Proposed bills in Nevada Legislature could impact high school sports

A one-time transfer rule similar to college athletics could be coming to Nevada high school sports, pending a Nevada state Senate bill that was passed by the Senate Committee on Education on Monday.

The rule stems from an amendment written on Senate Bill 114, which was originally written asking the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association to amend its rules and regulations to allow immediate eligibility for a student who transfers to a public charter school.

State Sen. Edgar Flores, D-Las Vegas, added four amendments, including one that adds “a one-time eligibility provision across the board,” that could include public and private schools in Nevada.

The bill was one of several discussed at Wednesday’s NIAA Board of Control spring meetings at Palace Station. NIAA executive director Donnie Nelson said the NIAA is still waiting for the wording of the bill with the amendments.

“We want rules and regulations and policies to be handled within the membership,” Nelson said during the meeting.

Paul Anderson of the NIAA’s Legal Counsel said the bill as is with the added amendments is “too vague.” Another amendment of the bill authorizes “the appeal of NIAA decisions to the State Board of Education.”

“It does have this Legislature, in essence, feel like they can say, ‘NIAA, this is how you have to do it,’” Nelson said. “This is really new. I’ve never had a Legislature get involved in our dealings to this level before with the bills that are out there.”

A section of Senate Bill 196, another bill that was passed by the Committee on Education on Monday, says it would provide “additional eligibility for pupils enrolled in certain grades during the COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency to participate in certain interscholastic activities.” The bill says it would be for any activity where the rules governing eligibility are established by the NIAA.

The NIAA’s regulations say a student is eligible to compete for four years. Section 7 of SB196 says any student who was in high school between March 12, 2020, to March 20, 2022, “is eligible to participate in any sanctioned sport, spirit squad or other interscholastic activity” for at least 10 consecutive semesters and five seasons.

“This fifth-year thing makes no sense,” Nelson said. “We are not the NCAA. We are not a transfer portal. … I have no idea what’s going to happen.”

Nelson said the NIAA voted in opposition to giving students an extra year of eligibility in the past.

The bills are still waiting on a final vote by the Legislature. There is a Friday deadline to pass a bill or give it an extension, or else the bill will not go into effect.

The NIAA Board of Control will discuss and vote on realignment proposals and postseason tournament formats for winter sports Thursday. Under proposals approved by the NIAA Realignment Committee last month, Class 5A boys and girls basketball will include only Southern schools.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.