GET READY / WRITING LEGISLATION
Why you’re writing a bill
Every delegate participates in writing legislation at Nevada Girls State. All week, we work toward a mock legislative session where your bills are debated in committee, argued on the floor, and voted on, just like at the Nevada Legislature in Carson City.
Don’t panic. You don’t need to be an expert or sound like a lawyer. You need one problem you care about and a few clear reasons it should be fixed. If you submit your bill before session, staff will send you feedback, and everyone keeps improving their bills during the week.
Get a head start. Submitting before session is optional, but early bills get staff feedback before you arrive.
Submit your billChoosing a topic
Start with something you’ve noticed in your school, your town, or your life. The best Girls State bills come from a real problem a delegate has seen up close. Your topic has to follow three rules.
- 1
The State of Nevada must be able to decide it
Some issues belong to cities and counties, like zoning or local road repairs. Others belong to the federal government, like immigration, the military, or Yucca Mountain.
Your bill has to be about something the Nevada Legislature has the power to change, such as schools, state taxes and fees, driving laws, state parks, or health and safety rules.
- 2
It must follow the Nevada and U.S. Constitutions
The Legislature can’t pass a law that breaks either constitution, so neither can we. For example, a bill can’t establish a state religion or limit freedom of the press.
For the same reason, bills can’t regulate abortion: [UPDATE AFTER THE NOV. 3, 2026 ELECTION. If Question 6 passes: “abortion rights are protected by the Nevada Constitution.” If it fails: “abortion rights are protected by a law Nevada voters approved, which only voters can change.”]
- 3
It can’t repeat a law Nevada already has
Before you write, check that your idea isn’t already law. Search the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS), the state’s collection of laws, or search your topic plus “Nevada law.”
If a law already exists, you can still write a bill that changes or strengthens it.
If your bill breaks one of these rules, don’t worry. Staff will help you fix it.
The parts of a bill
Every Nevada Girls State bill has three parts. The submission form has a box for each one and adds the official wording for you. Here’s how a finished bill comes together:
An ACT that will what your bill does.
SECTION 1: your first reason.
SECTION 2: your second reason.
SECTION 3: This Act will be effective upon final passage.
Preamble
Says what your bill does, in one sentence.
Finish the sentence “An ACT that will…” Start with a verb: require, prohibit, create, fund, allow.
Sections
One reason per section, or one detail of how the bill works.
Use as many as you need, up to eight.
Final section
Says when the bill takes effect.
You don’t write it. The form adds it and numbers it for you.
At session, your bill gets a number and is introduced as an Assembly Bill or a Senate Bill, depending on your party.
Writing strong sections
Your sections are your argument. Other delegates will decide how to vote based on them, so make each one count.
- One idea per sectionIf a section uses “and” to join two different reasons, split it into two sections.
- Be specific“Many students are affected” is weak. A strong section names a number, a place, or a group of people: “According to [source], [number] Nevada students…”
- Back up facts with a sourceIf you use a number, know where it came from. Expect someone to ask during debate.
- Include the details that make it workWho has to follow the law? When does it start? Who pays for it? Is there a penalty?
- Keep the preamble shortSomeone should understand what your bill does from that one sentence.
- Plan for the other sideWho would vote against your bill, and why? A section that answers their concern can win their vote.
Common mistakes
- A preamble that describes a problem but never says what the bill does
- Sections that repeat the same reason in different words
- Topics that belong to the federal government or a city
- A fee or tax hidden in a later section (see Revenue bills, below)
Revenue bills
If your bill creates or raises a tax, fee, assessment, or rate the state collects, it is a revenue bill. Under the Nevada Constitution, a revenue bill needs a two-thirds majority in both the Assembly and the Senate to pass, not just a simple majority. We follow the same rule.
That makes revenue bills harder to pass, but not impossible. If your bill needs money, you can raise new revenue and plan to win over two-thirds of each house, or pay for it with money the state already collects. Either is fine. Make the choice on purpose and be ready to explain it.
Example act
This bill was written by a Nevada Girls State delegate. Notice how each section gives one clear reason, and how Section 7 explains how the bill is paid for. Your bill can be much shorter. Three good reasons is plenty.
Nevada Girls State
Assembly Bill No. 10
An ACT that will require all newly installed and replacement state-funded outdoor lighting fixtures in Nevada to use shielded, down-facing designs in order to reduce light pollution, conserve energy, protect wildlife, and preserve the night sky.
SECTION 1: Light pollution disrupts the migration patterns of many species, including birds and moths, by interfering with their ability to navigate using natural light sources such as the moon and stars.
SECTION 2: Excessive artificial light at night disrupts circadian rhythms in humans and wildlife, contributing to sleep disturbances, negative health effects, and behavioral changes.
SECTION 3: Light pollution negatively impacts ecosystems by altering feeding, breeding, and pollination behaviors. Studies have shown that artificial nighttime lighting can reduce pollination by moths and contribute to declines in flowering plant populations.
SECTION 4: Excessive outdoor lighting wastes energy and increases costs for businesses, government agencies, and residents. Reducing unnecessary lighting can lower electricity consumption and save taxpayer money.
SECTION 5: Light pollution reduces the visibility of the night sky and makes astronomical observation more difficult for both professional and amateur astronomers. In urban areas, many stars are no longer visible due to artificial skyglow.
SECTION 6: Shielded, downward-facing lighting provides the same level of safety and visibility as unshielded lighting while minimizing light trespass into the sky and onto neighboring properties.
SECTION 7: To fund the implementation of this Act, an annual fee of $25 shall be assessed on all digital billboards and illuminated outdoor advertising signs operating within the State of Nevada. Revenue collected shall be deposited into the Nevada Outdoor Lighting Compliance Fund.
SECTION 8: This Act will be effective upon final passage.
2/3 vote Section 7 creates a new fee, so this is a revenue bill. It needs a two-thirds majority in both houses to pass.
Submitting and revising
Writing your bill before session is optional, but we strongly encourage it. If you don’t submit one ahead of time, you’ll write it during the week with staff help.
Draft first. Write your bill somewhere you can save it, like a notes app or document, so you don’t lose your work if the form times out.
Submit the form before session if you can. There’s no deadline, but the earlier you submit, the more time you have for feedback. Use an email address you check, because that’s where your feedback will go.
Watch for feedback. Staff will read your bill and email you comments from NevadaGirlsState@gmail.com. Check your spam folder if you don’t see it.
Revise using your personal link. The feedback email includes a link that opens your bill already filled in. Change what needs changing and submit. Don’t fill out the original form again, or you’ll create a second bill.
Repeat if needed. Some bills take one round of feedback. Some take two or three. That’s normal.
When your bill is ready, staff will mark it final. You’ll keep working on it during session, where committees may amend it.