A month after Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) announced he would call the Legislature into a special session this fall to address “unfinished” business, the scope of the agenda is still under development even as the session could begin as soon as Thursday. 

That’s according to eight sources who are familiar with discussions of the special session and were granted anonymity to freely discuss behind-the-scenes negotiations with The Nevada Independent.

Many expect for the special session to be announced as early as Wednesday and start Thursday, leading some lawmakers to plan to travel to Carson City this week. Still, a number of sources noted that discussions are still ongoing — which has contributed to the dearth of public information about what will be on the agenda.

“Governor Lombardo will announce the time and agenda of the special session once finalized,” his spokesperson, Elizabeth Ray, said in a statement.

One source indicated that there’s a tight timeline for the special session given some lawmakers' prior commitments and schedules, noting that at least one lawmaker would only be available in person through Nov. 15.

When adding items to the agenda, Lombardo needs to have a degree of certainty as to where it lands with the Democratic majority that controls both chambers of the Legislature. The governor and lawmakers are incentivized to avoid a lengthy special session because of costs associated with holding the session and the campaign fundraising blackout period, which bars candidates from collecting donations from the day after the governor issues the proclamation until 15 days after the special session adjourns.

The success or failure of his agenda will be a talking point in Lombardo’s 2026 re-election bid.

Under Nevada’s Constitution, the governor — or lawmakers by a two-thirds vote — may call the Legislature into a special session for a particular purpose.

Sources nearly unanimously agreed that the special session agenda will revive Lombardo’s marquee crime bill, which died in the chaotic final minutes of the 2025 legislative session. It’s still unclear if a construction-trade-backed film tax credit expansion measure supported by Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas) will be included on the agenda. 

The legislation passed out of the Assembly on a 22-20 vote in June, but died in the chamber Cannizzaro leads on the last day of the session.

Other items that sources say are being discussed, but may not end up on the agenda, 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 certain parties unauthorized access to the accounts
• 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 and addressing Nevada’s health care provider shortage
• The Windsor Park Environmental Justice Act (SB393), which passed out of both chambers but died while waiting for senators to concur on the language of an amendment
• Funding for a “centers for medical excellence” (SB434) originally proposed by Cannizzaro that would establish a statewide grant program to address a shortage of specialized health care providers shortages and increase clinical services in Nevada 

Legislative Democrats have been conversing with the governor’s office about ensuring access to vaccines after CVS and Walgreens temporarily stopped  offering the COVID vaccine in Nevada over the summer amid concerns about existing regulations. Some sources noted that after the recent attack that downed many state systems for weeks, cybersecurity has also been mentioned as a possible special session item.

A push by Democrats to fund food assistance and a proposal from Senate Democrats to establish an alternative program to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits could also find its way onto the special session agenda.

Though the Constitution stipulates that any bills passed by the Legislature in a special session will need to tie back to Lombardo’s proclamation and agenda, there’s room for lawmakers to pass resolutions and interim studies on issues that may be unrelated. 

Democratic caucus spokespersons did not respond to specific questions about the upcoming special session.