NEVADA LEGISLATURE

THE FORTIETH DAY

Carson City (Friday), March 14, 2003

Senate called to order at 10:48 a.m.

President Hunt presiding.

Roll called.

All present.

Prayer by the Chaplain, Pastor Patrick Propster.

Throughout this week, many prayers have been offered for Divine assistance for us here. This morning, let us focus our prayers toward the needs of our loved ones in all branches of the Armed Forces of this awesome country. The Bible says: "Honor your father and mother." One of the best ways we do this is through prayer and petitions for each of their sons and daughters.

Let us pray. Gracious, heavenly Father, we request that Your hand of protection and safety be with and upon each of our loved ones that are standing bravely and courageously for enduring freedom on our behalf.

Lord, bless and keep each of them, bring them back to us quickly and victoriously. We pray in Jesus' Name.

Amen.

Pledge of allegiance to the Flag.

Senator Raggio moved that further reading of the Journal be dispensed with, and the President and Secretary be authorized to make the necessary corrections and additions.

Motion carried.

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

Madam President:

Your Committee on Government Affairs, to which was referred Senate Bill No. 146, has had the same under consideration, and begs leave to report the same back with the recommendation: Do pass.

Ann O'Connell, Chairman

MESSAGES FROM THE ASSEMBLY

Assembly Chamber, Carson City, March 13, 2003

To the Honorable the Senate:

I have the honor to inform your honorable body that the Assembly on this day adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 17.

Diane Keetch

Assistant Chief Clerk of the Assembly

MOTIONS, RESOLUTIONS AND NOTICES

By Senators Tiffany, Cegavske, Rawson, Raggio, Neal, Amodei, Care, Carlton, Coffin, Hardy, Mathews, McGinness, Nolan, O'Connell, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Titus, Townsend, Washington, Wiener; Assemblymen Gustavson, Knecht, Angle, Anderson, Andonov, Claborn, Griffin, Hettrick, Horne, Manendo, Pierce, Sherer and Weber:

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 18—Recognizing the Health Division of the Department of Human Resources for its efforts regarding collection and reporting of information concerning sepsis.

Senator Tiffany moved the adoption of the resolution.

Remarks by Senator Tiffany.

Senator Tiffany requested that her remarks be entered in the Journal.

Thank you, Madam President. I wanted to speak on this because the issue is such a personal one for me. I asked Yvonne Sylva to come today, but she was unable to attend because of a meeting. I wanted to commend the Health Division for pulling this resolution together.

Originally, this was going to be a bill, but we found we did not need to process it that way. She stated she could get the severe sepsis information requested by me from some existing reports she had. This eliminated us needing to go through the bill process. I feel it is important to recognize her for her work.

The Health Division is going to collect severe sepsis information by looking at hospitalization records, hospital discharge records as well as looking at the information available through the drugs given.

I nearly died from severe sepsis a year ago. When I left the hospital, I started working with the doctor who saved my life and with Eli Lilly Company, the company who manufactured the drug that saved my life. We developed some model legislation introduced at Women In Government. I asked all legislators of every state in the Union to introduce this type of model legislation.

Severe sepsis is the number one killer in the intensive care units of hospitals. Over 750,000 people contract severe sepsis and of those 30 to 50 percent die of this infection.

I am a very lucky person to have survived this and to be here, healthy, today, talking to you about this issue. I am passionate about this legislation. We want to collect this data so that this information can be collected and available to researchers throughout every state in the Union. When the researchers and the public obtain this information, they will be aware of the dangers of severe sepsis and will be aware that there are alternatives for families dealing with this disease. I hope that with their awareness, they will be able to recognize the symptoms. They will be able to raise the question to their physicians. It is to be hoped the physicians will be aware of severe sepsis and its treatment. These are the reasons for the model legislation, and I would appreciate the passage of this resolution. Thank you.

Resolution adopted.

Resolution ordered transmitted to the Assembly.

Senator Raggio moved that the following persons be accepted as accredited press representatives, and that they be assigned space at the press table and allowed the use of appropriate media facilities: KUVR Channel 68: Adolfo Segura, Dulce Alvarez and Jose Sandoval.

Motion carried.

Senator Rawson moved that Senate Bill No. 138 be taken from the Second Reading File and re-referred to the Committee on Finance.

Remarks by Senator Rawson.

Motion carried.

INTRODUCTION, FIRST READING AND REFERENCE

By Senator Neal:

Senate Bill No. 289—AN ACT relating to health care; establishing in skeleton form the State Health Authority to plan for a single payer health care system in the State of Nevada and for the expansion of the Medicaid program; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator Neal moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Human Resources and Facilities.

Motion carried.

By Senator Carlton:

Senate Bill No. 290—AN ACT relating to public safety; requiring armories and other places used for the storage of weapons to be equipped with an alarm system under certain circumstances; requiring as a condition of certification that peace officers be informed of the requirement of an alarm system; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator Carlton moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Government Affairs.

Motion carried.

By the Committee on Transportation:

Senate Bill No. 291—AN ACT relating to airports; authorizing a governmental entity that is the proprietor of an airport to impose certain reasonable restrictions concerning the control of aircraft noise; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator Shaffer moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Transportation.

Motion carried.

By Senator Schneider:

Senate Bill No. 292—AN ACT relating to industrial insurance; revising the circumstances under which the Nevada Attorney for Injured Workers is required to represent injured workers; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator Schneider moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Commerce and Labor.

Motion carried.

By Senators Neal, Titus, O'Connell and Coffin:

Senate Bill No. 293—AN ACT relating to taxation; repealing certain exemptions and abatements from taxes on property and on the retail sales or use of property; providing for the disposition and use of the proceeds of certain taxes on the retail sales or use of fuel used to propel motor vehicles; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator Neal moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Taxation.

Motion carried.

By Senator Neal (by request):

Senate Bill No. 294—AN ACT relating to intergovernmental relations; prohibiting a person from exercising the powers of a peace officer in this state unless authorized by state law; prohibiting a person from performing any act relating to the management or control of public lands in Nevada unless the person is an agent of this state; defining the jurisdiction of the State of Nevada; providing criminal penalties and civil remedies for acts relating to storing high-level radioactive waste in this state; providing other criminal penalties and civil remedies; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator Neal moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.

Motion carried.

By Senator Neal (by request):

Senate Bill No. 295—AN ACT relating to statutory construction; abolishing Dillon’s Rule concerning statutory interpretation of the powers of a local government; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator Neal moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Government Affairs.

Motion carried.

SECOND READING AND AMENDMENT

Senate Bill No. 31.