Legislature debates repealing COVID-19 protocol for daily room cleaning in Las Vegas hotels

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - A bill in the Nevada Legislature would repeal some COVID-19 measures that were adopted during the pandemic, including daily room cleaning at hotels.

SB 441 “declares void any regulations adopted by the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services... pursuant to SB4.”

The Culinary Union, which represents many Nevada housekeepers, said they opposed the bill.

“The Culinary Union is disappointed that a majority of Democrats joined all the Republicans in the Nevada Senate who voted on April 14, 2023 to end protections for guest room attendants, who are mostly single mothers and working women of color,” the union said in a statement. “We applaud Democratic Senators Fabian Donate, Edgar Flores, and James Ohrenschall who stood with workers and voted no.”

SB4, also known as the “Adolfo Fernandez Law,” mandated daily room cleanings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Culinary Union backed that bill.

“This bill is a declaration. A declaration that the last remaining law of the emergency COVID-era is proposed to Nevada is to end. Two Nevada governors have declared COVID over and President Biden also declared COVID-19 to a close,” said Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop at the beginning of the hearing.

“Looking back at the beginning of COVID we did everything we could to protect ourselves and visitors knowing little about the virus or its transmission or how long it lasts or how dire the consequences. (SB4)’s oversight was it never had a phase-out date like SB386. That’s why I bring this bill. This is the sunset of something we got right. It worked then, it doesn’t work now,” she added.

Billy Vassiliadis, representing the Nevada Resorts Association, said the bill was part of an effort to provide liability protection for businesses and how that protection was earned.

“One of the things I am here to assure you of is that we are not going to stop cleaning rooms. We are not going to lower the great standards this industry has always had,” he said.

The hearing for the bill is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. and can be watched here.

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