Nevada Policy Research Institute
The 83rd legislative session has embarked in Nevada with bills addressing issues like healthcare, education, occupational licensing and public safety. Perhaps the most important of the groups that will be affected by this session’s decision are business owners and entrepreneurs of the Silver State. However, while some proposals would impose costly new regulations on local enterprises, some would offer welcome reforms that make it easier to do business. These are the legislative bills that could help your business grow, if passed:
AB 180: Multijurisdictional Licenses For Food Carts and Trucks
This bill requires county and city governments in Clark and Washoe Counties to establish multijurisdictional business licenses for sidewalk vendors and mobile food establishments so they can operate seamlessly throughout the county and its large, incorporated cities. It also requires counties and large cities to enter into agreements with smaller cities (populations under 60,000) if the small city chooses to participate in such multijurisdictional licensing. The bill, additionally, expands the definition of “sidewalk vendor” to include those selling merchandise in addition to food and prohibits local governments from enacting ordinances that restrict sidewalk vendors from selling near parks. If passed, AB 180 will ease the licensure requirements for sidewalk vendors and decrease both the number of licenses they must seek and the associated fees they have to pay.
AB 225: Revises Licensure Provisions for Barbers and Cosmetologists
This bill exempts blow-dry styling, hair braiding, and shampoo technology from massage therapy regulations and updates licensure requirements for barbers and cosmetologists. It allows barbers to train apprentices in federally registered apprenticeship programs and removes certain licensure requirements, including coursework and examinations. It permits barbers to work in the same space as cosmetologists without partitions and allows cosmetological establishments to lease space to barbers. If passed, AB 225 will ease the existing barriers to entry of new professionals into this middle-income industry. Since Nevada imposes the most onerous and restrictive occupational licensing regimes in the country, it’s imperative that these burdens be relaxed to give young people a pathway to success.
SB 130 & SB 158: Increasing the Contractor Threshold
SB 130 would raise the maximum value of unlicensed work a licensed contractor can perform from less than $1,000 to less than $2,500. SB 158 would increase the monetary threshold for exempting certain contractor work from licensure requirements from $1,000 to $5,000 (additionally, it excludes the value of materials from this threshold). Easing these licensing barriers will lower contractor costs and allow Nevadans to get small household projects accomplished at lower cost.
AB 163, AB 143 & AB 106: Interstate Compacts for Healthcare Workers
All of these bills aim to include Nevada into interstate compacts for various healthcare professions. If passed, they would allow certain professionals from other member states within the compact to practice their trade in Nevada without needing to secure a local license and vice versa. Currently, occupational licensing rules bar experienced and licensed dental hygienists, mental health counselors or occupational therapists from working if they relocate to Nevada. There’s no rationale for this barrier and it harms consumers and providers alike.
Stay Updated on the Legislature
Nevada’s 2025 Legislative session is just getting started, and there are many more bills to come. From occupational licensing reforms to small business regulations, pending legislation could have a substantial impact on Nevada’s entrepreneurial environment.
Stay informed. Nevada Policy’s Bill Tracker is a key resource that will allow you to stay informed on at the status of proposals that could affect the business and tax environment, as well as education, healthcare, and a host of other issue.
