Legislative briefs

Dems leadership floats senior tax break

(Appeal Capitol Bureau) Democratic leaders in the Nevada Legislature have proposed doubling the amount qualified seniors can receive as a property tax break and making the relief available to more homeowners.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus of Las Vegas said the maximum has been set at $500 since the rebate program was created in 1973. SB179, jointly sponsored by Titus and Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley of Las Vegas, would double that amount.

In addition, it would raise the amount of liquid assets the property owner and spouse were allowed to have and still qualify from $150,000 to $205,000.

Titus two years ago sponsored legislation that raised the maximum value of a home that can qualify for the rebate from $87,000 to $200,000.

Titus pointed out at that time there were almost no homes in the state worth less than $87,000.

SB179 was referred to the Taxation Committee for review.

Some hospitals don't meet requirements of emergency-room law

(AP) Nevada lawmakers were told Wednesday that some Las Vegas hospitals haven't met terms of a 2005 law requiring them to track emergency room admissions to ensure patients get care within half an hour after arriving by ambulance.

The law imposes no penalties or liability for not meeting the time deadline, but waits were supposed to be tracked and included in a study showing where emergency care is slow.

The Assembly Committee on Health and Human Services was told regulations required by the law were never crafted, the study report is not ready and the numbers in the report aren't likely to be accurate.

Nurses often forget to log when a patient is transferred from the ambulance service into the hospital's care, said Rory Chetelat, manager of emergency medical services for the Southern Nevada Health District.

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, committee chairwoman, asked for explanation within a week about why regulations were not crafted to comply with the law.

"What I'm hearing is the data we have isn't really good. There are no regulations, so maybe they (hospitals) didn't know what they were supposed to do. From your testimony today, sounds like SB428 was a waste of time," Leslie said.

Chetelat said it wasn't the district's responsibility to come up with regulations because it doesn't have jurisdiction over hospitals. He and representatives of various emergency services thought the law still had an impact - but Chetelat added, "I don't think much of this data is of much value right now."