Today marks the Nevada Legislature’s first committee house passage deadline, which typically marks the largest round of bill deaths in the 120-day legislative session.

By the time lawmakers wrap up today, any bills not voted out of their first committee or granted an exemption from legislative deadlines end up in the legislative graveyard.

Since 2015, anywhere from 240 to 280 bills have failed at this stage of the legislative process, with last session’s deadline seeing almost 240 bills falling to the wayside. 

That said, in the next 24 hours, we’re expecting a marathon of committee meetings and an avalanche of amendments to bills that will allow them to move forward to the Assembly or Senate floor for consideration by the entire body. The next major deadline, for bills to pass out of their house of origin, is April 22.

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

Here’s a look at which bills passed ahead of Friday’s deadline and what bills are on the chopping block. Check back often, as The Nevada Independent reporters will update this story throughout the day.

Deadline day ends — 4:22 PM

All committees are adjourned for the day.

The final Senate committee adjourned at 3:25 p.m., and the final Assembly committee ended at 1:59 p.m.

— Tabitha Mueller

Sidewalk vendor bill passes out of Senate Health and Human Services — 4:22 PM 

A heavily amended version of Sen. Fabian Donate’s (D-Las Vegas) “sidewalk vendor” bill, which seeks to make the industry more accessible to aspiring vendors, passed out of the committee Friday afternoon.

The amended version of SB295 struck language that would have exempted street vendors in Clark and Washoe counties who sell cottage foods — “non-hazardous” foods that don’t require refrigeration, such as chips — and instead replaced it with a more narrow list of approved foods. It also removed certain requirements to local health boards, such as providing informational workshops.

The committee also passed:

• SB54, a measure that would require Medicaid to offer respite care coverage to people experiencing homelessness. 
• SB389, which would require the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with a single pharmacy benefits manager for all coverage and prescription drug benefits.
• SB337, a bill that would require the Division of Public and Behavioral Health to create a non-opioid directive form, which patients can fill out to direct providers not to administer opioids to them, and post that form on the division’s website. It would also require certain providers to offer patients the option to execute a non-opioid directive.

— Isabella Aldrete, Tabitha Mueller

Vetoed bills from 2023 are making a comeback — 3:49 PM

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed a whopping 75 bills last session, but a handful of the same concepts are making their way through the Legislature again.

Here are a few we’re following:

• Medical bills
  • AB346, the medical-aid-in-dying bill, passed unanimously on Thursday and would allow terminally ill patients to request a self-administered medication to end their life. Though it breezed its way through committee, Lombardo encouraged the 2025 Legislature to disregard the bill because he would not sign it.
    • Lombardo was the first governor in the country to kill medical-aid-in-dying last session, saying he was “not comfortable” supporting the bill.
  • AB259 aims to cap prescription drug prices at the fair maximum prices established by Medicare.
    • Lombardo vetoed the bill, stating it would “ultimately lead to higher costs and less accessibility to care.”
    • However, President Donald Trump recently announced pharmaceutical drugs would be hit with tariffs, meaning Americans could be paying more for medication.
  • SB171 would protect health care providers who offer gender-affirming care in Nevada.
    • In his veto message, he said it “inhibits the Executive Branch's ability to be certain that all gender-affirming care related to minors comports with State law” and it “decreases the Executive Branch’s authority to ensure the highest public health and child safety standards for Nevadans.” 

• Gun control bills
  • AB245 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.
    • Lombardo vetoed this, saying the intent to decrease gun violence is an “admirable goal” but that 18-20 year olds purchasing and owning firearms is “part of our nation's history and tradition.” 
  • AB105 would prohibit the possession of firearms within 100 feet of an election site. Law enforcement, security personnel and lawful firearms in vehicles and private property are exempted. Those violating the law would be charged with a misdemeanor but if they have the intent to disrupt the election process, it will be a category D felony.
    • Lombardo praised the bill for attempting to increase public confidence and safety, but wrote “there is no notable history of gun violence at election facilities in Nevada.”
  • SB89 would prohibit individuals convicted within the last 10 years of hate crimes from purchasing, owning or possessing firearms.
    • Despite Lombardo saying those who committed hate crimes with guns “should face heightened scrutiny relating to their gun ownership,” he still vetoed the bill. He claimed this bill would go further to depriving individuals from their Second Amendment rights. 

• Others to keep an eye on:
  • Assm. Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) brought back her controversial rent control bill, AB280. Only Nevadans 62 or older and those who rely on Social Security payments would be allowed to participate in the rent control pilot program. Jauregui brought back the same language and accepted a 5 percent rent increase cap amendment from the originally proposed 10 percent.
    • Jauregui told The Nevada Independent she brought back the same bill because “this is about solving housing right now and also planning for the long term. He keeps talking about urging the federal government to bring us more land, that is a problem to plan for the future. But what is he doing to bring relief right now?”
    • Lombardo vetoed this measure despite it having bipartisan support, claiming it’s an “unreasonable restraint on standard business activity” and it’s “needlessly heavy-handed.”
  • AB191 is a collective bargaining bill for higher education employees that was vetoed last session, but it’s making its way through the building with one significant change — graduate assistants are now included in this measure.
    • Graduate assistants have already unionized but the Board of Regents claim they cannot recognize them as a union unless the Legislature passes the bill. 
    • Though the amount graduate students are paid is an issue, they say their biggest gripe is the mistreatment they’re forced to endure because of the power imbalance between them and their professors. 
    • The veto came — before graduate students were included — because “the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education already has the ability to collectively bargain, and in fact has multiple executed collective bargaining agreements currently.” 
    • If AB191 doesn’t pass, graduate students will have to restart the unionizing process. 

— Lizzie Ramirez

Closely watched boards and commissions bill passes Senate committee — 3:49 PM

SB78, a proposal to significantly reform the state’s occupational licensing boards, passed out of the Senate Committee on Government Affairs.

The bill, a priority for Gov. Joe Lombardo, would consolidate 20 occupational licensing boards into six new bodies, and increase oversight of the state’s boards and commissions. It’s a significant step for efforts to reform the boards, which the Department of Business and Industry has said operate as a de facto fourth branch of government with little oversight.

The committee approved the proposal so that it could move through the legislative process, not because a majority of members supported the bill itself. Committee Chair Sen. Edgar Flores (D-Las Vegas) joined the committee's three Republicans in advancing the bill, while the other three Democratic members — Sens. Skip Daly (D-Reno), Dina Neal (D-North Las Vegas) and James Ohrenschall (D-Las Vegas) — voted against.

The approval comes four days after a more than three-hour hearing that included significant opposition from officials representing the affected boards, who argued the proposal failed to consider the differing circumstances in boards that would be merged.

The original version of the bill would have also reformed the state’s advisory boards — which make up about two-thirds of the more than 300 state boards and commissions — but the Department of Industry decided to punt this initiative to the 2027 legislative session.

The bill was one of 50 bills that the committee passed on Friday, including:

• SB301, a proposal to expand collective bargaining rights to category I, II or III peace officers.
• SB116, a bill to increase salaries for county elected officials.
• SB325, an effort to waive pet adoption fees for veterans, law enforcement and first responders.
• SB340, which gives the Legislature more power to review and nullify agency regulations.
• SCR2, a resolution that recognizes the “Fruit Loop” as a historical LGBTQ+ landmark in Clark County

— Eric Neugeboren

Assembly Health and Human Services passes 23 bills — 2:33 PM

The Assembly Committee on Health and Human Services Committee processed 23 bills in a rapid-fire work session.

Among those bills was AB220, a measure that would allow the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to issue free photo identification cards to people experiencing homelessness.

Though Medicaid already covers voluntary sterilization for women in Nevada, AB482, which was also passed, would expand that coverage to men. It would also include language translation services, making reproductive care more accessible to non-English speakers. 

As amended and passed in the committee Friday, Assm. David Orentlicher’s (D-Las Vegas) AB282 would require health care providers who receive an overpayment from a patient to refund the overpaid amount within 60 days — there’s no timeline in state law for processing refunds. 

Other notable measures passed were:

• AB326 was gutted and replaced by lawmakers to require DHHS to conduct a statewide study considering the future trauma needs of the state. Initially, the bill incorporated trauma treatment center designations in regulation into state law.
• AB343, a hospital transparency measure sponsored by Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas), would codify federal hospital price transparency regulations into state law and require hospitals to publish an annual report listing charges for items and services.
• AB516, a bill requiring the director of DHHS to ensure local and state schools receive Medicaid reimbursement for health services covered by the program.
• AB518, which would add increased oversight to Nevada’s Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children that is responsible for out-of-state foster care placements.

— Tabitha Mueller, Isabella Aldrete

Psyched for Psychedelics?  — 2:05 PM 

Assm. Max Carter’s (D-Las Vegas) proposal to establish a pilot program using psychedelic substances for the use of mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression passed out of the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee on Friday afternoon. 

The measure drew support from both progressives and conservatives who have sought to tackle Nevada’s poor mental health rankings and high suicide rate, especially among veterans. Clinical research has demonstrated that psychedelics can be effective at treating mental health conditions that can be difficult to treat with prescription drugs. 

On Thursday, Sen. Rochelle Nguyen’s (D-Las Vegas) resolution urging the federal government to decriminalize magic mushrooms also passed out of the Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee.

— Isabella Aldrete

Paid family leave bill clears hurdle, alcohol and debt bills also pass — 2:05 PM

The Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor approved 19 bills on Friday, including a prominent one to expand paid family leave policies.

AB388, which Republicans on the committee opposed, would require almost all private and public sector employers to give their workers 12 weeks of paid family leave, with the amount of money paid out depending on the employee’s salary. It would mark a significant expansion of paid family leave policies in the state and drew strong pushback from the business industry, which argued that the payouts would be a heavy financial lift.

Other bills that passed Friday were:

• Two alcohol-related bills: AB375, which would make the Picon Punch the state drink and allow alcohol to be sold to go, and AB404, which allows craft brewers to move products from their breweries to their own off-site tasting rooms or taprooms without going through a distributor. An amendment lowered the number of off-site tasting or taprooms from three to two.
• Assm. David Orenticher’s (D-Las Vegas) measure AB186 that, as amended, expands the types of drugs pharmacists are allowed to prescribe and dispense to include treatments for health conditions that do not require a new diagnosis or threaten the patient's life, along with other provisions.
• AB204, sponsored by Assm. Max Carter (D-Las Vegas), would ban debt collection agencies or other entities from reporting medical debt to a consumer reporting agency and void any debt reported that violated the law. It would also prohibit “extraordinary collection actions” until at least 180 days after the first medical debt bill arrives, such as selling debt to a collection agency, requiring payment before providing medically necessary care and any legal actions.
• Assm. Duy Nguyen’s (D-Las Vegas) AB290 updating prior authorization procedures or when an insurance plan requires approval for certain treatments or prescriptions. As amended, it would make numerous changes to authorization requirements in Nevada, including stipulating that insurance approval remains valid until six months after the request was received. The bill also requires insurers to honor a prior insurer’s approved authorizations issued within the last six months during the first 90 days of coverage.
• AB414, which would require employers at large hybrid environmental facilities to include heat mitigation policies in their safety plans. An amendment exempted towing, waste management and recycling and environmental services companies.
• AB250, a bipartisan bill to require debt collectors to investigate cases of economic abuse that result in substantial debt. But the bill underwent significant amendments, slashing victims of “identity theft” from the groups that are eligible for having “coerced debt.” It also clarified that people who are found liable for causing “coerced debt” are liable to pay the outstanding amount due. 

— Eric Neugeboren, Tabitha Mueller and Isabella Aldrete

Cannabis bills roundup — 1:33 PM

Several bills tackling Nevada’s cannabis industry passed out of their committees this week. Here’s a few:

• AB307, which would significantly increase the retail tax on cannabis, passed out of the Assembly Committee on Revenue without recommendation on Friday. It would eliminate the excise tax on wholesale cannabis (the tax that merchants pay) and use the retail tax revenues to support the Cannabis Compliance Board and the State Education Fund. 
• AB203 passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Thursday. It would create a Social Equity Liaison within the Cannabis Compliance Board and add enforcement responsibilities for the Department of Public Safety. 
• AB76, a bill that would allow the Cannabis Compliance Board to issue summonses and subpoenas against unlicensed cannabis sellers passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Monday.
• SB356, which would limit the sale of hemp-derived products to licensed cannabis dispensaries, curbing the sales of derivatives from gas stations and smoke shops was heard (but not voted on) in Senate Commerce and Labor on Friday morning. 

— Isabella Aldrete

While various compact bills move forward, future of nurse licensure compact uncertain — 1:33 PM

As Nevada experiences a critical shortage of professional health care workers, health care industry experts have long pushed for including Nevada in the Nurse Licensure Compact, an agreement allowing a nurse to hold a license recognized by any of the 43 states within the compact.

Labor unions have long pushed back on the proposal, citing fears about the compact benefiting hospitals over workers and undermining collective bargaining power. 

An effort to enact the compact in Nevada failed in 2023 and appears to be headed to an untimely end this session. SB34, which would enact the Nurse Licensure Compact and a number of other interstate compact agreements, has not been scheduled for a hearing as of Friday and does not have an exemption.

That doesn’t mean, however, that all compact bills are dead. The Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor voted Friday to advance AB106, which would ratify the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact.

Other compact measures that have passed out of committee this session include:

• The Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact (AB143)
• The Counseling Compact (AB163)
• The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (AB230)
• The Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (AB248)
• The Cosmetology Licensure Compact (AB371)

— Tabitha Mueller

Effort to create a state lottery fails — 1:20 p.m.

A bill to implement a Nevada lottery ended Friday when the Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) announced that AJR5 would not move forward. The bill sought to remove a 159-year-old constitutional prohibition on Nevada operating a lottery. Nevada is one of five states without a lottery.

The measure easily passed in both legislative chambers in 2023, but it required a second approval before it could be sent to Nevada voters in 2026. The bill was backed by Culinary Workers Union Local 226 but opposed by the Nevada Resort Association.

In a statement, Yeager said the measure was approved two years ago to give lawmakers time to consider Nevada participating in multistate lotteries. However, he said implementation costs were high and the lotteries wouldn’t generate much revenue for the state.

“With so much economic uncertainty and shocking federal funding cuts, this measure will not move forward,” Yeager said.

– Howard Stutz

Another book ban bill and returning sex education bill — 12:50 p.m.

The Assembly Committee of Education passed seven bills on Friday. Here are some highlights:

• AB445, sponsored by Assm. Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D-North Las Vegas), initially would have required  the Department of Education and the state library administrator create model policies around book bans in libraries, including creating an appointed committee to review requests to remove material from a library.
  • However, the committee adopted an amendment from Assm. Selena Torres-Fossett (D-Las Vegas) that removed all provisions of the bill except for granting staff members immunity from criminal liability if they  assist students in accessing certain library and school materials.
• AB205, a bill by Assm. Heather Goulding (D-Reno) that would change how Nevada’s sexual education in schools is offered from opt-in to opt-out.
  • Currently, parents need to affirmatively agree to have their child learn about the reproductive system and sexually transmitted diseases in schools. AB205 would automatically enroll students in the course unless parents or guardians complete an opt-out form from the school district’s website. 
  • This is the sixth attempt the Legislature has considered an opt-out sex ed bill. 
  • Assm. Alexis Hansen (R-Sparks) said parents took a survey and 78 percent are against opt-out sex education. 
• AB464, sponsored by Assm. Brittney Miller (D-Las Vegas), would criminalize the suspension or termination of a staff member based on political affiliations. 

— Lizzie Ramirez

Republicans oppose Jan. 6 resolution, SOS priorities pass out of committee — 11:25 a.m.

The resolution that condemns the Jan. 6 insurrection and President Donald Trump’s pardons of convicted rioters passed out of the Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections, despite the opposition of the four Republicans on the committee.

Assms. Lisa Cole (R-Las Vegas), Rebecca Edgeworth (R-Las Vegas), Jill Dickman (R-Sparks) and Brian Hibbetts (R-Las Vegas) opposed passing AJR14 out of committee. The Nevada Republican Party has also opposed the resolution, saying it “puts the patriots who support President Trump in physical danger by presenting a one-sided, demonizing narrative.”

Other proposals that passed out of the committee Friday were:

• AB367, which mandates the Nevada secretary of state to provide voting materials and election information in additional languages, including American Sign Language.
• AB79, the secretary of state office’s bill relating to campaign finance that clarifies how PACs can spend its money and changes the penalty process related to campaign finance reporting violations.
  • The original version of the bill also would have allowed elected officials to use unspent campaign finance dollars for certain personal expenses that they cannot afford because of their role, such as child care costs, but that language was replaced with allowing the money to “defray ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection” with their role.
• AB534, the secretary of state office’s election omnibus bill, which passed out of committee without recommendation because of considerable changes that are forthcoming.
  • The bill would allow voters who are detained to use the state’s electronic system of applying for and casting a ballot and changes several election-related deadlines, including the one related to declarations of candidacies, among many other changes.
• AB73, the bill that requires the disclosure of artificial intelligence in campaign materials.
  • Under the original version of the bill, violation of the requirement would carry a penalty of no more than $50,000, but that was removed via amendment.

— Eric Neugeboren, Isabella Aldrete

Lawmakers approve using federal work experience for state government employment — 10:45 a.m.

The Assembly Committee on Government Affairs passed AB547, a bill from Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) that allows federal government work to be considered equivalent to state government employment experience.

The bill comes amid the Trump administration’s significant layoffs of federal workers. The bill also removes a requirement that state employees must have a college degree.

— Eric Neugeboren

Voluntary surrender bill passes out of Assembly Judiciary unanimously — 10:15 a.m 

A bipartisan bill that would establish a process for individuals to voluntarily “surrender” their firearms to law enforcement or certain firearm dealers passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Friday morning. 

Sponsored by Assm. Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) and Assm. P.K. O’Neill (R-Carson City), the bill aims to serve as a suicide prevention measure for individuals with mental health conditions or who are deemed to exhibit “high-risk behavior.” Individuals who enter such “voluntary surrender” agreements would be prohibited from owning or acquiring a firearm for at least 21 days. 

An amendment will provide limited civil liability protections to law enforcement agencies and licensed firearm dealers that agree to store firearms for individuals. 

Jauregui’s two other gun bills — one which would prohibit individuals younger than 21 from owning semi-automatics and another that would ban firearms from within 100 feet of an election site — also passed out of committee. 

— Isabella Aldrete

Book ban bill moves forward — 10 a.m.

The controversial bill about book bans, AB416, was passed out of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary on Friday morning. This would prohibit school and library boards from banning books. Bill sponsor Assm. Brittney Miller (D-Las Vegas) said she was inspired by the conservative wave school and library boards saw in 2024 where opponents challenged books revolving around LGBTQ+ and diversity, equity and inclusion themes. If an individual does want to challenge a book, they would have to file a complaint to the District Court. 

The bill was heard Tuesday morning and received a slew of mixed responses. Opponents argue AB416 is taking the rights away from parents and elected trustees and that the challenged books are “graphic and sexually explicit.” 

Miller told The Nevada Independent she believes opponents don’t fully understand the bill; “the bill specifically says that parents have the ability to go to the courts and ask for a review if they are concerned that something could be obscene.”

Opponents also argued this bill defeats the purpose of electing board members, but Miller noted board members could have political agendas and AB416 would work as a shield from boards swaying one way or the other to determine what books are obscene. Washoe County Board Director Jeff Scott was scrutinized last year during the book ban wave, with conservatives calling him to be voted out of office. Next Wednesday, Scott will be evaluated and could be potentially terminated. 

“Those members change, as well as their personal positions and political agendas,” Miller said in an interview. 

— Lizzie Ramirez

No movement on a state lottery — 9:15 a.m.

A bill that would remove a 159-year-old prohibition on Nevada operating a lottery has not been scheduled for a hearing and is likely to die. AJR5, which would change the state’s Constitution, easily passed in both legislative chambers in 2023, but it requires a second approval before it can be sent to Nevada voters in 2026.

Culinary Workers Union Local 226 renewed its backing of the measure earlier this month. However, the Nevada Resort Association opposes the lottery.

— Howard Stutz

Where we stand before Friday — 8 a.m.

As hundreds of bills face the proverbial chopping block, Today’s deadline does not mean every bill that fails to pass out of committee will meet its demise. Some will be resurrected in the form of amendments to other pieces of legislation. Lawmakers have also granted exemptions to dozens of bills with fiscal notes, including:

• AB67 to establish a baby bonds program
• A proposed $2.5 million appropriation in AB95 to the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation
• SB457, Gov. Joe Lombardo’s crime bill, which has an estimated cost of $42 million.

With late night meetings and unpredictable agendas spread throughout the week, lawmakers have already voted more than 370 measures out of committee through April 10. 

Notable measures that have already advanced include Assm. Sandra Jauregui’s (D-Las Vegas) expanded film tax legislation AB238, and bills that mirror legislation Lombardo vetoed in 2023 such as AB280, the infamous rent control bill. Jauregui brought this bill back with the original 10 percent rent cap for tenants who are 62 or older, or who rely on Social Security payments. However, this bill was amended to cap rent at 5 percent.

Dozens of bills were also passed out of committee Thursday, including:

• SB199, the bill from Sen. Dina Neal (D-North Las Vegas) that aims to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence in teaching, police reports and rent determinations.
• SB260, a bill to protect employees from poor air quality due to wildfire smoke. It pitted environmental groups against the business industry, and was amended to specify that it applies to those who often work indoors and exempts truckers and mine operators.
• Lawmakers gathered in a behind the bar committee meeting Thursday where they unanimously passed AB346, an effort seeking to legalize medical aid in dying or allow a physician to prescribe a lethal dose of medication for a terminally ill patient (although Gov. Joe Lombardo has said he would veto the bill).
• Sen. Julie Pazina’s (D-Las Vegas) so-called “Taylor Swift Bill” that seeks to increase transparency in ticket sales passed out of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
  • An amendment to the legislation would exempt ticket sellers from providing a refund if there is a cancellation because of an emergency, disaster declaration or  … “an act of God.” (?)
• AB328 would establish a Commission on Racial Equity and Social Justice to study historical racial discrimination, sponsored by Assm. Reuben D’Silva (D-North Las Vegas).
• Sen. Roberta Lange’s film tax expansion measure, SB220, passed out of committee Thursday evening without recommendation. An amendment attached to the measure would establish a “Creative Technology Initiative” that would establish an independent nonproft to support “innovation and commercialization of, but not limited to aerospace, health care technologies, video game development, artificial intelligence, virtual and extended reality (VR/VX), drones and related technologies.”

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