LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — GPS navigation is handy, but it’s not perfect. When road closures or hazards aren’t updated, technology isn’t helping anyone.
Senate Bill 53 (SB53) at the Nevada Legislature seeks to ensure that GPS isn’t leading you down a dead end. The bill would allow cities, counties and regional transit agencies to directly update Nevada 511, and work with GPS services to improve the reliability of their services. When apps aren’t updated, a $500-a-day fine would apply.
“Not only does the public rely on GPS and accurate information, but so does our public safety departments,” Taylor Allison, Lyon County emergency manager and government affairs director, told the Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure.
“In moments of crisis, reliable navigation isn’t just helpful, it’s essential,” Allison said.
The bill is targeting the biggest GPS companies, and won’t apply to services that have fewer than 10 million active users per month.
A Google representative objected to a 48-hour requirement in the bill and the $500-a-day fine, and said the company would work with lawmakers. A representative of the Nevada Department of Transportation said the bill could end up costing NDOT money to cover more roads.
Other bills that received hearings on Wednesday in Carson City:
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: SB174 spells out requirements for public and charter schools in working with children with autism spectrum disorder. The bill mandates school districts and the governing body of each charter school to develop policies on providing certain services to those students. SB174 also revisits the definition of “volunteer” to ensure requirements for background checks and fingerprinting are performed on anyone who is likely to have unsupervised contact with those students, including private instructional personnel. SB174 is sponsored by Republican Sen. Lisa Krasner and Democratic Sen. James Ohrenschall.
ACCEPTING PSYCHOMETRISTS: AB196 removes language in state law that prohibits psychometrists from operating in Nevada in an effort to expand the availability of psychological testing. The bill changes the use of the term “psychometrist,” which is limited to licensed psychologists under current law. The bill was presented by Megan Cavallaro, a UNR junior serving as an intern for Democratic Assem. Shea Backus. “Psychometrist means a medical professional who is trained in administering and scoring psychological testing and tests. And this bill also gives the power to the Board of Psychology to create regulations governing the requirements for who can be called a psychometrist,” Cavallaro told the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor. AB196 is sponsored by Backus, who represents District 37 in the northwest Las Vegas valley.
