Wednesday, May 26, 1999 | 9:16 a.m.
The governor signed AB111, which requires require that workers get safety training in their language or by a videotape in a language they understand.
Just three of the 16 Sierra Chemical workers spoke English and most were undocumented aliens.
Guinn also signed AB173 and AB535, which both revise standards for regulating facilities where highly hazardous substances are produced, used, stored or handled; and AB603, which requires a conditional use permit for hazardous facilities.
A federal investigation into the January 1998 explosion found it may have occurred after a worker turned on an electrical mixing machine that contained chemicals mistakenly left in a pot by the previous day's workers. Mixer blades scraped on the chemicals, creating a spark that set off the blast.
Guinn also signed:
-AB616, upgrading sales of counterfeit merchandise from a misdemeanor to a felony in some cases.
Under AB616, illegal sales of trademarked or counterfeit items would become a felony, which warrants prison time if the violator had been previously convicted of it or the goods numbered more than 100 or had a value of more than $1,000.
It also defines "intent to sell" as possession of 26 or more of the salable items.
-AB483, which lets Nevada firefighters and police force anyone who splashes blood or other bodily fluids on them to be tested for communicable diseases.
AB483 would let firefighters, police, prison guards, emergency medical technicians or "any other person who is employed by an agency of criminal justice" petition a court to force anyone who voluntarily or involuntarily exposes emergency workers to blood, feces or urine be tested for HIV or Hepatitis B immediately.
Supporters say if emergency workers are exposed to a significant amount of bodily fluids, they should know as soon as possible if that exposure could lead to serious health problems.
-SB57, expanding intensive drug and alcohol treatment program in Warm Springs prison.
The so-called "therapeutic community" program is an intensive substance abuse and life skills program in which inmate participants live separately from other prisoners and participate in up to 14 hours of classes, counseling and other programs daily.
But the original program sponsored by Sen. Valerie Wiener, D-Las Vegas, was limited to volunteers and first offenders who are within one year of release. The new law relaxes those requirements.
Wiener says that making the program available to those with more than one felony conviction gets at a population that badly needs substance abuse, anger control and other training to turn their lives around.
archive
