10 bills that died after the Nevada Legislature’s first major deadline

A swath of proposed legislation effectively died after failing to meet the April 11 deadline for committee passage. They could always come back by an amendment to an active piece of legislation, though that is unlikely.

Here’s what’s off the table, for now.

1. State lottery

Assembly Joint Resolution 5 would have established a Nevada Lottery by proposing a constitutional amendment to remove the state’s prohibition on state lotteries, but the Legislature did not pick it up for a vote.

It passed out of the Assembly and state Senate in 2023, but it needed another round of legislative approval before going to voters.

2. Traffic enforcement cameras

Senate Bill 415 would have allowed for the installation of high-speed traffic enforcement cameras on roadways prone to crashes, but it failed to get a vote from the Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure.

Installing high-speed cameras to enforce Nevada’s traffic laws has been a long-standing controversial issue, but it seemed to gain traction when Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill spoke in support of the proposal.

3. Daily room cleaning

SB 360, known as the Hotel Safety Act, would have required daily room cleanings in hotels of more than 200 rooms in Clark and Washoe counties. Though it had the backing of the powerful Culinary Local 226 and was sponsored by Republican state Sen. Lori Rogich, Gov. Joe Lombardo said he would not sign the bill if it reached his desk.

4. ‘Generational’ cigarette sale ban

AB 279, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember David Orentlicher, sought to ban the sale of cigarettes to people born after Dec. 31. 2004, though they would be able to buy them in some casinos.

The bill faced opposition from several sides during testimony, with smoke shop owners saying it would impact small shops while not harming large casinos. It was not taken up for a vote.

5. Caps to hospital fees

AB 349, also sponsored by Orentlicher, aimed to reduce the cost of hospital stays for patients in the Public Employees’ Benefits Program by capping hospital fees.

Advocates had said the proposal could save the state $36 million annually, but hospital system representatives opposed the bill, arguing it could limit patient access to care and jeopardize hospitals’ financial stability.

6. Legislative transparency

Assemblymember Heidi Kasama, R-Las Vegas, put forward multiple resolutions aiming to increase transparency in Nevada’s Legislature. Assembly Joint Resolution 3 proposed amending the Nevada Constitution to require the Nevada Legislature to abide by Nevada’s public records law and require lawmakers to disclose certain conflicts of interest.

AJR 2 would have required bill languages to be made available to the public at least 72 hours before a vote on the final passage of the bill takes place.

7. Trans athlete ban

AB 240, sponsored by Bert Gurr, R-Spring Creek, and other legislative Republicans, sought to require schools to designate sport teams based on biological sex at birth. Trans women’s participation in sports has been a significant issue for Nevada Republicans, with Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony taking up the issue through a task force.

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association recently voted to change its policy and require athletes to compete as the gender at their birth.

8. Voter ID

Assemblymember Greg Hafen, R-Pahrump, sponsored AB 147, would have required an ID to vote. The bill died without a hearing, though voter ID still could come to Nevada. It passed through a ballot question with overwhelming support in the 2024 election, but it needs to pass again in 2026 for it to go into effect.

9. AI-generated porn penalties

Freshman Assemblymember Joe Dalia, D-Henderson, put forward AB 187 that addressed AI-generated pornography and aimed to ensure people who distribute porn of minors altered by artificial intelligence are not exempt from criminal punishment. The bill never received a hearing.

10. State drink?

Gurr proposed designating the “Picon Punch” as the official state drink of Nevada through AB 99.

Gurr wanted to honor Nevada’s Basque heritage by designating the bittersweet and aromatic cocktail created by Basque immigrants in the American West as the state drink, but it never received a hearing.

Though AB 99 died, there’s a chance Gurr could still be successful. His proposal was also included in AB 375 that he is co-sponsoring with Speaker Steve Yeager. The bill would also allow establishments that sell alcohol to sell or deliver mixed drinks off the premises.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.

This story has been updated to note that provisions of AB 99 have been rolled into a different bill.