The code of ethical standards set forth in The Nevada Ethics in Government Law governs the conduct of a public officer or employee and, pursuant to the code, a public officer or employee is: (1) prohibited from engaging in certain conduct in which the public officer or employee has a significant pecuniary interest; (2) with certain exceptions, required to disclose a significant pecuniary interest before acting on certain matters; and (3) with certain exceptions, prohibited from bidding on or entering into certain contracts in which the public officer or employee has a significant pecuniary interest. (NRS 281A.400, 281A.420, 281A.430) Existing law defines “pecuniary interest” to mean any beneficial or detrimental interest in a matter that consists of or is measured in money or is otherwise related to money, including, without limitation, anything of economic value and payments or other money which a person is owed or otherwise entitled to under certain circumstances. (NRS 281A.139) This bill revises the definition of “pecuniary interest” to: (1) clarify that the term includes real property; and (2) provide that such real property includes real property in which a public officer or employee has any interest in that is adjacent to real property that is the subject of a matter before the public officer or employee. As a result of the change to this definition, any significant pecuniary interest of a public officer or employee or person to whom the public officer or employee has a commitment in a private capacity is subject to the provisions of the code of ethical standards.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 281A.139
BDR: 281A.139