Which bills survived first key vote in the Nevada Legislature?

CARSON CITY — Hundreds of bills made it through the major deadline known as First House Passage on Tuesday, sending the measures to the Nevada Legislature’s second chamber for consideration.

In the Legislative Building, many lobbyists, lawmakers and journalists wore black to jokingly commemorate bills that have died so far. Outside of the press room, people made predictions about when the Legislature would wrap up its work Tuesday night while legislators met in caucuses before the flurry of floor activity started.

Hundreds more bills did not receive a floor vote, but they’re not dead yet. Legislative leadership exempted 331 bills from deadlines, meaning they have until the end of session — June 2 — to be considered. Those include many big-topic bills, from the film tax credit bill to priority legislation from leading majority Democrats and Gov. Joe Lombardo.

Here’s a rundown highlighting a few of the bills that are moving on.

■ 1. Semi-automatic gun prohibition under 21

Assembly Bill 245, sponsored by Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D-Las Vegas, would make it a gross misdemeanor for a person under 21 years old to possess or own a semi-automatic shotgun or rifle. The bill passed on party lines Tuesday.

■ 2. Transgender protection bills move on

Two state Senate bills that would protect the transgender and gender non-conforming community passed along party lines.

Senate Bill 141 would require law enforcement agencies with detention facilities to establish care and supervision standards for transgender and other gender non-conforming people in their custody. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Melanie Scheible, D-Las Vegas, passed on party lines, 13-8.

Another bill, SB171 sponsored by Sen. James Ohrenschall, D-Las Vegas, also passed 13-8. It would protect out-of-state patients who seek gender-affirming care in Nevada, as well as the health care providers that administer care.

■ 3. Wrong-way driving a misdemeanor

AB111, dubbed Jaya’s Law, aims to curb wrong-way crashes by making wrong-way driving on a divided highway a misdemeanor rather than a civil infraction.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Brian Hibbetts, R-Las Vegas, passed unanimously out of the Assembly.

■ 4. Resolution barring immigration enforcement from schools, places of worship

In a party-line vote, the Assembly passed Assembly Joint Resolution 9, urging Congress to enact legislation to prohibit immigration enforcement from entering schools and places of worship to enforce federal immigration laws.

■ 5. Days of observance

The legislative branches passed a couple of bills relating to days of observance.

SB96, sponsored by more than a dozen senators on both sides of the aisle, would designate Jan. 27 every year as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The bill already passed both chambers and is on the governor’s desk.

AB144, sponsored by Assemblymember Shea Backus, would change Indigenous Peoples Day from Aug. 9 to the second Monday in October, the same day as Columbus Day. The bill passed the Assembly down party lines in a 27-15 vote.

■ 6. Voluntarily restricting gun possession

Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Jauregui and Assemblymember P.K. O’Neill, AB451 would provide immunity from civil liability to a licensed firearm dealer or a local law enforcement agency when they temporarily take a firearm at the request of the owner.

O’Neill, R-Carson City, encouraged his colleagues to support the bill, which he called a “suicide prevention bill.” The bill passed 41-1 on Tuesday, with Assemblymember Jill Dickman, R-Sparks, as the lone ‘no’ vote.

■ 7. Entertainment ticket price transparency

The Senate unanimously passed SB 338, a bill that would prohibit a ticket provider from offering, displaying or advertising any price of a ticket for a live entertainment event unless the ticket provider clearly and conspicuously discloses the total price of the ticket.

■ 8. End to daylight saving time

AB81, sponsored by Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch, D-Reno, would exempt Nevada from daylight saving time and enact permanent standard time, effectively stopping the clocks from changing twice a year.

The bill passed the Assembly last week.

■ 9. Heat mitigation plans for cities

AB96, which would require any city or county with at least 100,000 residents to amend master plans to address heat mitigation efforts, passed the Assembly in a 29-13 vote. Republican Assemblymembers Gregory Koenig and Toby Yurek joined in voting for that bill.

■ 10. Creating a public records task force

AB128 would create a public records task force that would make recommendations regarding the control of public records and identify situations in which public records requests should be granted or denied.

The bill originally sought to create a public records ombudsman, appointed by the governor, to investigate disputes and provide a decision. Experts warned that it may not be the best idea to improve government transparency, and the bill was amended to instead create a task force.

■ 11. Urging for continued moratorium on explosive nuclear testing

In a unanimous vote, the Assembly passed AJR13, urging the federal government to maintain a moratorium on the explosive testing of nuclear weapons.

■ 12. Housing on commercial properties

The Assembly passed Jauregui’s bill AB241 that requires county and city governing bodies to adopt an ordinance to authorize multifamily housing development on property zoned for commercial use.

The bill passed 28-14, with Assemblymember Danielle Gallant, R-Las Vegas, joining Democrats in voting in favor.

■ 13. Sample ballots before mail ballots

The Assembly unanimously passed AB148, sponsored by Assemblymembers Gregory Hafen, R-Pahrump, and Steve Yeager, D-Las Vegas. The bill requires county clerks to distribute sample ballots before the deadline to distribute mail ballots.

■ 14. No more Styrofoam containers from chain restaurants

AB244, sponsored by Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D-Las Vegas, prohibits restaurants with 10 or more locations from using disposable polystyrene, or Styrofoam, containers.

The bill, which passed in a 36-to-6 vote, would take effect Oct. 1 and would include a $100 per day fine for restaurants that violate the law.

■ 15. Medical aid in dying

AB346, sponsored by Assemblymember Joe Dalia and Gallant, would create a legal framework for competent and willing terminally ill patients to self-administer life-ending medicines.

It passed in the Assembly on Thursday, 23-19.

16. Calling on Congress to study psychedelic drug treatment

Senate Joint Resolution 10 would call on the U.S. Congress to appropriate federal funds for research into therapeutic applications of psychedelic compounds, including treatment of mental health conditions, substance use disorders and chronic pain. It passed 18-2, with one lawmaker absent.

17. Regional rail transit

AB 256 directs the Legislative Commission to appoint a regional rail transit advisory working group to study the development of rail transit across the state.

The Assembly passed the bill unanimously, and it is now in the Senate.

18. Urging the federal government to release more land for housing

The Assembly passed 36-6 AJR 10, urging the federal government to release federally managed land in Nevada for housing. Six Democrats voted against the resolution.

Those Assemblymembers were Natha Anderson, R-Sparks; Venicia Considine, D-Las Vegas; Tanya Flanagan, D-North Las Vegas; La Rue Hatch, D-Reno; Cinthia Moore, D-Las Vegas, and Howard Watts, D-Las Vegas.

19. Librarians safe to recommend any book

In a 32-9 vote, the Assembly passed AB 445, which would exempt library staff from civil or criminal liability for good faith acts in relation to providing access to library materials.

The bill originally prohibited the censorship of books in school libraries, but it was heavily amended.

20. Retail pet stores prohibited from selling dogs and cats

In a 32-9 vote, the Assembly passed AB 487 prohibiting pet stores from selling dogs and cats, establishing the violation as a misdemeanor.

Assemblymembers Ken Gray, R-Dayton; Bert Gurr, R-Spring Creek; Melissa Hardy, R-Henderson, and Gregory Koenig, R-Fallon, joined Democrats in voting for the bill.

21. Lake Tahoe water bottle ban

SB 324, sponsored by Scheible, would prohibit the sale of plastic water bottles in communities abutting the Lake Tahoe watershed, following a similar policy passed by the city of South Lake Tahoe on the California side.

The bill passed 16-4, with Sens. John Steinbeck, R-Las Vegas; John Ellison, R-Eureka, and Ira Hansen, R-Sparks, joining Democrats. One lawmaker was absent for the Friday vote.

22. Artificial turf study

Senators unanimously passed SB 143, a bill that would require an interim legislative committee and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to study artificial turf and synthetic grass as it relates to the state’s water conservation efforts.

23. Reservation scalping

An effort to reduce “reservation scalping,” when third-party websites sell reservations for restaurants or other services that typically are offered for free, passed unanimously in the Senate. SB 169 would require those platforms to enter into a written agreement with the business before listing, advertising, promoting or selling a reservation, appointment or booking.

24. No housing bans on dog breeds

SB 166 would prohibit insurers from canceling, refusing to renew or increasing the premium of housing-related insurance policies on the basis of a specific dog breed or breed mix, unless that particular dog is known to be dangerous. It also requires tenants with housing vouchers to be allowed to keep at least one pet. It passed 14-7, with Ellison as the sole Republican vote.

25. Recognizing LGBTQ history in Las Vegas

Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 recognized the “Fruit Loop,’ a historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood in Las Vegas. The resolution passed by voice vote.

26. Gas tax extension option

In a 39-3 vote, the Assembly passed AB 530, which would allow Clark County Commissioners to extend a gas tax program that adjusts the gas tax rate to go up with inflation every year if it gets a two-thirds majority vote by Dec. 31, 2026.

Assemblymembers Jill Dickman, R-Sparks; Gallant and Gregory Hafen, R-Pahrump, voted in opposition.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com and McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah and @mckenna_ross_ on X.