Judiciary

SB 407 revises Nevada's indigent defense system by changing appointment authority and requirements for key leadership roles. It requires the Board on Indigent Defense Services (not the Governor) to appoint and oversee the Executive Director, who serves a 4-year term and can only be removed for "good cause." The Executive Director also appoints the State Public Defender (previously appointed by the Governor), and both positions must be held by Nevada State Bar members or court-authorized attorneys. The bill aims to strengthen the system's independence, aligning with ABA standards, and includes transitional provisions for current officeholders.

SB 309 revises laws about driving under the influence of alcohol or prohibited substances. It expands the list of banned substances to include fentanyl and MDMA (street name for methylenedioxymethamphetamine), and changes marijuana metabolite rules to apply to misdemeanor cases. The bill lowers the alcohol concentration threshold requiring a substance use disorder evaluation from 0.18% to 0.16%, and modifies treatment program eligibility for repeat offenders. These changes directly affect drivers who operate vehicles while impaired by alcohol or these substances.

SB 60 expands penalties for crimes committed against older adults (60+ years) or vulnerable persons in Nevada. It adds specific theft crimes - such as controlling property with intent to deprive, unauthorized property conversion, and obtaining property through material misrepresentation - to the list requiring an extra prison term that runs consecutively with the main sentence. The bill also makes criminal deceptive trade practices against these groups subject to the same additional penalty and creates civil fines (up to $30,000 for repeat offenses) recoverable by the Attorney General. Proceeds from these fines fund victim compensation and a specialized unit investigating crimes against older or vulnerable people.

SB 465 revises Nevada law regarding criminal defendants found incompetent to stand trial. It reduces the required number of evaluators from three to two when assessing a defendant's competence, adding a third evaluator only if the first two disagree. The bill also removes courts' authority to order involuntary psychiatric medication as part of a commitment, requiring prosecutors to seek a separate court order for such medication instead. These changes directly affect defendants in criminal cases, the Division of Public and Behavioral Health (which oversees their treatment), and prosecutors handling medication requests. The bill became law on June 11, 2025 (Chapter 511).

AB 381 updates Nevada's animal cruelty laws to better address neglect and abuse. It revises definitions to include passive inaction (like failing to stop abuse when aware) as cruelty, and removes the exception that previously exempted agricultural land from cruelty investigations. The bill increases penalties for cruelty, raising police animal assault to a category B felony if the animal is disabled or killed, and changes procedures for impounded animals during arrests by requiring forfeiture to local governments instead of auction. These changes directly affect animal owners, law enforcement, courts, and shelters handling cruelty cases.