FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2023
Contact: Will Pregman, [email protected], 702.752.0656
Nevada Assembly Votes to Pass Majority Leader Jauregui’s Gun Safety Bills, Prohibiting Firearms at Election Areas, Clarifying Language on Ghost Guns, and Raising the Purchase Age for Assault Weapons
After passage in the Assembly, these bills now move to the Senate Judiciary Committee for a Work Session
CARSON CITY, NV – Today, the Assembly Floor voted to pass AB354 sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui which prohibits firearms within 100 ft. of election sites and clarifies ghost gun language from the 81st Nevada Legislative Session. AB354 was passed 28-14. On April 21st the Assembly Floor voted to pass AB355, also sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui, which raises the purchase and possession age of assault weapons to 21 years old in Nevada. This bill also exempts active military, members of the Armed Forces of the United States, and law enforcement employed by a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency. The bill was passed on a party line vote 26 to 14.
“Elections are one of the key ways we continue to move our democracy forward and voters should never feel intimidated or fearful as they cast their ballot,” said Annette Magnus, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress. “We thank Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui for sponsoring AB354, which will prohibit guns within 100 feet of polling locations, vote centers, ballot drop-off locations, and ballot tabulation areas. This distance, provided by an amendment, mirrors Nevada Electioneering Laws. This is a crucial step to protect future elections and ensure voters and election workers are not intimidated or fearful. As we have seen rising threats of political violence over the past two years, this bill was a natural step toward a safer future. We cannot continue allowing firearms where people vote or where ballots are counted. Firearms are prohibited in numerous other places, including at the Legislative Building in Carson City. This is neither a radical measure nor a law that will harm responsible gun owners. As a gun owner, I strongly support this measure because I believe there is a time and place for firearms. That time and place do not include while people are voting. Additionally, this measure clarifies language in Assembly Bill 286, which banned ghost guns in the 81st Legislative Session. This language fix is in line with the ATF’s recent ghost gun rule and should alleviate the legal challenge to the law. A recent amendment to this portion of AB354 allows people with unserialized firearms to have more time to get them serialized, allows gun dealers to provide serialization services, and restores the definition currently being considered by the Supreme Court, further clarifying the alternative definitions. Ghost guns are a significant problem, especially with Polymer80 in our backyard. Unserialized firearms make it easy for prohibited people to purchase guns and hide those purchases from law enforcement. Unsurprisingly, this has led to increases in violence and ghost guns being found at crime scenes.”
“We also want to thank the Assembly for passing AB355 and Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui for bringing this legislation forth. This bill raises the purchase and possession age of assault weapons to 21 in Nevada and includes an exemption for active military. We know that young people commit gun offenses in high numbers. In 2019, over 280,000 young people between 10 and 21 were arrested for weapons offenses. AB355 seeks to address this issue and make Nevada communities safer by restricting young people’s access to assault weapons. We want to additionally thank all of our partners who testified in support of this bill when it was heard on April 6th, including Brady, Moms Demand Action, and Giffords. We look forward to seeing this bill move through the Senate. We have tremendous respect for Majority Leader Jauregui, a gun violence survivor, for bringing this measure forward and working diligently to pass legislation that will lower incidents of gun violence. She has truly turned her pain into action, and we are grateful to work with her each Session.”
Kris Brown, President, Brady said:
Today’s vote by the Assembly on AB354 and AB355 marks a critical step forward for gun safety in Nevada. By prohibiting firearms at polling locations, strengthening ghost gun laws, and raising the age for the purchase and possession of assault weapons, we’re sending a clear message: our democracy and our communities deserve to be protected from the threat of gun violence. I applaud Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui for her leadership on these bills, which will make Nevada a safer place to live, work, and vote. We hope to see the same Senate take the same initiative.”
Agustin Cabrera, GIFFORDS State Legislative Manager, said:
“Thanks to the courageous leadership of Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui and the Nevada State Assembly, two bills that will address gun violence in Nevada have passed a major milestone. AB354 will ensure that Nevadans feel safer in their communities and in exercising their rights to vote. AB355, raising the minimum age to purchase an assault weapon to 21 years old, will keep these dangerous weapons out of the hands of young people who might be at risk of harming themselves or others. GIFFORDS applauds the passage of both bills and will continue to fight to save lives in the state of Nevada.”
“The issue is simple, raising the age at which a person may legally purchase firearms will protect young Nevadans and help keep guns out of the hands of people who are likely to misuse them,” said Marisa Marano an Everytown Survivor Fellow and volunteer with the Nevada Chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We are grateful for our lawmakers’ steadfast action on this legislation and look forward to working with community partners and gun sense champions to turn this bill into law while engaging with leaders at all levels to protect Nevada families from the threat of gun violence.”
Emily Persaud-Zamora, Executive Director of Silver State Voices said:
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Assembly for passing AB354. This crucial legislation will help ensure that every voter feels safe and secure when casting their ballot at a polling location. We already have laws limiting where people can carry firearms, such as churches and schools. We applaud Assemblywoman Jauregui for introducing a bill that ensures voters can participate in our democracy without fearing for their safety. Now, we must continue to work diligently to ensure that the Senate also passes this vital bill, so that we can provide every voter with the peace of mind they deserve when exercising their right to vote.”
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