SB 25 — Revises provisions relating to fire protection. (BDR 42-249)

REQUIRESSenate TWO-THIRDSBill MAJORITYNo. VOTE (§ 2 & NRS 477.031) (Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 17, 2025) FIRST REPRINT S.B.

2525–Committee Son ENATEGovernment BAffairs ILLNCHAPTER.......... O.

25–COMMITTEE ON G OVERNMENT A FFAIRS (O N BEHALF OF THE STATE F IREM ARSHAL D IVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY ) P REFILED N OVEMBER 8, 2024 ____________ Referred to Committee on Government Affairs SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to fire protection.

(BDR 42-249) FISCAL NOTE:

Effect on Local Government:

No.

Effect on the State:

Yes.

~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

Existing law sets forth the powers and duties of the State Forester Firewarden, which include a requirement to cooperate with the State Fire Marshal in the enforcement of laws and the adoption of certain regulations relating to fire prevention through the management of vegetation in this State.

(NRS 472.040) SecExistingSection law1 establishes within the Department of Publicthis Safetybill theremoves Statethis Firerequirement. Marshal Division, which consists of the Fire Protection and Control Section, Fire Investigation Section, Public Education Section, Fire Service Training Section and - *SB25_R1* – 2 – Fire Data Section.

(NRSExisting 477.010)law Sectionestablishes 1.5within the Department of thisPublic billSafety eliminatesthe allState Fire Marshal Division, which consists of the statutoryFire sectionsProtection comprisingand theControl StateSection, Fire MarshalInvestigation Division.Section, Public Education Section, Fire Service Training Section and Fire Data Section.

Existing(NRS 477.010) Section 1.5 of this bill eliminates all of the statExisting law requires, amongst other things, the State Fire Marshal to:

(1) enforce laws and adopt regulations related to the safety, access, means and adequacy of exits in case of fire at certain institutions, facilities and buildings;

(NRSState 477.030)Fire SectionMarshal 2enforces oflaws thisand bill:adopts regulations to include cannabisr which the production facilities;

(1) expands the list of facilities for which the production facilities;

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

(a)- Supervise83rd orSession coordinate(2025) all– forestry,2 rangeland– and watershed work on state-owned and privately owned lands, including firefiretershed control, in Nevada, working with federal agencies, private associations, counties, towns, cities or private persons.

(e) Administer money appropriated and grants awarded for fire prevention, fire control and the education of firefighters and award grants of money for those purposes to fire departments and educationaledu(f) institutionsDetermine the amount of wages that must be paid to offenders who participate in thisconservation State.camps and who perform work relating to fire fighting and other work projects of conservation camps.

(f) Determine the amount of wages that must be paid to offenders who participate in conservation camps and who perform work relating to fire fighting and other work projects of conservation camps.

- *SB25_R1* – 3 – (h)] Ensure that any adopted regulations are consistent with those of fire protection districts created pursuant to chapter 318 or 474 of NRS.

(a)- Appoint83rd paidSession foresters(2025) and– firewardens3 to– enforce the provisions of the laws of this State respecting forest, rangeland and watershed management or the protection of lands from fire, subject to the approval of the board of county commissioners of each county concerned.

(e) Employ, with the consent of the Director of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, clerical assistance, county and district coordinators, patrol officers, firefighters, and other employees as needed, and expend such sums as may be necessarily incurred for this purpose.

(g) With the approval of the Director of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the State Board of - *SB25_R1* – 4 – Examiners, purchase or accept the donation of real property to be used for lookout sites and for other administrative, experimental or demonstration purposes.

The title to the real property must be examined and approved by the Attorney General.Gen(h) Expend any money appropriated by the State to the Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for paying expenses incurred in fighting fires or in emergencies which threaten human life.

(h) Expend any money appropriated by the State to the Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for paying expenses incurred in fighting fires or in emergencies which threaten human life.

- 83rd Session (2025) – 4 – Sec.

The Division consists of the Fire Protection and Control Section, the Fire Investigation Section, the Public Education Section, the Fire Service Training Section and the Fire DataDatan Section.] Sec.

As used in this paragraph [, “public]“pu(1) :“Cannabis production facility” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 678A.125.

(1)(2) “Cannabis“Public productionassembly” facility”means hasa building or a portion of a building used for the meaninggathering ascribedtogether toof it50 or more persons for purposes of deliberation, education, instruction, worship, entertainment, amusement or awaiting transportation, or the gathering together of 100 or more persons in NRSestablishments 678A.125.for drinking or dining.

- *SB25_R1* – 5 – (2) “Public assembly” means a building or a portion of a building used for the gathering together of 50 or more persons for purposes of deliberation, education, instruction, worship, entertainment, amusement or awaiting transportation, or the gathering together of 100 or more persons in establishments for drinking or dining.

- Except83rd asSession otherwise(2025) provided– in5 subsection– [12,] 11, the regulations of the State Fire Marshal apply throughout the State, but except with respect to state-owned or state-occupied buildings, the State Fire Marshal’s authority to enforce them or conduct investigations under this chapter does not extend to a school district except as otherwise provided in NRS 393.110, or a county whose population is 100,000 or more or which has been converted into a consolidated municipality, except in those local jurisdictions in those counties where the State Fire Marshal is requested to exercise that authority by the chief officer of the organized fire department of that jurisdiction or except as otherwise provided in a regulation adopted pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 2.

and (b) Adopt regulations based on nationally recognized standards setting forth the requirements for fire departments to provide training to firefighters using techniques or exercises that involve the use of fire or any device that produces or may be used to produce fire.

[The State Fire Marshal shall cooperate with the State Forester Firewarden in the mitigation of the risk of a fire hazard from vegetation in this State pursuant to paragraph (g) of subsection 1 of NRS 472.040.

-State *SB25_R1*Fire –Marshal 6shall:herwise –provided [6.]in 5.subsection [10,] 9, the (a) Investigate any fire which occurs in a county other than one whose population is 100,000 or more or which has been converted into a consolidated municipality, and from which [a] an injury or death or financial loss greater than $2,000,000 results or which is of a suspicious nature.

Except(b) asInvestigate otherwiseany providedfire which occurs in subsectiona [10,]county 9,whose population is 100,000 or more or which has been converted into a consolidated municipality, and from which [a] an injury or death or - 83rd Session (2025) – 6 – suspicious nature, if requested to do so by the Statechief Fireofficer Marshalof shall:the fire department in whose jurisdiction the fire occurs.

(a) Investigate any fire which occurs in a county other than one whose population is 100,000 or more or which has been converted into a consolidated municipality, and from which [a] an injury or death or financial loss greater than $2,000,000 results or which is of a suspicious nature.

(b) Investigate any fire which occurs in a county whose population is 100,000 or more or which has been converted into a consolidated municipality, and from which [a] an injury or death or financial loss greater than $2,000,000 results or which is of a suspicious nature, if requested to do so by the chief officer of the fire department in whose jurisdiction the fire occurs.