Nevada’s Attorney General would appoint a gun violence prevention counsel

The Attorney General would appoint a Special Counsel to advise on gun violence prevention, work with researchers, and collect specified arrest and prosecution data. The data would cover arrests and prosecutions for violations of NRS 202.3625 through 202.3645. If the Special Counsel requested it, the Department of Public Safety, local police and sheriffs, and district or city attorneys would have to provide the data. The Special Counsel would serve at the Attorney General’s pleasure. The Special Counsel would assist with other Attorney General education programs only when requested. State agencies could assist, but the text would not require them to do so. The bill proposed an effective date of July 1, 2025, but the Governor vetoed it.

The Special Counsel could create and run a grant program for Nevada organizations. Grants would support Nevada organizations running community-based, culturally aware efforts focused on interrupting cycles of gun violence, trauma, and retaliation. The program could operate only within the money available for it. Organizations would have to follow grant rules and show they could work effectively in communities the Special Counsel identifies as at high risk. Funded efforts would have to use evidence-informed methods with potential to reduce gun violence without contributing to mass incarceration, and regularly evaluate results with community input. The grant program would have no separate start date; the bill proposed to take effect July 1, 2025, but was vetoed.

The Attorney General would send lawmakers a written report about the Special Counsel’s work and gun violence in Nevada. The report would cover implementation of the bill’s provisions on the Special Counsel and the overall state of gun violence and prevention in Nevada. The report would be due by January 1 of each odd-numbered year, for delivery to the next regular legislative session.