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Nevada Revised Statutes 0.025 - Use of "may," "must," "shall" and "is entitled"; explanation of flush lines

Nevada Revised Statutes > Preliminary Chapter > § 0.025 - Use of "may," "must," "shall" and "is entitled"; explanation of flush lines


Current as of: 2009

      1.  Except as otherwise expressly provided in a particular statute or required by the context:

      (a) "May" confers a right, privilege or power. The term "is entitled" confers a private right.

      (b) "May not" or "no * * * may" abridges or removes a right, privilege or power.

      (c) "Must" expresses a requirement when:

             (1) The subject is a thing, whether the verb is active or passive.

             (2) The subject is a natural person and:

                   (I) The verb is in the passive voice; or

                   (II) Only a condition precedent and not a duty is imposed.

      (d) "Shall" imposes a duty to act.

      (e) "Shall be deemed" or "shall be considered" creates a legal fiction.

      (f) "Shall not" imposes a prohibition against acting.

      2.  Except as otherwise required by the context, text of a statute that:

      (a) Follows subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs or sub-subparagraphs that are introduced by a colon;

      (b) Is not designated as a separate subsection, paragraph, subparagraph or sub-subparagraph; and

      (c) Begins flush to the left margin rather than immediately following the material at the end of the final subsection, paragraph, subparagraph or sub-subparagraph,

Ê applies to the section as a whole, in the case of subsections, or to the subdivision preceding the colon as a whole rather than solely to the subdivision that the text follows. The symbol "Ê" in bills and in Nevada Revised Statutes indicates the beginning of such text.

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Nevada Laws: Statutory Interpretation

Nevada Revised Statutes > Preliminary Chapter - General Provisions
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.01 - Scope
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.02 - Severability
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.023 - Construction of reenacted, amended or revised laws as continuation of prior law; effect of reference to repealed law that is in substance reenacted
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.024 - Words and terms defined in NRS have same meaning in corresponding provisions of NAC
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.025 - Use of "may," "must," "shall" and "is entitled"; explanation of flush lines
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.03 - Gender, number and tense
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.031 - Controlled substance defined
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.033 - County includes Carson City
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.035 - Board of county commissioners and "board" defined
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.037 - Mortgage defined
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.039 - Person defined
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.04 - Physician defined and limited
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.05 - Population defined
Nevada Revised Statutes 0.06 - Substantial bodily harm defined

U.S. Code Provisions: Statutory Interpretation

U.S. Code > Title 1 - General Provisions
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