EXECUTIVE ORDER 2025-002
Order Extending Executive Order 2025-001 Which Partially Extended Executive Order 2024-007 Which Extended Executive Order 2024-006 Which Extended Executive Order 2023-011 Which Extended Executive Order 2023-010 Which Removed Certain Hiring Criteria Regarding Minimum Qualifications, The Usage of Certain Selective Criterion in Hiring, and Employee Classification-Related Minimum Qualifications for Auto-Progression
WHEREAS, the various agencies of the State of Nevada play a vital role in providing services to its citizens and businesses; and
WHEREAS, on September 18, 2023, Executive Order 2023-010 ("EO 2023-010") "Order Temporarily Removing Certain Hiring Criteria Regarding Minimum Qualifications, The Usage of Certain Selective Criterion in Hiring, and Employee Classification-Related Minimum Qualifications for Auto-Progression" was issued; and
WHEREAS, EO 2023-010 was issued because: 1) the various agencies of the State of Nevada play a critical role in providing services to both businesses and employees; 2) the State previously faced a 24.33% vacancy rate in legislatively approved positions; 3) the State has committed itself to providing competitive wages and benefit plans for its employees, evidenced by the Legislature approving and the Governor signing 12% and 11 % annual cost-of-living increases over the previous biennium; and 4) Executive Order 2023-002 required the Department of Administration (the "Department") to address recruitment and retention issues identified through an examination of the State's Human Resources System; and
WHEREAS, EO 2023-010 required, for a period of 90 days, that the Department: 1) "suspend minimum qualifications for candidates for employment for all job classifications graded at a level 29 and below"; 2) "suspend the minimum qualifications associated with auto-progressions within job classification series' graded at a level 29 and below, deferring to the Appointing Authority's determination that an employee meets the criteria established for auto progression"; and 3) "discontinue the use of selective criterion for candidate evaluation for eligibility for hiring"; and
WHEREAS, on December 15, 2023, Executive Order 2023-011 ("EO 2023-011") "Order Extending Executive Order 2023-010 Which Removed Certain Hiring Criteria Regarding Minimum Qualifications, The Usage of Certain Selective Criterion in Hiring, and Employee Classification-Related Minimum Qualifications for Auto-Progression" was issued, effective until June 30, 2024; and
WHEREAS, on June 18, 2024, Executive Order 2024-006 ("EO 2024-006") "Order Extending Executive Order 2023-011 Which Extended 2023-010 Which Removed Certain Hiring Criteria Regarding Minimum Qualifications, The Usage of Certain Selective Criterion in Hiring, and Employee Classification-Related Minimum Qualifications for Auto-Progression" was issued, effective until December 31, 2024, and
WHEREAS, on November 27, 2024, Executive Order 2024-007 ("EO 2024-007") "Order Extending Executive Order 2024-006 Which Extended Executive Order 2023-011 Which Extended Executive Order 2023-010 Which Removed Certain Hiring Criteria Regarding Minimum Qualifications, The Usage of Certain Selective Criterion in Hiring, and Employee Classification-Related Minimum Qualifications for Auto-Progression" was issued, effective until June 30, 2025, and
WHEREAS, on April 2, 2025, Executive Order 2025-001 ("EO 2025-001") "Order Partially Extending Executive Order 2024-007 Which Extended 2024-006 Which Extended Executive Order 2023-011 Which Extended Executive Order 2023-010 Which Removed Certain Hiring Criteria Regarding Minimum Qualifications, The Usage of Certain Selective Criterion in Hiring, and Employee Classification-Related Minimum Qualifications for Auto-Progression" was issued, effective until June 30, 2025, and expired on such date; and
WHEREAS, while in those previous Executive Orders, vacancy rate maximums and minimums were accurately listed at 24.33% and 12.87%, after a general re-organization to staffing structures, those vacancy rates would now be more accurately reflected as 21.94% and 12.63%, respectively; and
WHEREAS, the success of these Executive Orders is evidenced by the State vacancy rate decreasing from 21.94% to 12.63% over the course of the last twenty-three months; and
WHEREAS, despite the progress in decreasing the State's vacancy rate overall, the vacancy rate for grades 25 and below still lingers at 15.62%; and
WHEREAS, to ensure the continuance of well-qualified applicants, selective criteria may be required in recruiting for positions allocated at grade 26 and higher; and
WHEREAS, EO 2023-010, EO 2023-011, EO 2024-006, EO 2024-007, and EO 2025-001 have been successful in attracting and efficiently employing competitive applicants for roles in State government, and it is advantageous to the State to partially continue this beneficial employment activity until December 31, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Article 5, Section 1 of the Nevada Constitution provides: "The supreme executive power of this State, shall be vested in a Chief Magistrate who shall be Governor of the State of Nevada."
NOW, THEREFORE by the authority vested in me as Governor by the Constitution and laws of the State of Nevada and the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:
SECTION 1:
Effective immediately, EO 2025-001 is extended and will remain in effect until December 31, 2025.
SECTION 2:
The Department shall continue the suspension of minimum qualifications for candidates for employment for all job classifications at grades 25 and below until December 31, 2025. By such date, it is anticipated that a review of hiring performance will be completed and will determine whether a further period of minimum qualifications suspension would be beneficial to the recruitment and retention efforts at the State of Nevada.
SECTION 3:
The Department shall continue the suspension of the minimum qualifications associated with auto-progressions within job classification series at grades 25 and below, deferring to the Appointing Authority's determination that an employee meets the criteria established for auto-progression, until December 31, 2025. By such date, it is anticipated that a review of retention performance will be completed and will determine whether a further period of suspension of minimum qualifications for auto-progression within job classification series would be beneficial to the retention efforts at the State of Nevada.
SECTION 4:
Recruitments for Statewide positions allocated at grades 25 and below will maintain the discontinuance of the use of selective criterion for candidate evaluation for eligibility for hiring until December 31, 2025. By such date, it is anticipated that a review of hiring performance will be completed and will determine whether a further period of selective criterion suspension would be beneficial to the recruitment and retention efforts at the State of Nevada.
This order is effective upon signature and shall remain in force, unless amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded by the Governor.