Tuition measure among 45 bills signed into law

Measures covering everything from college tuition to drug testing for boxers and mixed martial arts fighters were among 45 bills Gov. Brian Sandoval signed into law Wednesday.

Senate Bill 449 gives the Nevada System of Higher Education authority to adjust tuition rates based on the cost of instruction or student demand for a particular major.

Higher education officials sought the change to help recoup costs to hire instructors and provide equipment for students who enroll in programs that require higher overhead.

The bill also requires colleges and universities to provide scholarships for students who qualify for such programs but can’t afford higher tuition.

SB498 expands the potential uses for fees tacked onto tickets to fights between "unarmed combatants." Current law requires promoters of events to collect 50 cents or $1 per ticket, depending on the size of the event, for use by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

SB498 expands the authority of the commission to use money from ticket fees "to perform random drug testing of amateur and professional unarmed combatants at any time, including, without limitation, during any period of training."

Other measures Sandoval signed included the following:

■ SB443, which calls on counties to pay the state a portion of the expenses for pretrial and presentence investigations by the Division of Parole and Probation in the Department of Public Safety.

■ SB442, which allows the administrator of the Division of State Parks to establish an enterprise fund to hold money generated by concessions and other services offered to state parks visitors.

■ Assembly Bill 380, which extends the life of tax incentives for solar, wind and water energy demonstration projects through Dec. 31, 2021. They had been set to expire June 30.

■ AB402, which requires state agencies, when practical, to accept payments by credit or debit cards or electronic transfers.

Sandoval also vetoed two bills, AB546 and SB360.

■ AB546 would have required day care providers to have at least 24 hours of child care training annually.

Sandoval said in his veto message that the idea has merit, but by only covering "early childhood" care, the bill neglected the need for parental training in infant and toddler care.

He also said the requirement would either drive up the cost of child care for parents struggling to pay for day care or force providers to burden employees, who already are receiving low salaries, with the cost.

■ SB360 would have required developers working in redevelopment areas to submit an employment plan that included preferences for hiring people who live in the redevelopment area to be eligible for tax incentives.

In his veto message, Sandoval said the proposal "is commendable as a job creation bill" but is "overly restrictive." While it might help Nevadans who live in redevelopment zones, those who live outside such areas would be excluded from any benefits, he said.

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@ reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.