Revises provisions relating to firearms. (BDR 15-174)
Summary
SB89 revises Nevada’s firearm disqualification laws to add certain hate-crime convictions to the list of offenses that bar firearm purchase, ownership, possession, or control. The bill covers people convicted within the prior 10 years of committing or attempting to commit a hate crime, including hate crimes involving violence, and it applies both to Nevada offenses and comparable offenses from other states or federal jurisdictions. It also makes clear that each firearm involved can be charged as a separate violation.
The bill defines “hate crime” by reference to offenses motivated by race, color, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression, and it includes offenses where a court imposed an enhanced penalty based on that motivation. It also creates a limited grandfathering provision: people convicted of a hate crime or hate crime involving violence before July 1, 2025, may keep firearms they legally owned before that date. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
SB89 amends NRS 202.360 and NRS 202.3621, expanding Nevada’s existing firearm-prohibited-person framework to include recent hate-crime convictions and related violent hate-crime offenses. The bill increases the number of people who are barred from firearm access, while preserving preexisting lawful ownership for certain pre-July 1, 2025 convictions. It also reinforces enforcement by treating each firearm as a separate violation for prosecution purposes.
Sentiment
The voting history suggests the bill had majority support but was not unanimous, passing the Senate 12-8 and the Assembly 27-15. That pattern indicates a generally favorable view of the bill’s public-safety and anti-hate-crime goals, alongside meaningful opposition. No committee transcript was provided, so the available record shows support and resistance primarily through floor votes rather than detailed debate.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the expansion of firearm prohibitions based on hate-crime convictions, which some lawmakers may view as a necessary public-safety measure and others may see as an additional restriction on gun rights. The bill’s 10-year lookback for recent convictions, its inclusion of out-of-state and federal hate-crime findings, and the separate-violation rule for each firearm may also have raised concerns about scope and enforcement. The grandfather clause for preexisting lawful firearms appears designed to soften retroactive effects, but it does not eliminate the broader disagreement over whether hate-crime convictions should trigger firearm disability at all.