The Assembly Committee on Ways and Means convened on March 28, 2025, to discuss several bills and introduce new Bill Draft Requests (BDRs). The meeting began with attendance confirmations, noting Assembly Member Brown May was absent and Assembly Member Hradegui would be marked present upon arrival. The committee chair, Monroe Moreno, announced that Assembly Bill 398 had been removed from the agenda and would be rescheduled for a later date.

The committee proceeded with the introduction of six BDRs, which included revisions related to indigent petitioners, offenders, state land fees, public health licenses, admissions testing fees, and vehicle registration fees. Each BDR was presented sequentially, with motions and votes taken to advance them into the legislative process. All BDRs received unanimous support from the committee members.

Following the BDR introductions, the committee opened a hearing for Assembly Bill 232, which aims to amend the computation of credit for service for certain members of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). Assembly Member Max Carter presented the bill, emphasizing its goal to achieve pension equity for education support personnel, who currently receive less pension credit than teachers for the same duration of service.

Carter explained that while teachers earn a full pension credit for a nine-month school year, education support personnel, such as teacher aides, only receive three-quarters of that credit. The bill seeks to rectify this disparity by allowing education support professionals to earn a full year of service credit after working 900 hours across at least eight months.

The discussion included concerns raised by committee members regarding the inclusion of charter school employees, which was clarified by a representative from PERS, confirming that the bill does not exclude them. Several education support professionals testified in support of the bill, sharing personal stories that highlighted the inequities they face in retirement benefits compared to their certified counterparts.

Supporters argued that the bill would not only provide fair recognition of their contributions but also aid in recruitment and retention of essential staff within schools. The committee heard from various stakeholders, including representatives from the Nevada State Education Association and Teamsters, all advocating for the passage of AB 232.

The meeting concluded with a call for further testimony, but no additional callers were present. The committee's discussions underscored the importance of addressing the retirement benefits of education support professionals, aiming to ensure equity and recognition for their vital roles in the education system.