Nevada Assembly Passes A.B. 240, Reforming State Contracting
April 26, 2011
CARSON CITY—Today, the Nevada Assembly passed A.B. 240, sponsored by Ways and Means Committee Chair Debbie Smith (D-30), increasing transparency and accountability in state contracting.
“In these times of economic and budgetary challenges, it is more critical than ever that we take every step possible to use taxpayer revenue effectively, save money, and improve state services,” Smith said. “Bringing state contracting out into the open for all to see and establishing a cooling off period for state employees are great steps forward for accomplishing those goals.”
A.B.240 changes the definition of “consultant” to make sure the state contracting process is transparent and state agencies are held accountable for the contracts they award. The legislation would help prevent state contractors from receiving contracts in excess of what can be done in-house by state employees. The bill would also extend the cooling off period before a retired state employee could contract with the state to two years.
A.B. 240 would explicitly permit auditing of all contracts in which persons are employed by the state. The terms of employment contracts would be publicly available, ensuring more transparency, holding the state accountable, and preventing abuses. A.B. 240 also requires school districts to report their use of consultants. Additionally, the legislation would require that anyone who does business with the state must go through the business portal provided by the Secretary of State to obtain a Nevada business license.
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