Sunset commission suggests eliminating 18 boards

Gov. Brian Sandoval said Wednesday he will accept his Sunset Task Force's recommendation to eliminate non-statutory 18 boards, commissions and other executive branch advisory bodies.

Some of those bodies have been in existence for decades, created by prior governors for a purpose that may have long ceased to be necessary.

The task force consisting of former state Sens. Bernice Mathews of Sparks, a Democrat, and Republicans Bill Raggio of Reno and Ann O'Connell of Las Vegas also recommended Sandoval issue executive orders to continue the existence of eight entities and to create two new ones.

Among those bodies slated for elimination are the Governor's Word Processing Committee, State Year 2000 Coordinating Council and the Advisory Committee on Radiation Effects.

Among those in the list to be renewed or continued are the Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Broadband Task Force.

The task force recommended that the governor eliminate any body created by executive order before Jan. 1, 2003 "that is not required to comply with a federal mandate." It called for a study of federally mandated committees.

"The recommendations they have put forth will help increase transparency and accountability in state government and help set the stage for my administration to work closely with the Legislature on future sunset reviews provided by recent legislation," Sandoval said in a statement adopting the final report.

Sandoval lacks the authority to unilaterally disband statutory commissions and other entities. The 2011 Legislature has also expressed interest in reviewing existing statutory boards, commissions and other bodies but legislation to create a sunset study committee failed to win final approval.