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AB 489 Nevada Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Revises provisions relating to civil actions. (BDR 3-1141)

AB 489 revises Nevada law to change how civil lawsuits for deaths caused by homicide can be filed. It updates the definition of "heir" to refer to who would inherit property at the time a lawsuit is filed (not at the time of death) and removes the standard 2-year time limit for such cases. Instead, heirs or personal representatives can file a lawsuit at any time if they prove the death was a homicide through a "preponderance of evidence" (more likely than not). This applies to all existing and future homicide-related death cases, making the law retroactive.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Assembly Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Mar 24, 2025 Last action May 24, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Reprint 1 → Reprint 2 · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was reprinted with amendments that clarify the statute of limitations for wrongful death claims. The changes specifically target actions against individuals deemed to be killers or their estates, rather than all wrongful deaths, and add references to specific Nevada statutes regarding killer determinations.
Scope change
The bill now explicitly limits the unlimited statute of limitations to cases against natural persons deemed to be killers or their personal representatives, excluding vicarious liability cases.
ELIGIBILITY

Removed the general requirement that death must be a homicide committed by a wrongdoer, replacing it with specific references to NRS 41B.250 and 41B.260 for determining who qualifies as a killer.

DEFINITION

Added language clarifying that the unlimited statute of limitations applies only to natural persons deemed to be killers, excluding actions based on vicarious liability.

TIMELINE

Updated the legislative reprint date from April 18, 2025 to May 21, 2025, indicating additional amendments were adopted.

Floor votes · Assembly Apr 21, 2025

How they voted

24–15
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
Apr 21, 2025
D Democratic26
24 Yea 1 Nay 1
92% Yea
R Republican14
14 Nay
100% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
9
Key actions
4
Committee
3
May 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 674.) Reprinting dispensed with.
lower
Apr 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved. (Yeas: 25, Nays: 16, Excused: 1.) To printer.
lower
Apr 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 406.) Dispensed with reprinting.
lower
Mar 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
From printer. To committee.
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.