Bill > SB407

This bill revises provisions related to the Department of Indigent Defense Services by changing how the Executive Director and State Public Defender are appointed and managed. Specifically, the bill shifts the appointment of the State Public Defender from the Governor to the Executive Director, allowing for reappointment. The Executive Director will now serve a 4-year term at the pleasure of the Board on Indigent Defense Services and can only be removed for good cause, with an extraordinary exception allowing the Governor to remove the Director for serious misconduct like criminal activity or significant office malfeasance. The bill also updates the professional licensing requirements, requiring both the Executive Director and State Public Defender to be members of the State Bar of Nevada or authorized to practice law under Supreme Court rules. Additionally, the bill includes transitional provisions that allow the current State Public Defender and Executive Director to continue serving, with the current Executive Director deemed to have been appointed to a 4-year term beginning July 1, 2026. The underlying intent is to create a more independent indigent defense system that can provide constitutionally adequate legal representation, in line with American Bar Association principles.

Budget and Finance, Justice

Judiciary (S)

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/83rd2025/Bill/12730/Overview