Gov. Joe Lombardo has called the Nevada Legislature into a long-anticipated special session to deal with a proposed massive expansion of film tax credits and a host of issues left unresolved when the Legislature concluded in June, including criminal justice and health care bills pushed by the governor.

Lombardo’s Wednesday proclamation follows an announcement he made in early October that he would call a special session to address “unfinished” business stemming from the chaotic last days of the 2025 legislative session. The special session is set to begin Thursday at 10 a.m. and will “address legislative and budgetary matters requiring urgent action.”

“Nevadans deserve action now — not years from now — on legislation that implements critical public safety measures, expands healthcare access, and supports good-paying jobs,” Lombardo said in a press release. “By calling this special session, we are reaffirming our responsibility to act decisively and deliver meaningful results for the people of Nevada.”

In a statement responding to Lombardo’s proclamation, Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) noted the Legislature does not set the agenda but the governor “dictates” the issues to be addressed.

“The Assembly is here to ensure the legislation presented to us does, in fact, improve the quality of life for all Nevadans,” Yeager said.

The special session will revive Lombardo’s marquee crime bill and a high-profile film tax credit expansion measure backed by the construction industry and unions.

It will also include:

• Adjustments to legislation governing the sale of alcohol from breweries (AB404) passed during the 2025 session that raised concerns about the security of authorized retailers’ (such as casinos) financial accounts by granting distributors broad access to the accounts.
• Changes to legislation that Lombardo signed regarding insurance requirements for short-term vehicle leases (SB194). 
• The Windsor Park Environmental Justice Act (SB450), a passed bill from the 2023 legislative session to facilitate the relocation of a dilapidated neighborhood in North Las Vegas. Another bill to provide more funding for the program died on the final day of this year’s legislative session.
• Funding for a “centers for medical excellence” (SB434) that would establish a statewide grant program to address a shortage of specialized health care providers and increase clinical services in Nevada. 
• A bill vetoed by Lombardo (AB600) that would have required all proceeds from the sale of certain products in the Legislature go toward the Legislative Fund and mandated that all state entities be part of a branch of state government. In his veto message, Lombardo said the government branch element would have likely contradicted a court ruling that the Board of Regents is separate from the rest of state government. 

In the announcement, Lombardo also wrote that the Legislature will consider legislation related to cybersecurity, school zone safety, public officer privacy and labor law. 

The proclamation also authorizes lawmakers to consider a series of appropriations to support public safety, health care, infrastructure, education and state operations, along with funding for indigent defense, a jail-based behavioral health program, wildland fire trucks and investments in education and medical infrastructure. It notes that the Legislature should consider establishing a cybersecurity talent pipeline program,

Within the proclamation, Lombardo specified that the Legislature shall also consider legislation to establish and fund a new Silver State General Assistance Program within the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services. There were no specific details about the goal of the program.

As questions have risen about the ability for Nevadans to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits amid the government shutdown, there’s also language in the proclamation giving lawmakers the ability to “address a projected shortfall from the budget reconciliation act's change in administrative cost sharing for SNAP” and to purchase technology to review SNAP caseloads to improve accuracy in delivering the program.

Notably absent from the proclamation were elements of Lombardo’s health care legislation that died on the final day of the session, which had proposed establishing a state office of mental health — a pledge Lombardo made as part of his State of the State address.

However, the proclamation included language about provisions to compensate brokers for enrolling Nevadans in health insurance plans governed by state law (likely to address insurers cutting of broker fees to lower the cost of the public option) and to the Nevada Health Authority to carry out a program to award grants to community-based organizations offering education and enrollment services for Nevada Medicaid.

Nevada’s Constitution only allows lawmakers in a special session to pass bills related to issues in the governor’s proclamation. But there’s room for lawmakers to pass resolutions and interim studies on issues that may be unrelated.

The announcement convenes the 36th special session in Nevada. It’s not clear how long the special session could run, though the Constitution requires special sessions to be concluded within 20 calendar days. Records show that the shortest special session has been one day and the longest 27 days.

Updated on 11/12/25 at 5:40 p.m. to include more details from the proclamation and again at 6:47 p.m. to include a statement from Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager.