  An]

    4.  The Advisory Committee created [pursuant to this section]

 by section 7 of this act may advise the Director on matters

 concerning the Repository, including, without limitation:

    (a) The coordination of public agencies concerning programs,

 activities or events designed to increase the extent and quality of

 the participation of the residents of this state in the development of

 public policy and the improvement of the operation of government

 at all levels;

    (b) The assistance of public agencies in developing such

 programs, activities and events;

    (c) The development of effective ways to provide information

 contained in the Repository to members of the public; and

    (d) Recommended programs that demonstrate the effective

 methods by which residents of this state may participate in the

 development of public policy and the improvement of the

 operations of government at all levels.

    [6.  The members of an Advisory Committee created pursuant

 to this section serve without compensation unless an appropriation

 or other money for that purpose is provided by the Legislature.]

    Sec. 12.  1.  Each local school district, with the assistance of

 the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents of the

 University of Nevada, the Commission on Professional Standards

 in Education and the Nevada P-16 Council, shall prepare a report

 for the 73rd Session of the Legislature which contains:

    (a) An evaluation of the efforts currently in progress to

implement standards for the social studies curriculum being offered

 in Nevada schools, including, without limitation, cocurricular

 activities that promote learning and understanding, particularly in

 the area of civics and the skills and values of citizenship;

    (b) A clear statement of the assessment standards that have been

 established to judge the educational progress of pupils in

 understanding civics and the skills and values of citizenship; and

    (c) A comparison of how the achievement of Nevada pupils in

 developing such understanding and skills compares with standards

 developed nationally to measure the effectiveness of civics

 education.

    2.  The State Board of Education and the Board of Regents of

 the University of Nevada shall consider and make

 recommendations to the 73rd Session of the Legislature concerning

 how principles of participatory democracy can be better taught and

 practiced in the schools, colleges and universities of the State of

 Nevada, including, without limitation, by the use of service

-learning projects.

    Sec. 13.  1.  The Secretary of State shall appoint the members

 of the Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy as soon as

 practicable after October 1, 2003. Members of the Advisory

 Committee on Participatory Democracy that was created by NRS

 378.400, except the Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs,

 continue to serve on that Committee until new members are

 appointed by the Secretary of State.

    2.  The members of the Advisory Committee on Participatory

 Democracy must be appointed to serve initial terms as follows:

    (a) Three of the members must be appointed to serve a term of 3

 years;

    (b) Three of the members must be appointed to serve a term of 2

 years; and

    (c) Three of the members must be appointed to serve a term of 1

 year.

 

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