Overview of the Attorney General s Office Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto Presented to Nevada Assembly Committee On Government Affairs February 25, 2011
OVERVIEW OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL S OFFICE Mission Statement: To serve Nevada by advising and defending its institutions, enforcing laws for the protection and benefit of its citizens, ensuring open government and empowering through education outreach. E-2
Attorney General s Office Duties General duties: Provide legal counsel and representation for state agencies, boards & commissions Investigate and prosecute state crimes E-3
Agencies Represented by the Attorney General Agency for Nuclear Projects Budget Division Buildings & Grounds Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Bureau of Early Intervention Services Bureau of Enforcement Bureau of Services to the Blind Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation Capitol Police Child Care Licensing Child Support Enforcement Child Welfare Children's Mental Health Common Interest Communities Ombudsman Communicable Diseases Community Health Nurses Consumer Affairs Division Consumer Health Assistance Controller Department of Administration Department of Agriculture Department of Business & Industry Department of Cultural Affairs Department of Education Department of Health & Human Services Department of Motor Vehicles Department of Public Safety Department of Taxation Department of Wildlife Department of Conservation & Natural Resources Department of Corrections Department of Employment, Training & Rehab Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Division of Parole & Probation Department of Transportation (NDOT) Desert Regional Center Division of Aging Services Division of Child & Family Services (N) Division of Environmental Protection Division of Forestry Division of Health Division of Industrial Relations Division of Minerals Division of Museums & History Division of Parks / Park Advisory Commission Division of Resource Protection Division of State Lands Division of Water Resources Division of Welfare Elder Abuse Emergency Management Emergency Medical Services Employment Security Department Energy Office Family Health Services Fire Marshal Full Faith and Credit Project Gaming Division General Improvement Districts Governor's Alliance for a Drug Free America Council for Employment of People w/disabilities Governor Housing Division Insurance Division Internal Audit Division Labor Commissioner Land Registrar Library Lieutenant Governor Manufactured Housing Division E-4 Medicaid Provider Administrative Issues Mortgage Lending Division Motor Pool Division Nevada Attorney for Injured Workers Nevada Checkup Nevada Division of Investigations Nevada Highway Patrol Nevada System of Higher Education Office of Business Finance & Planning Office of Community Services Office of Disability Adjudication Office of Historic Preservation Office of Traffic Safety Printing Division Public Employees' Benefits Program(PEBP) Purchasing Division Real Estate Division Rehabilitation Division Risk Management State Engineer Superintendent of Public Instruction Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Taxicab Authority Transportation Services Authority (TSA) Treasurer Unclaimed Property Division Welfare
Boards & Commissions Represented by the Attorney General Advisory Commission for Participatory Democracy Advisory Commission on Control of Emissions Advisory Council for Community Notification Advisory Council for Prosecuting Attorneys Agriculture & Irrigation Commission Industry AIDS Advisory Task Force Apprenticeship Council Athletic Commission Barbers' Health & Sanitation Board Batterer's Treatment Certification Commission Board of Examiners for Alcohol & Drug Abuse Board of Examiners for Alcohol, Drug and Gaming Counselors Board of Examiners for Audiology and Speech Pathology Board of Registered Env. Health Specialists Board of Examiners for Long Term Care Board of Marriage & Family Therapist Examiners Beef Council Bicycle Advisory Board Board for Financing of Water Projects Board of Athletic Trainers Board of Cosmetology Board of Dispensing Opticians Board of Education Board of Examiners Board of Examiners for Social Workers Board of Fire Safety Board of Hearing Aid Specialists Board of Homeopathic Medical Examiners Board of Massage Therapists Board of Occupational Therapy Board of Oriental Medicine Board of Parole Commissioners Board of Psychological Examiners Board of Search & Rescue Board of Wildlife Commissioners Certified Court Reporters' Board Colorado River Commission Commission for Public Safety Telecommunication Commission for the Protection of Children Veterans' Affairs Advisory Council Commission to Study Funding of High Ed. Commission of Real Estate Appraisers Commission on Aging Commission on Economic Development Commission on Medical Research Commission on Mineral Resources Commission on Post-Secondary Education Commission on Sports Committee on Domestic Violence Committee on Emergency Med. Services Committee on Local Gov. & Finance Committee on Testing for Intoxication Common Interest Community Board Communications Board Comstock Historic District Commission Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Board Conservation Commission Council on Libraries Council on Library & Literacy Council on the Arts Dairy Commission Board of Prison Commissioners Domestic Violence Prevention Council Earthquake Safety Council Emergency Response Commission Environmental Commission Equal Rights Commission Fairgrounds Board Funeral Board Gaming Commission E-5 Gaming Control Board Grazing Board Halfway House Certification Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee Historical Society Homeland Security Commission Indian Commission Institutional Review Board Junior Livestock Show Board Landscape Architecture Board Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board Local Governmental Advisory Committee Local Gov. Employee-Management Relations Board Mental Health Commission Nurses Advisory Council for CE Occupational Therapy Board Pardons Board Personnel Commission / Department Private Investigators' Licensing Board Public Utilities Commission Public Works Board Rangeland Resources Commission Real Estate Commission Cavin, Kateri Civil Deputy Social Workers Board State Board of Equalization State Board of Geographic Names State Board of Health State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors State Board of Podiatry Tax Commission Technological Crime Board Tourism Commission Transportation Board Trust Fund for Public Health Uniform Crime Reporting Advisory Commission Welfare Board
Boards & Commissions NOT Represented by the Attorney General State Board of Accountancy Committee of Catastrophic Leave Commission on Construction Education Contractors Board Credit Union Advisory Council Board of Dental Examiners Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DETR) Board for the Education and Counseling of Displaced Homemakers Education Technology Commission Employment Security Council State Board of Engineers and Land Surveyors Council for Establishment of Academic Standards for Public Schools Ethics Commission Humanities Committee Independent Living Council Industrial Insurance Appeals Panel Information Technology Advisory Board State Board of Medical Examiners State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners Joint Information Center Judicial Discipline Land Use Advisory Council Maternal and Child Health Advisory Board Mental Health Planning Advisory Council Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway Nevada Cultural Affairs Foundation State Board of Nursing Occupational Safety and Health Review Board State Board of Optometry Patriot Fund Public Utilities Commission Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Task Force Standing Committee on Judicial Ethics and Election Practices Vocational Rehabilitation Council Pharmacy Board State Board of Physical Therapy State Board of Chiropractic Examiners State Board of Architecture Board of Osteopathic Medicine E-6
Attorney General s Office Organization Office Organization Bureau of Government Affairs Bureau of Litigation Bureau of Criminal Justice Bureau of Consumer Protection Administration E-7
Bureau of Government Affairs DIVISIONS Outreach at Sandy Valley Senior Citizen Center Gaming: Gaming Commission, Gaming Control Board, PEBP Transportation: Department of Transportation, Public Works Board Business & Taxation; Boards and Licensing : Provides legal counsel to various state agencies, boards and commissions Health and Human Services: Medicaid, Welfare, Child & Family Services, Aging Services, Mental Health Government & Natural Resources: Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Wildlife, Constitutional Officers, PERS E-8
Bureau of Litigation DIVISIONS Personnel: Interpret and advise Executive Branch on State and Federal laws and serve as personnel counsel on all matters involving State s personnel system Appellate: Maintains consistency in the AG s and State s legal position and policy through: Federal habeas and inmate appeals Appeals before Nevada, U.S. Supreme and Ninth Circuit Courts Conducts amicus program Coordinates Attorney General opinions Public Safety Press Conference in Carson City E-9 Public Safety: DMV, Department of Public Safety, Department of Corrections, and handles complex litigation for -Inmate civil rights -Tort claims -Title VII -ADA -Employment cases
Bureau of Criminal Justice DIVISIONS Special Prosecutions: Federal Habeas Corpus actions, Public Integrity, Elder Exploitation, Missing Children, Tri-County Prosecutor Fraud Unit: Medicaid Fraud Workers Compensation Insurance Fraud Mortgage Fraud Securities Fraud Consumer Fraud Fight Fraud Press Conference E-10
Bureau of Consumer Protection Functions Utilities Advocacy - Represents the interests of customers of Nevada s regulated public utilities through the Consumer Advocate Consumer Protection Enforces various consumer protection statutes Antitrust and Unfair Competition investigates and pursues through criminal or civil litigation Provides Consumer Education E-11
Investigations Investigates criminal offenses committed by state officers and employees Carson City National Night Out 48 Peace Officers General Investigations Worker s Compensation Fraud Bureau of Consumer Protection Missing Children Tobacco Enforcement Medicaid Fraud Control E-12
Special Units Domestic Violence Open Meeting Law Cyber Crime Task Force Yucca Mountain Tobacco Enforcement Missing Children s Clearinghouse Senior Protection Unit Drug Abuse Prosecution Advisory Council Mortgage Fraud Task Force E-13
Attorney General Opinions Legal Opinions issued by the Attorney General s Office Who can request one? E-14
NRS 228.150 (1) When requested, the Attorney General shall give his opinion, in writing, upon any question of law, to the Governor, the Secretary of State, the State Controller, the State Treasurer, the Director of the Department of Corrections, to the head of any state department, agency, board or commission, to any district attorney and to any city attorney of any incorporated city within the state of Nevada, upon any question of law relating to their respective offices, departments, agencies, boards or commissions. (2) Nothing contained in subsection 1 requires the Attorney General to give his or her written opinion to any city attorney concerning questions relating to the interpretation or construction of city ordinances. E-15
Attorney General s Office Questions? E-16