NOGC urges legislators to reject family court privacy bill SB432

The Nevada Open Government Coalition and it partners are urging lawmakers to reject SB432, a bill sponsored by the Senate Judiciary Committee, over concerns that it infringes on the public's access to family court proceedings.

NOGC formally called on legislative leaders this week to pursue an interim study in lieu of passing the bill, which is awaiting a vote of the full Assembly. The organization laid out its concerns that sections of the bill are unconstitutional because they classify entire categories of records as closed to the public, which undermines a presumption that family law proceedings are open unless there is good cause to close them.

The letter also raises concerns that a portion of the bill "broadly and vaguely seeks to criminalize sharing 'personally identifying information of another person.'"

"Outlawing these common and constitutionally protected practices would not only be bad policy, subjecting virtually every person to constant threat of felony prosecution, but would be an unconstitutional violation of the freedom of the press and the free speech rights we all have," NOGC Legislative Committee Chair Maggie McLetchie wrote.

NOGC believes transparency is key in ensuring a fair and properly functioning family court system. Read the full letter below.

NOGC Opposition to SB432.pdf

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