Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

carson city:

Gibbons signs bills on child porn, hospital patient ‘dumping’

Bills are among 12 signed by the governor on Monday

CARSON CITY – A bill to toughen the law on child pornography and legislation to require reports on the possible “dumping” of patients on public hospitals in Clark County have been signed by Gov. Jim Gibbons.

The governor also signed his bill to make sure state government is taking energy savings measures.

Gibbons signed 12 bills Monday, including one to require Clark and Washoe counties and the cities within them to report to the Legislative Counsel Bureau by September 2010 on what steps have been taken to consolidate services and what possible savings it might create.

The governor also approved Assembly Bill 88, which allows any person under the age of 16 to file suit if he or she suffered “personal or psychological injury” as a result of their appearance in a pornographic film. The suit against the promoter could recover at least $150,000.

The new law makes it a felony for any person to use the Internet to view a film depicting a person under 16 engaged in or simulating sexual acts.

Assembly Bill 52 requires hospitals in Clark County with more than 70 beds to file quarterly reports with the Legislative Committee on Health Care detailing which patients are transferred to another hospital, whether the patient can pay or has insurance and the reason for the transfer.

The bill was sought by Clark County, which operates University Medical Center. The study is also to look at transfers from private hospitals to UMC and other hospitals. Some private hospitals don’t have the facilities to care for some of these patients.

AB52 also allows Clark County to adopt an ordinance to permit it to name a wing or a unit of University Medical Center after the donor of a large sum of money.

Gibbon’s Senate Bill 395 requires the state to buy energy efficient appliances, equipment, lighting and other devices. It directs the state Public Works Board to adopt standards for the efficient use of water and energy. Vehicle dealers, starting with the 2012 models, will be required to inform the consumer of the vehicle’s estimated carbon dioxide emissions.

The energy bill also requires the governor to name two people from rural Nevada to the state Commission on Economic Development.

The governor signed Assembly Bill 561 to transfers the duties of the consumer affairs division to the state Department of Motor Vehicles for regulation of garages and body shops. The policing of credit service organizations will be shifted to the division of mortgage lending. Oversight of deceptive trade practices will be under the state attorney general’s office as the consumer affairs division disappears.

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