SB 341 Nevada Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Revises provisions relating to criminal procedure. (BDR 14-119)

SB 341 restricts when witnesses can testify remotely at preliminary hearings or grand jury proceedings by removing the previous "good cause" exception. It now only allows remote testimony if a witness lives more than 100 miles away or has a medical condition preventing attendance. The bill requires witnesses to sign a sworn declaration before testifying and mandates that prosecutors file this declaration plus a notice explaining the specific reason (distance or medical) with the court 48 hours in advance. These changes apply to cases beginning on or after October 1, 2025, and require remote testimony to be transcribed.

Issues: ✗ Criminal Justice

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 12, 2025 Last action Apr 23, 2025

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What changed between versions

As Introduced → Reprint 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to tighten requirements for witnesses testifying via audiovisual technology, reducing the deadline for submitting sworn declarations from 10 days to 48 hours and removing the option for witnesses to testify based on 'good cause' alone. Instead, testimony must now be justified only if the witness lives more than 100 miles away or has a medical condition preventing attendance.

Scope change

The bill's applicability remains the same (offenses with proceedings commenced on or after October 1, 2025), but the eligibility criteria for using remote testimony were narrowed significantly.

REQUIREMENT

Deadline for filing sworn witness declarations was shortened from 10 days to 48 hours before testimony.

Changed the notice requirement from stating 'the reason' to specifically stating whether the witness meets the distance or medical condition criteria.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed the 'good cause' standard that previously allowed witnesses to testify remotely for any valid reason.

Added specific criteria requiring witnesses to either live more than 100 miles away or have a medical condition to qualify for remote testimony.

TIMELINE

Adjusted filing deadlines for declarations and notices to align with the new 48-hour requirement.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 142.) Reprinting dispensed with.

upper

Mar 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

From printer. To committee.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors