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 436 revises Nevada’s firearms laws to expand background check exemptions and standardize concealed carry permits. It removes the requirement that law enforcement or retired officers must be acting within their job duties for an exemption, adding qualified retired officers to the list of people exempt from background checks when selling firearms. The bill also mandates uniform statewide forms for concealed carry permit applications and requires sheriffs to verify that firearm safety courses meet statewide standards for permit renewals. Additionally, it allows non-resident retired officers to apply for certification and prohibits fees for background checks when verifying law enforcement or retired officer status.
AB 199 modifies Nevada's firearm laws by: (1) changing the misdemeanor standard for negligent firearm discharge to require only negligence (removing "maliciously" or "wantonly" as prior requirements), affecting anyone who accidentally discharges a firearm in public places like streets or stores; (2) upgrading willful public discharge in populated areas to a felony (category C for first offense, category B with 2-15 years imprisonment for repeat offenses); and (3) revising juvenile penalties for minors handling firearms, making first offenses subject to penalties previously reserved for second offenses (200-600 hours community service, license suspension), and allowing secure facility confinement for second offenses. The bill directly affects adults facing criminal charges and minors adjudicated for firearm-related delinquent acts.
AB 245 would have raised the age limit for possessing certain firearms from 18 to 21 years. It prohibits anyone under 21 from handling, possessing, or controlling semiautomatic shotguns or semiautomatic centerfire rifles, making violations a gross misdemeanor. Adults who knowingly permit under-21 individuals to possess these firearms face increased penalties, including category C or B felonies for repeat offenses or when a violent act risk exists. The bill includes exemptions for military members, law enforcement, hunting with proper licenses, and authorized shooting activities. It also added penalties for negligently storing firearms where under-21 individuals might access them.
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.
