EXEMPT
(Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 15, 2025)
FIRST REPRINT S.B. 156
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SENATE BILL NO. 156–SENATOR FLORES
PREFILED FEBRUARY 2, 2025
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Referred to Committee on Government Affairs
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to the prevention of gun
violence. (BDR 18-958)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Yes.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to firearm safety; creating the Office for the
Prevention of Gun Violence in the Office of the Attorney
General; setting forth the powers and duties of the Office;
and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Under existing law, the Attorney General is the legal adviser on all state 1
matters arising in the Executive Department of the State Government. (NRS 2
228.110) Section 7 of this bill creates the Office for the Prevention of Gun 3
Violence within the Office of the Attorney General and: (1) requires the Attorney 4
General to appoint an Ombudsman of the Office; (2) requires the Ombudsman to 5
employ such personnel as are necessary to perform the functions and duties of the 6
Office; and (3) authorizes state agencies to cooperate with and assist the Office in 7
the performance of its duties. Section 8 of this bill requires the Office to: (1) advise 8
the Attorney General on all matters relating to the prevention of gun violence; (2) 9
increase public awareness of federal and state laws and available resources relating 10
to the prevention of gun violence; (3) increase education relating to the prevention 11
of gun violence through public awareness campaigns and the development of 12
certain materials and training resources; (4) collaborate with professors and 13
researchers in identifying and developing data and resources relating to preventing 14
gun violence; and (5) at the request of the Attorney General, assist with certain 15
other educational campaigns and programs relating to the prevention of gun 16
violence, firearm safety and suicide prevention. Section 9 of this bill authorizes the 17
Ombudsman to establish and administer a program to award grants to organizations 18
in this State to conduct certain gun violence prevention initiatives and sets forth 19
certain provisions should such a program be created. Section 10 of this bill requires 20
the Office to create and maintain a resource bank for data, research and statistical 21
information pertaining to gun violence in the State. Section 11 of this bill 22
authorizes the Office to apply for and receive gifts, grants and contributions to 23
carry out the duties and defray the expenses of the Office. Section 12 of this bill 24
requires the Attorney General to submit a biennial report to the Legislature 25
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concerning the activities and effectiveness of the Office for the Prevention of Gun 26
Violence. Sections 2-6 of this bill define certain terms for the purposes of the 27
provisions of sections 2-12. 28
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 228 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1
thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 to 12, inclusive, of this 2
act. 3
Sec. 2. As used in sections 2 to 12, inclusive, of this act, 4
unless the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined 5
in sections 3 to 6, inclusive, of this act have the meanings ascribed 6
to them in those sections. 7
Sec. 3. “Ombudsman” means the Ombudsman of the Office. 8
Sec. 4. “Office” means the Office for the Prevention of Gun 9
Violence created by section 7 of this act. 10
Sec. 5. “Resource bank” means the bank of information, 11
materials and resources pertaining to gun violence in Nevada 12
created and maintained by the Office pursuant to section 10 of this 13
act. 14
Sec. 6. “State agency” means an agency, bureau, board, 15
commission, department, division or any other unit of the 16
Executive Department of the State Government. 17
Sec. 7. 1. The Office for the Prevention of Gun Violence is 18
hereby created within the Office of the Attorney General. 19
2. The Attorney General shall appoint an Ombudsman of the 20
Office, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General. 21
3. The Ombudsman shall employ such personnel as are 22
necessary to perform the functions and duties of the Office set 23
forth in sections 8 to 12, inclusive, of this act. 24
4. Any state agency may cooperate with and assist the Office 25
in the performance of its duties and functions. 26
Sec. 8. The Office for the Prevention of Gun Violence shall: 27
1. Advise the Attorney General on all matters related to the 28
prevention of gun violence, including, without limitation, the 29
effectiveness of state laws in preventing gun violence, the legal, 30
social and policy barriers to preventing gun violence and 31
strategies and policies to prevent gun violence. 32
2. Increase public awareness of federal and state laws and 33
available resources relating to preventing gun violence, including, 34
without limitation: 35
(a) Best practices for the safe storage of firearms; 36
(b) Safe and responsible gun ownership; 37
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(c) Federal and state laws relating to purchasing, owning and 1
storing a firearm; 2
(d) Accessing resources relating to mental health and 3
substance use disorders and how to refer a person in need of 4
assistance to resources relating to mental health, substance use 5
disorders and suicide prevention; and 6
(e) The availability of, and the process to obtain, an order for 7
protection pursuant to chapter 33 of NRS. 8
3. Increase education relating to preventing gun violence 9
through: 10
(a) Public awareness campaigns relating to gun violence that 11
are conducted in a culturally competent manner and directed 12
toward gun owners, the parents or legal guardians of children, 13
professions that provide services to persons and communities 14
disproportionately affected by gun violence and communities 15
identified by the Office as disproportionately affected by gun 16
violence; 17
(b) The development of materials and training resources 18
relating to the prevention of gun violence that are in multiple 19
languages, when possible, to be made available to local law 20
enforcement agencies, health care providers and educators to aid 21
them in educating the public about the prevention of gun violence; 22
and 23
(c) The utilization of multiple forms of messaging, including, 24
without limitation, television messaging, radio broadcasts, print 25
media and digital strategies. 26
4. Collaborate with and assist professors and researchers in: 27
(a) Identifying new data or data needed for the advancement 28
of research relating to the prevention of gun violence; 29
(b) Encouraging the disaggregation of data relating to gun 30
violence by race and ethnicity to improve the understanding of 31
barriers to preventing gun violence; 32
(c) Promoting new and relevant research relating to 33
preventing gun violence; and 34
(d) Researching, developing and implementing programs, 35
initiatives, tools and resources aimed at preventing gun violence. 36
5. At the request of the Attorney General, provide assistance 37
to other educational campaigns and programs conducted by the 38
Office of the Attorney General relating to the prevention of gun 39
violence, firearm safety and suicide prevention. 40
Sec. 9. 1. The Ombudsman may, within the limits of money 41
available for this purpose, establish and administer a program to 42
award grants to organizations in this State to conduct gun violence 43
prevention initiatives that are community-based, culturally 44
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competent and focused on interrupting cycles of gun violence, 1
trauma and retaliation. 2
2. The Attorney General may adopt regulations for the 3
administration of any grant program established pursuant to 4
subsection 1, including, without limitation, the procedure to apply 5
for such a grant, the criteria for awarding a grant and any 6
reporting requirements. 7
3. To be eligible for a grant from a program established 8
pursuant to subsection 1, an organization must comply with any 9
regulations adopted pursuant to subsection 2 and demonstrate to 10
the satisfaction of the Ombudsman that the organization has the 11
ability to conduct effective gun violence prevention initiatives in 12
communities identified by the Office as being at high risk of 13
perpetrating or being victimized by gun violence. 14
4. Any initiative conducted with a grant awarded by the 15
program established pursuant to subsection 1 must: 16
(a) Use strategies that are evidence-informed and have 17
demonstrated the potential to reduce gun violence without 18
contributing to mass incarceration, such as hospital-based 19
violence intervention programs, group violence interventions, 20
evidence-based street outreach programs and violence interruption 21
and crisis management programs; and 22
(b) Include regular evaluations of the effectiveness of 23
implemented initiatives, which must include soliciting community 24
input. 25
Sec. 10. The Office shall create and maintain a resource 26
bank for data, research and statistical information pertaining to 27
gun violence in the State. The resource bank must be updated on a 28
routine basis to reflect current statistical information regarding 29
gun violence in the State. 30
Sec. 11. The Office may apply for and receive gifts, grants, 31
contributions or other money from governmental and private 32
agencies, affiliated associations and other persons for the purpose 33
of carrying out the provisions of sections 7 to 12, inclusive, of this 34
act and to defray expenses incurred by the Office in the discharge 35
of its duties. 36
Sec. 12. On or before January 1 of each odd-numbered year, 37
the Attorney General shall submit to the Director of the Legislative 38
Counsel Bureau for transmittal to the next regular session of the 39
Legislature a written report concerning: 40
1. The implementation of sections 7 to 12, inclusive, of this 41
act; and 42
2. The overall effectiveness of the Office for the Prevention of 43
Gun Violence. 44
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Sec. 13. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 7 of this 1
act, the Ombudsman of the Office for the Prevention of Gun 2
Violence shall employ not less than one full-time equivalent 3
employee for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and an additional two full-time 4
equivalent employees for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. 5
Sec. 14. The provisions of subsection 1 of NRS 218D.380 do 6
not apply to any provision of this act which adds or revises a 7
requirement to submit a report to the Legislature. 8
Sec. 15. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 9
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