Criminal Justice (Firearms)

SB 89 prohibits individuals convicted within the past 10 years of crimes motivated by a victim’s race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity from purchasing, owning, or possessing firearms. It applies to both Nevada offenses classified as gross misdemeanors due to bias and out-of-state/federal crimes requiring bias-motivated conduct or enhanced penalties. The bill also adds a grandfather clause protecting those convicted before July 1, 2025, from losing firearms they legally owned prior to that date. This expands existing Nevada law (NRS 202.360) by adding bias-motivated crimes as grounds for firearm prohibition, without altering current restrictions for domestic violence or felony convictions.

AB 357 requires Nevada's Division of Child and Family Services and the Central Repository for Criminal History to release background check information to public employers (like schools, government agencies, or nonprofits) within 72 hours via secure email. It mandates electronic transmission instead of paper, speeds up access for employers verifying staff/volunteers, and adds a rule deleting unsubstantiated child abuse reports from the registry after 10 years past the child's 18th birthday. The bill also specifies that child abuse records can only be shared with child welfare agencies unless the case was substantiated. These changes apply to all public employers conducting background checks under existing Nevada law.

AB 160-82 creates an automatic process for sealing certain criminal records in Nevada, directly affecting people convicted of eligible offenses after January 1, 2027, who meet existing sealing criteria under current law. The bill requires the Department of Public Safety to identify eligible convictions and charges by 2027, then automatically notify courts to seal records by default unless prosecutors object within a set timeframe. It expands the "rebuttable presumption" that records should be sealed (meaning they are sealed unless challenged) and mandates annual reports to the legislature on implementation. The law also establishes an Advisory Task Force and updates procedures for handling sealed records related to firearm restrictions and wrongful convictions.

AB 216 requires peace officers investigating domestic violence to conduct a "lethality assessment" when they have probable cause to believe the suspect is a spouse, ex-spouse, dating partner, or co-parent. The assessment uses an 8-question form (e.g., about weapon use, threats, choking, gun access) to evaluate immediate danger. Officers must submit results to the Department of Public Safety and include them in written reports. Courts may consider these results when reviewing custody cases. The bill directly affects domestic violence victims, law enforcement officers, and judicial proceedings involving custody.