Nevada bans employers from refusing to hire applicants who test positive for pot

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) has signed into law a bill making his state the first in the nation to ban employers from failing or refusing to hire applicants who test positive for marijuana. 

The measure, also known as Assembly Bill No. 132, makes exceptions for prospective firefighters or emergency medical technicians, as well as those applying for jobs that require operating a motor vehicle.

Jobs that require federal funding are also not protected under the law because marijuana remains illegal at the federal level.{mosads}

The law, which is slated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2020, allows employees who are required to submit a screening test within the first 30 days of their hiring date a second chance to take a drug test at the employer’s expense.

The bill was signed into law with along with 60 other bills on Thursday, including a budget that funds K-12 education in the state.

New York’s City Council passed a similar bill this April that banned employers from requiring applicants to pass a marijuana screening test.