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CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — After a tumultuous and rollicking Nevada legislative session, nearly half of the 549 bills signed by Gov. Brian Sandoval will take effect on Wednesday.
The newly created laws range in scope and size, covering hot-button topics like a historic increase in business taxes to the wide variety of new K-12 education programs.
Here's how some of the new laws effect individuals and businesses:
NEW BUSINESS TAXES
Corporations in the state will see the cost of registering for a business license increase from $200 to $500, but all of the state's estimated 330,000 businesses will be required to pay an annual $25 filing fee.
Lawmakers also approved expanding the state's payroll-focused modified business tax, which is now applied to all wages beyond the first $200,000 a company pays out each year at a 1.475 percent rate. Mining and financial institutions have a higher two percent tax rate on payrolls. Companies will also be able to deduct health care premiums for employees from the tax calculation.
One of the more hotly-debated new laws is the so-called "Commerce Tax," which taxes an industry-specific amount on businesses with more than $4 million in yearly revenue. The new law delays payments until next year, but it will start considering business revenues made in-state on July 1.
As a break to businesses now paying both payroll and revenue taxes, the new law allows them to offset 50 percent of their "Commerce Tax" bill as a credit against the payroll tax.
OTHER NEW TAXES
Trips to the Department of Motor Vehicles will be slightly less pleasant with a new $1 fee on every DMV transaction requiring a fee and is designed to help the body upgrade its aging computer infrastructure. The new "technology fee" is expected to raise $5 million per year and will be phased out in 2020.
Nevada drivers will also have to begin paying small sums for reissued license plates every eight year period.
Lawmakers also approved raising taxes on cigarette packages by $1, and authorized Clark County to increase the cost of marriage licenses by $14 to promote wedding tourism in Las Vegas.
Several other new taxes, including an expansion of the state's live entertainment tax that will now include festivals like Burning Man and Electric Daisy Carnival, don't take effect until October. Another tax on rides from taxis, limousines and ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft won't be enforced until August.
EDUCATION
The vast majority of new tax revenue will be pumped into new programs touching K-12 education, including the following new laws that take effect on Wednesday:
— SB504, which creates a state-wide office of anti-bullying, strengthens reporting requirements for bullying incidents and creates a 24-hour hotline and a website for submitting complaints. Sandoval said signing the bill was one of his "proudest moments" as governor.
— SB391, which allows schools to hold back 3rd grade students who can't read at a proficient level and allocates $27 million to boost literacy levels in elementary schools. The bill does give schools a four year window to prepare before requiring them to hold back students.
— SB405 expands funding for the Zoom School program, which provides extra resources to schools with a high number of English language learners. The bill doubles funding from $50 to $100 million over two years and expands the program to middle and high school students.
— SB511 funds $25 million in incentives to help combat the state's teacher shortage. The law creates the Teach Nevada Scholarship program, which offers up to $3,000 per semester for students studying education or completing a licensing program at Nevada colleges. It also creates a $5,000 yearly bonus as an incentive for new teachers working in low-rated schools.
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