Lengthy floor sessions preceded the days before the Legislature’s first house passage deadline on Tuesday, prompting impassioned speeches from members of both parties as lawmakers voted out dozens of bills and resolutions.

All non-exempt bills must be voted out of their house of origin — either the Senate or Assembly — by the time floor sessions adjourn Tuesday if they are to continue through the legislative process. 

Unlike the first committee passage deadline on April 11, which saw more than 280 bills die from inaction, Tuesday’s deadline resulted in the death of just seven bills. More than 200 bills out of the more than a thousand introduced so far have been exempted. 

In 2023, only 10 measures died at this juncture of the 120-day session and in 2021, that number was just seven.

To view the status of all legislative measures, check out The Nevada Independent’s public bill tracker.

Here’s a look at which bills passed ahead of Tuesday’s deadline and what lawmakers said about them. Check back often, as The Nevada Independent reporters will update this story throughout the day.

Senate adjourns, solidifying bills that died — 8:37 p.m.

The Senate adjourned at 8:09 p.m. on Tuesday — ending the Legislature’s first house passage deadline.

The final floor session solidified which bills met their demise Tuesday (though the provisions of these proposals can still be included in other bills or resurrected via a waiver). The bills that died were:

• AB64, brought by the attorney general’s office, would have added certain exemptions to the state’s open meeting law, including instances when a public body is receiving legal counsel or deliberating over only that counsel. The bill would have originally allotted three minutes to public commenters (there is no time currently specified in Nevada law), but that was amended out.
• AB318, from Assm. Melissa Hardy (R-Henderson), would have allowed captive insurers — insurance companies that are completely owned by its insureds — to provide workers compensation insurance.
• AB362, brought by Assm. Venicia Considine (D-Las Vegas), which would have imposed a tax on the sale or transfer of a controlling interest in an entity that possesses property exceeding $100.
• AB437, sponsored by Assm. Jill Dickman (R-Sparks), which would have established a plan to provide property insurance coverage for fires and other disasters that are not otherwise available from an authorized insurer in Nevada.
• SB152, proposed by Sen. James Ohrenschall (D-Las Vegas), which would have allowed a homeowners association to install an electric vehicle charging station in a common area if a majority of board members approve.
• SB341, also proposed by Ohrenschall, would have made certain changes to the allowances for witnesses in grand jury proceedings to testify virtually.
• SB449, a bill from the Committee on Government Affairs, which would have explicitly allowed a participating municipality and a metropolitan police department to establish a cooperative unit of specialized law enforcement.

In the Senate’s final evening floor session, more than 20 bills passed and did meet the deadline. Those included:

• SB179, another bill sponsored by Ohrenschall, which requires the Nevada Equal Rights Commission to determine if antisemitism was a factor in a case of alleged discrimination in housing, employment or public accommodation.
  • Sen. Ira Hansen (R-Sparks) was the lone vote against the bill, saying these protections already exist in state law. The measure passed on a vote of 20-1.
• SB305, proposed by Sen. Fabian Doñate, which requires the state’s school sports association to provide a process for sanctioning sports, including lacrosse (a winnowed down version of the original proposal, which would have explicitly required the sanctioning of lacrosse). The bill passed unanimously.

— Eric Neugeboren and Tabitha Mueller

Assembly returns with swift votes, gavels out — 6:19 p.m.

Following a relatively lengthy “five minute” recess, members of the Assembly quickly passed dozens of bills out of the chamber before adjourning at roughly 4:50 p.m. 

The most lively moment was when Assm. Alexis Hansen (R-Sparks) and a few other Republicans supported AB420, a bill that, as amended, would require the trustees of school districts and other schools that employ police officers to prepare and publish a use of force report outlining the number of incidents that involve force with a baton, chemical agent or electronic stun gun.

Hansen stood in support, noting that “I can stand in support of the bill called 420, is really kind of amusing.” 

The Assembly voted 35-7 to approve the bill, with several Republicans in opposition.

Here are highlights of other bills that passed:

• AB360, sponsored by Assm. Heather Goulding (D-Reno), aims to address congenital syphilis by requiring medical facilities to test a pregnant woman who has not received certain prenatal screenings with a rapid test unless the patient refuses.
  • An amendment notes that consenting individuals will be tested with either a rapid or point-of-care test. The amendment requires the director of Health and Human services to seek federal authority to reimburse hospitals and other qualified providers for patients covered by Medicaid. The bill passed unanimously.
• AB396, from Assm. Shea Backus (D-Las Vegas), would require counties to pass laws that allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to be built on homeowners’ properties. ADUs are small housing units on a single family lot. As amended, it would exclude ADUs being built in the Tahoe Area Master Plan area. The bill passed with a party line vote of 27-15, with Republicans opposed.
• AB406, brought by Assm. Jovan Jackson (D-North Las Vegas), was nearly gutted, and as amended, would prohibit schools from using artificial intelligence to perform the duties a school counselor, psychologist or social worker otherwise would. The bill initially would have required schools to have mental health-related assemblies and publish mental health information on websites. It passed unanimously.
• AB451, brought by Assm. Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas), would make law enforcement officers and gun dealers largely immune from civil liability related to firearm hold agreements, which is an agreement for a person to give up their firearm. It passed nearly unanimously, with Assm. Jill Dickman (R-Sparks) being the only no vote.
  • The original bill was entirely removed via an amendment — it initially would have established a process for individuals to voluntarily give up a firearm.
• AB464, sponsored by Assm. Brittney Miller (D-Las Vegas) would prohibit educational institutions from taking any adverse employment actions against employees based on sex, race, ethnicity, religion or political or social affiliation. An amendment to the measure would prohibit education officials from removing certain academic standards of content and performance. It passed on a party line vote of 27-15, with Republicans in opposition. 
• AB523 is the deal struck between Uber and Nevada trial lawyers that states ridesharing companies would not be liable for harms imposed by their drivers or passengers as long as they provide a minimum of $1 million in insurance coverage to drivers while transporting passengers. It represents a truce related to Uber's failed ballot initiative that sought to cap how much attorneys receive in settlement costs. It passed unanimously. 

Corrected on 4/22/2025 at 10:30 p.m to reflect that Assm. Selena Torres-Fossett (D-Las Vegas) voted in favor of AB420.

— Lizzie Ramirez, Tabitha Mueller, Isabella Aldrete and Eric Neugeboren

GOP senators back gun, sidewalk vendors bills — 5:41 p.m.

During a Senate floor session that ended around 5 p.m., lawmakers passed 13 bills, including a notable one on firearms.

SB347, sponsored by Sen. Melanie Scheible (D-Las Vegas), would authorize police officers to confiscate firearms from individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. A last-minute amendment would allow the firearms to be automatically returned after the person undergoes treatment, unless they were already not allowed to have a firearm, or if a police officer asks a court to not return the firearm because of alleged high-risk behavior.

The bill received the support of all Democrats and three Republicans: Sens. John Ellison (R-Elko), John Steinbeck (R-Las Vegas) and Jeff Stone (R-Henderson). Sen Ira Hansen (R-Sparks) indicated that he would have supported the proposal if the amendment was submitted earlier.

Here are some of the other bills that passed:

• SB338, dubbed the “Taylor Swift bill” and sponsored by Sen. Julie Pazina (D-Las Vegas), requires ticket sellers subject to Nevada’s live entertainment tax to disclose the total price (including mandatory fees) at purchase and to issue a full ticket refund if an event is canceled within 30 days. It passed unanimously.
• SB334, which requires the director of the Nevada Department of Corrections to submit a yearly report on the employment data of incarcerated individuals, passed on a 14-7 vote, with Hansen joining all Democrats in support.
• SB295, which requires local boards of health in counties with populations more than 100,000 to adopt regulations for sidewalk food vendors and would prohibit them from stopping the sale of certain kinds of food from those vendors. It passed out of the Senate 17-4, with four Republicans opposing the measure. 

— Eric Neugeboren and Isabella Aldrete

Animal cruelty bill still alive although it didn’t get a vote Tuesday — 4:45 p.m.

Bills on animal cruelty, book bans, speed cameras and first-time homebuyer assistance are not set to receive votes today, but will survive because they have received an exemption or waiver from deadlines. Let’s take a look:

• AB381: Also known as Reba’s Law, this measure was named after an English bulldog who was found taped in a packing container during extreme heat in Las Vegas. Bill sponsor Assm. Melissa Hardy (R-Henderson) hopes to increase the amount of prison time a person can face for committing animal cruelty. The bill did not get voted on by the first committee passage deadline day, and advocates took to social media to urge lawmakers to pass the measure. AB381 received a waiver April 14 after the advocacy.
  • Miller posted on social media to let Nevadans know that the bill was “still alive.”
• AB416: This bill, which would prohibit bans on library books unless a court declares them to be obscene, received an exemption. Because the bill would create a new crime for intimidating or doxxing library personnel over issues of book access, the Department of Public Safety noted this bill “could require additional pre-sentence investigation staff and supervision officers.”

• AB402: Sponsored by Assm. Selena Torres-Fossett (D-Las Vegas), this bill would authorize the installation of cameras in temporary construction zones that would capture license plate images if the driver exceeds the speed limit by 10 miles per hour or more. It passed out of committee but was referred to the Assembly budget committee on Monday.

• SB193: The bill would address high interest rates and ease access for first-time homebuyers. Sen. Fabian Donate (D-Las Vegas) is hoping to give Nevadans $10,000 to $15,000 to buy down the interest rates on their first homes, which would save them anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 over the course of a 30-year loan. The bill was referred to the Senate Finance Committee.

— Lizzie Ramirez

Price fixing, sex ed bills among dozens of measures passed out of Assembly — 4:34 p.m.

Despite some Democratic defections, the Assembly passed  AB44, the bill from the attorney general’s office that prohibits companies from increasing prices of essential services beyond the “basic forces of supply and demand.”

Three Democrats voted against the bill: Assms. Joe Dalia (D-Las Vegas), Venise Karris (D-Las Vegas) and Duy Nguyen (D-Las Vegas). It passed on a vote of 24-18, with all Republicans opposed. 

During a hearing last month, the bill received widespread backlash from the business community, which said it was unclear what price increases could be subject to the legislation. There are clear political stakes with the bill, as Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, is running for governor next year.

Lawmakers also passed Assm. Heather Goulding’s (D-Reno) AB205, which would change Nevada’s sex education in schools from an opt-in to opt-out system. Schools would be mandated to issue a written notice to parents and guardians each school year when sex education is offered. This would automatically enroll all students in the course unless parents or guardians complete an opt-out form provided on the school district’s website. It passed along party lines.

See below for highlights of the dozens of bills passed by the Assembly on Tuesday afternoon:

Housing

• AB121, sponsored by Assm. Venicia Considine (D-Las Vegas), would require landlords to disclose the total cost of rent without any hidden fees. The total must include fixed fees such as utility and parking charges, so tenants are aware of the exact amount they owe each month. Landlords also cannot overcharge or add additional fees. It passed along party lines, 27-15 with Republicans in opposition.
• AB223, also from Considine, would allow tenants to withhold rent payments if the home does not comply with habitability laws. It passed along party lines.
• AB280, sponsored by Assm. Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas), would cap rent increases to no more than 5 percent for Nevadans 62 years or older and for those who rely on Social Security payments. Additionally, it would require written rental agreements to disclose fees, tenants rights and landlords to refund application fees for a tenant not selected for the rental unit. The bill passed along party lines.

• It’s similar to a measure Jauregui proposed during the 2023 legislative session, which was vetoed by Gov. Joe Lombardo.

• AB283, from Assm. Max Carter (D-Las Vegas) would restructure the summary eviction process to require landlords to file first, rather than the tenant. The measure passed along party lines.

Health care

• AB282, sponsored by Assm. David Orentlicher (D-Las Vegas), as amended would require health care providers who receive an overpayment from a patient to refund the overpaid amount within 60 days — there’s currently no timeline in state law for processing refunds. It passed on a 26-16 vote, with all Republicans and Nguyen, a Democrat, in opposition.
• AB343, a hospital transparency measure sponsored by Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) that would codify federal hospital price transparency regulations into state law and require hospitals to publish an annual report listing charges for items and services. Assm. Jill Dickman (R-Sparks) joined Democrats in supporting the bill, which passed on a 28-14 vote.

Elections

• AB73, on behalf of the secretary of state’s office, would require the disclosure of artificial intelligence in campaign materials. It passed unanimously.

• AB79, the secretary of state’s wide-ranging campaign finance bill, passed along mostly party lines, with Assm. Lisa Cole (R-Las Vegas) the only Republican voting in support.
• It allows unused campaign donations to be used to “defray ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection” with their position. It also changes the penalty process related to campaign finance reporting violations, which has resulted in many fines being uncollected.

Other

• AB156, sponsored by Assm. Erica Mosca (D-Las Vegas), would raise the annual salary of school board trustees in Clark County to match the salary of the county commission members, which is on average about $90,000. Assms. Reuben D'Silva (D-Las Vegas), Tanya Flanagan (D-Las Vegas) and Brittney Miller (D-Las Vegas) joined Republicans in opposing the bill.
• AB198, proposed by Assm. Tracy Brown-May (D-Las Vegas), establishes and enhances regulations on inflatable devices such as bounce houses. The bill, which passed unanimously, was in honor of a 9-year-old who died in a bounce house.
• AB245, sponsored by Jauregui, who brought this bill back after a 2023 veto. It would ban Nevadans 21 and younger from owning semi-automatic rifles and semi-automatic shotguns. It would also prohibit children 14 and older from handling these guns as well. It passed along party lines with Republicans in opposition.

— Eric Neugeboren, Lizzie Ramirez, Tabitha Mueller and Isabella Aldrete

Open meeting law exemption, backup fire insurance bills on the chopping block — 3:39 p.m.

The Assembly also moved three bills to the chief clerk’s desk, which might indicate that they have a low chance of meeting Tuesday’s deadline. The bills were:

• AB64, brought by the attorney general’s office, which would add certain exemptions to the state’s open meeting law, including instances when a public body is receiving legal counsel or deliberating over only that counsel. The bill would have originally allotted three minutes to public commenters (there is currently no time specified in Nevada law), but that was amended out of the proposal.
• AB362, brought by Assm. Venicia Considine (D-Las Vegas), which would impose a tax on the sale or transfer of a controlling interest in an entity that possesses property worth at least $100.
• AB437, sponsored by Assm. Jill Dickman (R-Reno), which would establish a plan to provide property insurance coverage for fires and other disasters that are not otherwise available from an authorized insurer in Nevada.

—  Eric Neugeboren and Tabitha Mueller

Senate gets heated over trucker liability insurance — 2:46 p.m.

So far, the most contentious Senate floor debate of the day stemmed from SB180, a bill that would raise minimum liability insurance requirements for truckers in Nevada. 

Specifically, it would require fully regulated freight carriers to carry proof of liability insurance of at least $1 million by 2026, gradually rising to $1.5 million by 2030. The current liability insurance policy limit is $750,000.

Sen. Edgar Flores (D-Las Vegas), who sponsored the bill, said on the Senate floor that the last time liability requirements for freight carriers was changed was in 1980. He said medical expenses “have exploded,” the state must ensure individuals are adequately covered, and small businesses transporting equipment already carry a million-dollar policy. 

Sen. Ira Hansen (R-Sparks) pushed back against Flores, saying that the current policy limit of $750,000 is aligned with 49 other states. He warned that the additional liability cost would create an undue burden on trucking companies in Nevada. 

“You’re creating a huge competitive disadvantage and you’re only basically punishing Nevada-based companies,” Hansen said.

The measure passed on an 11-10 vote, with Sens. Dina Neal (D-North Las Vegas) and Angie Taylor (D-Reno) joining Republicans in opposition.

— Tabitha Mueller

Democrats, Republicans cross party lines on AI, animal testing bills  — 2:38 p.m.

The Senate passed more than a dozen bills out of the chamber Tuesday, before recessing until 3:30 p.m.

Here’s a summary:

• Sens. John Steinbeck (R-Las Vegas) and Lori Rogich (R-Las Vegas) crossed party lines to support SB128, a bill that would ban certain health insurers from using artificial intelligence or automated decision tools to deny or reduce requests for medical coverage approval. The measure passed out of the Senate on a 15-6 vote. There were no statements made on the floor regarding the bill.
• Members of the Senate voted to pass two of Sen. Melanie Scheible’s (D-Las Vegas) proposed bills aimed at protecting animals and easing burdens on pet owners.
  • SB166 would ban insurers from refusing to issue, cancel or renew an insurance policy based solely on whether someone owns a specific dog breed. The bill also requires recipients of supportive housing grants to allow tenants to keep at least one pet. The measure passed on a 14-7 vote, with Sen. John Ellison (R-Elko) the lone Republican in support.
  • SB167 would ban the importation and sale of household cleaning products that have been tested on animals. The ban would not apply to products that underwent animal testing before Jan. 1, 2030. The measure passed on a vote of 17-4, with GOP Sens. Ellison, Steinbeck, Rogich and Lisa Krasner (R-Reno) joining Democrats in support. There were no speeches on the floor. 
• SB113, a bill sponsored by Steinbeck that would make occupational therapists and physical therapists eligible to provide a disability parking placard or license, in addition to physicians and nurses, passed out of the Senate unanimously.
• SB171, which would protect licensed health care providers in Nevada who offer gender-affirming care to patients (including via telemedicine) from sanctions, prosecution or investigation by other states. The bill passed out of the Senate along a party-line vote of 13-8, with all Republicans opposed.
  • Sen. James Ohrenschall (D-Las Vegas) sponsored a similar bill in 2023 that was vetoed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who said it would “inhibit the Executive Branch's ability to be certain that all gender-affirming care related to minors comports with State law.”
  • Ohrenschall said he narrowed the bill’s language this session to more closely align with a reproductive rights shield law that Lombardo signed in 2023.

— Tabitha Mueller and Isabella Aldrete

Contraception access passes out of Assembly unanimously — 1:30 p.m.

Assm. Selena Torres-Fossett’s (D-Las Vegas) AB176, which would generally ban the state or any of its agencies from limiting access to reproductive health care with some limited exceptions, passed out of the Assembly with unanimous support from Democrats and Republicans.

The bill, also called the Right to Contraception and Family Planning Services Act, would protect services related to pregnancy, contraception, miscarriage, or in vitro fertilization. Notably, the bill does not apply to abortion-related laws or certain education-related policies — such as sex education — at public schools. 

Advocates said in a March hearing that the bill would help create more uniform policy across local agencies and that it could help protect access to contraception and IVF. It comes amid concerns that those services could be rolled back in other states, such as through proposals to require parental consent for minors getting contraception. 

The bill would make it so that if an individual does have their access to health care challenged, they can sue in court and seek appropriate relief, including attorney’s fees if they win. 

A similar bill was vetoed in 2023 by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who said that it “would effectively place any control over decisions related to reproductive care, financing, and education in the hands of today's state policy-makers instead of tomorrow's local officials.” 

The exemption of educational groups in the bill was added in response to the governor’s concern, according to Gabby Detrick, an intern who testified with Torres-Fossett during the hearing.  

It was the only bill passed before the Assembly recessed until 1 p.m today.  

— Isabella Aldrete

Few bills at risk of death — 1:20 p.m.

Don’t expect the mass bill die-off of the first deadline day, but a handful of measures appear at risk of meeting their demise on Tuesday.

There are six bills that have been placed on the Senate secretary’s desk (a kind of bill purgatory) that will die if they are not voted out by the end of the day, including four that were originally set for a vote on Tuesday. The bills are:

• SB24, brought by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, which would recognize emergency medical responders as prehospital medical providers to comply with federal law.
• SB41, sponsored on behalf of the Department of Taxation, which requires that businesses wishing to sell cannabis must apply for a cannabis tax permit and register for a sellers permit. 
• SB80, a proposal from the Department of Motor Vehicles to expand the responsibilities of certain DMV employees to let them inspect vehicle characteristics to locate a stolen vehicle and obtain a court order to use a trap and trace device, which identifies phone numbers of incoming messages. It requires a two-thirds majority vote.
• SB152, proposed by Sen. James Ohrenschall (D-Las Vegas), which would allow a homeowners association to install an electric vehicle charging station in a common area if a majority of board members approve.
• SB179, another bill from Ohrenschall, which would require the Nevada Equal Rights Commission to determine if antisemitism was a factor in a case of alleged discrimination in housing, employment or public accommodation.
• SB191, sponsored by Sen. Skip Daly (D-Reno), which would add certain requirements to record and videotape court proceedings.

Additionally, AJR12, a resolution supporting the prioritization of solar development on previously disturbed public lands in Nevada, is sitting idle on the Assembly clerk’s desk.

But as the saying goes — it’s never over ‘til it’s over. The bills could be amended and passed out, or still receive a waiver or exemption from deadlines, the plans could change to vote on the proposals or their language could eventually be added to other bills.

However, there might be more bills that do not receive a vote Tuesday. Stay tuned.

— Eric Neugeboren

Agendas show roughly 180 measures set for a vote — 11:31 a.m.

About 180 measures across both chambers are on the list of what lawmakers will vote on today. 

More than 100 of those measures are in the Assembly, featuring bills that address topics including health care, housing and public safety. Though the Senate’s list is relatively shorter, that may not correlate with an earlier adjournment, as floor speeches on bills can prolong the time. 

Here are some measures up for a vote in the Senate and Assembly that caught our attention:

• AB44 - Sponsored by Attorney General Aaron Ford, this measure aims to implement a ban on price fixing for essential goods and services. The bill has received strong opposition from various businesses.
• AB73 - Brought on behalf of Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, this measure would require political communications to disclose to the public if it was created using artificial intelligence to manipulate an image, video or audio.
• AB280 - Assm. Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) introduced this measure that would require written rental agreements to disclose fees and tenants' rights. It also prohibits a landlord from collecting an application fee for running a credit report or background check, refund a prospective tenant’s application fee if the landlord rents to a different tenant and cap rent increases at 5 percent annually for tenants who are 62 and older, or who rely on Social Security payments, for a year and a half starting in July.
• AB205 - Sponsored by Assm. Heather Goulding (D-Reno), this measure would flip Nevada’s long-standing policy requiring parents to consent or opt in for their children to receive sex education curriculum to instead opt out.
• AB245 - Sponsored by Jauregui, this measure would ban Nevadans 21 and younger from owning semi-automatic shotguns and semi-automatic rifles. Similarly, it prohibits children 14 and older from handling these guns as well.
• AB283 - This measure from Assm. Max Carter (D-Las Vegas) would restructure the summary eviction process to require landlords to file first rather than the tenant. It also requires more transparent notification processes among other changes.
• SB128 - Sponsored by Sen. Dina Neal (D-North Las Vegas) the bill would prohibit certain health insurers, including Medicaid, from using artificial intelligence or other automated decision tools to deny, modify or reduce prior authorization requests, or requests for medical approval.
• SB171 - Proposed by Sen. James Ohrenschall (D-Las Vegas) this measure would protect health care providers licensed in Nevada who offer gender-affirming care to patients, including via telemedicine. Specifically, it would prevent another state from sanctioning or prosecuting a provider in Nevada who offers legal, ethical and medically necessary gender-affirming care to patients.
• SB305 - Brought by Sen. Fabian Doñate (D-Las Vegas), this bill as amended would allow the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association to adopt and post regulations that provide a process for establishing lacrosse as a sanctioned sport.

There are also at least three measures from this session whose fate is unclear, as they have been relegated to either the chief clerk’s desk in the Assembly or the secretary’s desk in the Senate. 

— Tabitha Mueller