Background Investigation fees anger brothel workers

In northern Nevada, prostitution has been legal in the Mound House area of Lyon County as well as parts of Storey County since 1972, providing the establishments are properly licensed.
In Lyon County all brothel workers are required to obtain a sheriff's card from the Lyon County Sheriff's Office to work or spend any time on a brothel premises.
On Sept. 6, the Lyon County Board of Commissioners is expected to discuss an ordinance proposed by the sheriff's office to double the card fees. The public is invited to speak about the ordinance during the meeting.
The proposal has some brothel workers crying foul.
Currently, work cards for all brothel staff cost $50 per year. There is one card for prostitutes and different card for all other workers.
When a worker is hired by a brothel, the employee must obtain a work card and surrender it to their brothel employer. At the end of the year the brother's management is expected to turn those cards back to the sheriff's office.
The ordinance, as amended by Commissioner Bob Milz, would increase the frequency of herpes testing and further prohibit the issuance of work cards to persons convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia (within last five years, adding paraphernalia to drug possession or use conviction). Another addition to the investigation by the sheriff was conviction of sex offenses as set forth in NRS 179D.
Sheriff Allen Veil recently credited the District Attorney's staff for doing the research for the draft ordinance. He also said the cost to send fingerprints to the FBI for background investigations has risen from $45 to $55 for the work cards.
Sheriff's office staff said to obtain a sheriff's card currently a potential brothel employee must fill out an application and provide a photo and finger prints.
The application is then submitted to the FBI for a background investigation to check for prior arrests and any outstanding wants or warrants for crimes that would prohibit the applicant from working at a brothel.
Dennis Hoff, owner of the Bunny Ranch and Bunny Ranch II in Mound House said many of the lower- and minimum-wage workers at his brothels are worried about the increase because if they work at both of his brothels, and many do, they would have to pay the doubled fee twice.
"How many minimum wage workers do you know who could afford $200 for a work card?" he asked.