Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 281A - Ethics in Government
NRS 281A.182 - Persons serving in certain positions designated as public officers or employees; applicability.


1. Any person who serves in one of the following positions is designated as a public officer solely and exclusively for the purposes of this chapter:
(a) A president of a university, state college or community college within the Nevada System of Higher Education.
(b) A superintendent of a county school district.
(c) A county manager or a city manager.
2. The provisions of subsection 1 apply to such a person regardless of whether the person serves in the position:
(a) By appointment, contract or employment;
(b) With or without compensation; or
(c) On a temporary, interim or acting basis.
3. A person who is not otherwise a public officer is designated as a public officer solely and exclusively for the purposes of this chapter if the person:
(a) Enters into a contract with any state or local agency;
(b) Is paid compensation with public money; and
(c) Serves in a position which involves the exercise of a public power, trust or duty and which ordinarily would be held or filled by a public officer.
4. A person who is not otherwise a public employee is designated as a public employee solely and exclusively for the purposes of this chapter if:
(a) The person enters into a contract with any state or local agency;
(b) The person is paid compensation with public money;
(c) The person serves in a position which involves the performance of public duties under the substantial and continuing direction and control of a public officer or supervisory public employee;
(d) The position ordinarily would be held or filled by a public employee and would require the public employee to hold a valid professional or occupational license or similar type of authorization issued by a state or local agency to perform the public duties of the position, other than a general business license or similar type of authorization;
(e) The position is entrusted with public duties of a substantial and continuing nature which ordinarily would require a public employee to avoid conflicts between the private interests of the public employee and those of the general public whom the public employee serves; and
(f) The person occupies the position on a full-time basis or its equivalent for a substantial and continuing period of time.
5. The provisions of subsections 3 and 4 must be interpreted and applied to ensure that a person does not evade the provisions of this chapter because a state or local agency elects to use a contractual relationship instead of an employment relationship for a position which ordinarily would be held or filled by a public officer or employee.
6. If, pursuant to this section, any person is designated as a public officer or employee for the purposes of this chapter, that designation:
(a) Does not make the person a public officer or employee for the purposes of any other law or for any other purposes; and
(b) Must not be used, interpreted or applied in any manner to establish, suggest or prove that the person is a public officer or employee for the purposes of any other law or for any other purposes.
(Added to NRS by 2013, 3764; A 2017, 2488)

Structure Nevada Revised Statutes

Nevada Revised Statutes

Chapter 281A - Ethics in Government

NRS 281A.010 - Short title.

NRS 281A.020 - Legislative findings and declarations.

NRS 281A.030 - Definitions.

NRS 281A.032 - "Adjudicatory hearing" defined.

NRS 281A.033 - "Advisory opinion" defined.

NRS 281A.035 - "Agency" defined.

NRS 281A.040 - "Business entity" defined.

NRS 281A.050 - "Candidate" defined.

NRS 281A.060 - "Commission" defined.

NRS 281A.065 - "Commitment in a private capacity" defined.

NRS 281A.070 - "Compensation" defined.

NRS 281A.080 - "Decision" defined.

NRS 281A.081 - "Declaration of candidacy" defined.

NRS 281A.082 - "Deferral agreement" defined.

NRS 281A.085 - "Domestic partner" defined.

NRS 281A.086 - "Domestic partnership" defined.

NRS 281A.088 - "Ethics complaint" defined.

NRS 281A.090 - "Executive Director" defined.

NRS 281A.100 - "Household" defined.

NRS 281A.105 - "Intentionally" defined.

NRS 281A.115 - "Knowingly" defined.

NRS 281A.119 - "Local agency" defined.

NRS 281A.125 - "Member of a local legislative body" defined.

NRS 281A.135 - "Opinion" defined.

NRS 281A.139 - "Pecuniary interest" defined.

NRS 281A.145 - "Political subdivision" defined.

NRS 281A.150 - "Public employee" defined.

NRS 281A.160 - "Public officer" defined.

NRS 281A.161 - "Request for an advisory opinion" defined.

NRS 281A.162 - "Review panel" defined.

NRS 281A.163 - "State agency" defined.

NRS 281A.165 - "State Legislator" or "Legislator" defined.

NRS 281A.170 - "Willful violation" defined.

NRS 281A.180 - Terms "public officer" and "public employee" include former public officer or employee; exceptions.

NRS 281A.182 - Persons serving in certain positions designated as public officers or employees; applicability.

NRS 281A.185 - Abrogation of common-law privileges and immunities; exceptions.

NRS 281A.190 - Computation of time.

NRS 281A.200 - Creation; appointment, terms and qualifications of members; prohibited activities by members; vacancies.

NRS 281A.210 - Chair; meetings; compensation; facilities.

NRS 281A.220 - Review panels: Appointment; composition; functions; disqualification of members from participation in further proceedings in matter.

NRS 281A.230 - Executive Director: Appointment; qualifications; classification; prohibited activities and other employment.

NRS 281A.240 - Executive Director: Duties; employment of staff; designation of qualified person to perform duties when Executive Director unable to act on matter.

NRS 281A.250 - Commission Counsel: Appointment; qualifications; classification; prohibited activities and other employment.

NRS 281A.260 - Commission Counsel: Duties; legal advice; appointment or employment of other counsel by Commission under certain circumstances.

NRS 281A.265 - Discretionary-function immunity for members and employees of Commission.

NRS 281A.270 - Assessment for administrative costs: Determination; payment by certain cities and counties; use of proceeds; collection.

NRS 281A.275 - Authority to apply for and accept grants, contributions, services and money.

NRS 281A.280 - Jurisdiction; statute of limitations.

NRS 281A.290 - Duties of Commission; inclusion of annotations of opinions of Commission in Nevada Revised Statutes.

NRS 281A.300 - Oaths; written requests and subpoenas for participation, attendance and production of books and papers; enforcement by court for noncompliance.

NRS 281A.350 - Establishment; functions; limitations on powers; confidentiality.

NRS 281A.400 - General requirements; exceptions.

NRS 281A.410 - Limitations on representing or counseling private persons before public agencies; request for relief from strict application of certain provisions.

NRS 281A.420 - Requirements regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest and abstention from voting because of certain types of conflicts; effect of abstention on quorum and voting requirements; exceptions.

NRS 281A.430 - Contracts in which public officer or employee has interest prohibited; exceptions; request for relief from strict application of certain provisions.

NRS 281A.500 - Notice and acknowledgment of statutory ethical standards: Distribution of information regarding standards; duty to file acknowledgment; contents; form; retention; penalty for willful refusal to file.

NRS 281A.510 - Public officer or employee prohibited from accepting or receiving honorarium; penalty.

NRS 281A.520 - Public officer or employee prohibited from requesting or otherwise causing governmental entity to incur expense or make expenditure to support or oppose ballot question or candidate in certain circumstances.

NRS 281A.540 - Governmental grant, contract or lease and certain actions taken in violation of chapter are voidable; prohibited contract is void; recovery of benefit received as result of violation.

NRS 281A.550 - Employment of certain former public officers and employees by regulated businesses prohibited; certain former public officers and employees prohibited from soliciting or accepting employment from certain persons contracting with State...

NRS 281A.665 - Opinions of Commission may include guidance to public officer or employee.

NRS 281A.670 - Applicability.

NRS 281A.675 - Initiation of request for advisory opinion; purpose of request; form and contents; Commission may decline to render advisory opinion under certain circumstances.

NRS 281A.680 - Rendering of advisory opinion by Commission; deadline and waiver; certain advisory opinions binding upon requester; judicial review; confidentiality and waiver.

NRS 281A.685 - Confidentiality of certain materials; no duty on Commission or staff to protect confidentiality of materials not in their possession; exceptions.

NRS 281A.690 - Inapplicability of Open Meeting Law to proceedings concerning request for advisory opinion; exceptions.

NRS 281A.700 - Applicability.

NRS 281A.705 - Legal defense of state officer or employee subject to ethics complaint.

NRS 281A.710 - Initiation of ethics complaint; form and contents; Commission may decline to render opinion under certain circumstances.

NRS 281A.715 - Determination of jurisdiction and whether evidence warrants investigation; deadline and waiver; dismissal for lack of jurisdiction or insufficient evidence; initiation of investigation.

NRS 281A.720 - Investigation by Executive Director; notice of investigation; opportunity to submit response; deadline and extension; purpose of response; preservation of objections and defenses.

NRS 281A.725 - Completion of investigation by Executive Director; presentation of written recommendation to review panel; deadline and waiver; contents of recommendation.

NRS 281A.730 - Consideration of recommendation by review panel; determination of just and sufficient cause; deadline and waiver; record of proceedings; dismissal; approval of deferral agreement; referral to Commission for further proceedings.

NRS 281A.735 - Inapplicability of Open Meeting Law to proceedings of review panel.

NRS 281A.740 - Deferral agreements: Development; approval; enforcement; contents; terms and conditions; monitoring and documenting compliance; proceedings for noncompliance; dismissal of matter after satisfactory compliance.

NRS 281A.745 - Adjudicatory hearings: Powers and duties of Commission; deadline and waiver; procedural rights; evidence; use of telephone or video conference.

NRS 281A.750 - Confidentiality of certain materials; exceptions; confidentiality of identity of certain requesters; disclosure of identity under certain circumstances.

NRS 281A.755 - Confidentiality of investigative file; exceptions; discovery request for list of proposed witnesses and certain portions of investigative file; contents of investigative file.

NRS 281A.760 - Inapplicability of Open Meeting Law to certain proceedings of Commission.

NRS 281A.765 - Opinions must include findings of fact and conclusions of law; dismissal of matter if violation not proven; authorized actions if violation proven.

NRS 281A.770 - General standards for resolving ethics complaints by stipulations, agreed settlements or consent orders and for approving deferral agreements.

NRS 281A.775 - Additional standards for determining whether violation is willful violation and type of penalty imposed and for approving deferral agreements.

NRS 281A.780 - Letters of caution or instruction: Contents; confidentiality; effect on subsequent ethics complaints.

NRS 281A.785 - Types of remedies and penalties; judicial review of certain actions of Commission; limitations on judicial review of actions of review panel.

NRS 281A.790 - Additional types of remedies and penalties; duties of Commission upon finding willful violation; circumstances in which violation not deemed willful; effect of chapter upon criminal law; judicial review of certain actions of Commission...