State Advocacy & Legislative Resources

Size and Apportionment of the Nevada Legislature

The Nevada Constitution sets the maximum size of the Legislature at 75 members. It further provides that the Senate may not be less than one-third nor more than one-half the size of the Assembly. The Nevada Legislature, which has the responsibility to establish the number of its members by law, presently has 63 members, 42 in the Assembly and 21 in the Senate.

Sessions

Regular sessions of the Legislature begin the first Monday in February of odd-numbered years. Nevada is one of only four states that have true biennial sessions. From 1961 through 1997, the length of legislative sessions in Nevada depended upon the time required to process proposed legislation, review the spending proposals of state agencies, and adopt a biennial state budget. Some sessions lasted as long as 169 days. At the 1998 General Election, Nevada voters approved a constitutional amendment limiting future regular biennial sessions to 120 days.

Qualifications of Legislators

To be elected to either house of the Legislature, a person must be at least 21 years of age at the time of the election, a resident of the state for 1 year, and a qualified elector and resident in the district to be represented.

Terms of Office

All 42 members of the Assembly are elected for 2-year terms at the general election held in even-numbered years. Members of the Senate are elected for 4-year terms, with 10 being elected in one General Election and 11 in the next. Effective for the 2010 General Election, a current or former Assembly or Senate member may not seek election to a house in which he or she has served for 12 years or more.

Compensation

Legislators receive a salary of $130 per day for the first 60 days of each regular session and the first 20 days of each special session. (Legislators receive no salary for the remaining 60 days of a regular session.) In addition, a per diem allowance for meals and lodging (consistent with the federal rate set for the Carson City area) is authorized by statute. Legislators receive additional allowances for stationery, postage, travel, and telephone use.