AB 497 Nevada Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Revises provisions relating to campaign finance. (BDR 24-996)

AB 497 revises Nevada's campaign finance rules, primarily affecting committees for political action (CPACs), defeated candidates, and former public officials. The bill allows CPACs to use their funds for specific purposes like contributing to candidates, legal defense funds, or other CPACs (Section 1). It also excludes nonprofits and corporations from being classified as CPACs (Section 2) and permits defeated candidates to reuse unspent funds in their next election (instead of disposing immediately), while requiring former officials to dispose of unspent funds within 15 days of leaving office (Section 3). These changes streamline fund usage and clarify regulatory boundaries without imposing new costs on state or local governments.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

Assembly Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

May 2025

Signed into Law

Jun 2025

Introduced Mar 24, 2025 Signed Jun 5, 2025

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What changed between versions

Reprint 2 → As Enrolled · 5 edits · Jun 5, 2025

MODERATE

This bill updates Nevada's campaign finance laws by expanding how political committees can spend money, broadening the definition of who is exempt from reporting requirements, and changing rules for how defeated candidates and former officials must dispose of leftover campaign funds. The changes aim to provide more flexibility for political groups while ensuring transparency for larger expenditures.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of entities excluded from being classified as 'committees for political action' to include various nonprofit organizations and corporations that previously might have been subject to stricter campaign finance rules.

FISCAL

Political action committees are now authorized to contribute money to legal defense funds and nonprofit corporations, in addition to existing categories like candidates and political parties.

DEFINITION

The definition of a 'committee for political action' was revised to explicitly exclude nonprofit organizations, certain corporations, and labor unions from campaign finance regulations.

REQUIREMENT

Entities that are excluded from the 'committee for political action' definition must now report independent expenditures if they exceed $1,000.

TIMELINE

Defeated candidates and former public officers are now required to dispose of unspent campaign contributions by October 1, 2029, if they do not run for office again within four years.

Former public officers who leave office must dispose of unspent contributions within 15 days after the four-year ineligibility period ends, rather than waiting for a specific later date.

Floor votes · Assembly Apr 22, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jun 5, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor.

executive

May 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

Senate Amendment No. 642 concurred in. To enrollment.

lower

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

From printer. To re-engrossment. Re-engrossed. Second reprint. Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved, as amended. (Yeas: 13, Nays: 8.) To Assembly.

upper

May 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 642.) To printer.

upper

Apr 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved. (Yeas: 42, Nays: None.) To printer.

lower

Apr 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. Placed on Second Reading File. Taken from Second Reading File. Placed on Chief Clerk's desk. Taken from Chief Clerk's desk. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 385.) Dispensed with reprinting.

lower

Mar 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. To committee.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors