Assemblymember Torres Fawcett told the Nevada Senate Committee on Government Affairs on Friday that Assembly Bill 128 would establish a Public Records Task Force to study access to public records, cost exemptions, protection of sensitive information and dispute-resolution mechanisms.

"Transparency is a critical component of government," Torres Fawcett said, citing chapter 239 of the Nevada Revised Statutes and the law’s finding that the public should have "prompt access to inspect, copy or receive a copy of public books and records to the extent permitted by law." She said the task force responds to complaints about long waiting periods, denials and legal hurdles reported to the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Government Affairs.

The bill would require the task force to submit a report with recommendations to the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Government Affairs and to the 2027 Legislature. Members must be appointed no later than Oct. 31, 2025, and the act would expire June 30, 2027. Torres Fawcett said membership is balanced "—5 transparency advocates and 5 government representatives"—to encourage agreement among stakeholders.

Committee members pressed for clarifications about coverage and membership. Senator Neal asked whether the task force should specifically review the policies of existing citizen review boards; Torres Fawcett said she was open to adding language or members to address that concern. Senator Daley and others noted legal complexity around custody, redaction costs and attorney time, and said the group’s work would need to address differing local practices and statutory balancing tests the courts apply to privacy versus public interest.

Supporters who testified said they backed a deliberative stakeholder process. Trey Abney of the Nevada Broadcasters Association told the committee the association supports the bill and expects it will require more than one session to resolve disagreements. David Cherry, government affairs manager for the City of Henderson and a representative of an urban-cities consortium, and Kelly McNeil (listed in testimony) said local governments share the goal of transparency but emphasized the need to protect sensitive information and comply with federal privacy and public-safety requirements.

The committee closed the hearing with no recorded votes. Torres Fawcett told the panel she will continue stakeholder discussions and is open to language changes before a potential work session.

If enacted as described, the task force would be a time-limited study group charged with producing policy recommendations to address inconsistent public-records practices across Nevada jurisdictions.