1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 6, 7 and 8, the Board may delegate its authority to hear, consider and act upon the parole of a prisoner and on any issue before the Board to a panel consisting of:

(a) Two or more members of the Board, two of whom constitute a quorum; or

(b) One member of the Board who is assisted by a case hearing representative.

2. No action taken by any panel created pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection 1 is valid unless concurred in by a majority vote of those sitting on the panel.

3. The decision of a panel is subject to final approval by the affirmative action of a majority of the members appointed to the Board. Such action may be taken at a meeting of the Board or without a meeting by the delivery of written approval to the Executive Secretary of the Board.

4. The degree of complexity of issues presented must be taken into account before the Board makes any delegation of its authority and before it determines the extent of a delegation.

5. The Board shall adopt regulations which establish the basic types of delegable cases and the size of the panel required for each type of case.

6. A hearing concerning the parole of a prisoner or any decision on an issue involving a person:

(a) Who committed a capital offense;

(b) Who is serving a sentence of imprisonment for life;

(c) Who has been convicted of a sexual offense involving the use or threat of use of force or violence;

(d) Who is a habitual criminal; or

(e) Whose sentence has been commuted by the State Board of Pardons Commissioners,

must be conducted by at least three members of the Board, and action may be taken only with the concurrence of at least four members.

7. If a recommendation made by a panel deviates from the standards adopted by the Board pursuant to NRS 213.10885 or the recommendation of the Division, the Chair must concur in the recommendation.

8. In accordance with any regulations adopted by the Board, a member of the Board or a person who has been designated as a case hearing representative in accordance with NRS 213.135 shall review the parole eligibility of a prisoner and recommend to the Board that a prisoner be released on parole without a meeting if:

(a) The prisoner is not serving a sentence for a crime described in subsection 6;

(b) The parole standards created pursuant to NRS 213.10885 suggest that parole should be granted;

(c) There are no current requests for notification of hearings made in accordance with subsection 4 of NRS 213.131 or, if the Board is not required to provide notification of hearings pursuant to NRS 213.10915, the Board has not been notified by the automated victim notification system that a victim of the prisoner has registered with the system to receive notification of hearings; and

(d) Notice to law enforcement of the eligibility for parole of the prisoner was given pursuant to subsection 5 of NRS 213.1085, and no person objected to granting parole without a meeting during the 30-day notice period.

9. If a member of the Board or a person who has been designated as a case hearing representative in accordance with NRS 213.135 does not recommend that a prisoner be released on parole without a meeting pursuant to subsection 8, the prisoner must have a parole hearing.

10. A recommendation made in accordance with subsection 8 is subject to final approval by the affirmative action of a majority of the members appointed to the Board. The final approval by affirmative action must not take place until the expiration of the 30-day notice period to law enforcement of the eligibility for parole of the prisoner in accordance with subsection 5 of NRS 213.1085. Such action may be taken at a meeting of the Board or without a meeting of the Board by delivery of written approval to the Executive Secretary of the Board by a majority of the members.

(Added to NRS by 1965, 1142; A 1981, 75; 1995, 2292; 1999, 133; 2009, 525; 2011, 68; 2013, 387; 2019, 4456, effective July 1, 2020)