Governor Sisolak signed two new bills focusing on workers’ rights into law in Carson City.
Assembly Bill 136 restores prevailing wage to public construction projects, Senate Bill 231 removes anti-worker and anti-union provisions related to public construction projects.
The prevailing-wage bill repeals changes made by the 2015 legislature, which raised the threshold for projects to require prevailing wages.
The 2015 legislation also directed the Labor Commissioner to set prevailing wages for public school and higher education construction projects at 90 percent of what would be required for other public works projects.
SB231 eliminates language discouraging public bodies from hiring contractors who have agreements with unions and prohibits public bodies from awarding tax abatements, financial grants, or exemptions to contractors entering agreements with labor organizations.
Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson said the 2015 changes caused unintended consequences, including damage to the diversity of apprenticeship programs.
Both laws go in effect on July 1.