CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Nevada chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, marked the end of the 2019 legislative session by celebrating the passage of gun violence prevention policies this session. Earlier this year, the legislature passed, and Gov. Steve Sisolak signed into law, legislation requiring background checks on all gun sales in the state. Later in the session, the legislature passed AB291, legislation establishing an Extreme Risk law, requiring responsible storage of firearms and prohibiting the sale and possession of bump stocks. Additionally, the Nevada legislature passed SB89, legislation that will require evidence-based threat assessment programs in schools that help schools identify and deescalate dangerous situations. The passage of these strong gun violence prevention policies made this a landmark session for gun safety in the Silver State.
“No law can bring my daughter back, but I am so proud of our lawmakers for continuing to work to make Nevada safer for all of us,” said Stephanie Pizzoferrato, a member of the Everytown Survivor Network whose four-year-old daughter, Dayla Riley Pizzoferrato, was struck by a stray bullet in Las Vegas in 2011. Dayla died two days later on March 8, 2011. “No family should have to experience the pain my family endured, but unfortunately, many Nevadans know the pain of losing loved ones to gun violence all too well. The legislation passed this session will undoubtedly save lives.”
The legislation passed this session will go a long way in protecting Nevadans from mass shootings, school shootings and firearm suicides. The legislature passed the following gun violence prevention measures this session:
- SB143: Legislation requiring background checks on all gun sales, so people exhibiting warning signs, minors, and people with dangerous histories can’t evade gun laws and get their hands on guns.
- AB291, which includes:
- SB89: Legislation that will require evidence-based threat assessment programs in schools that help schools identify and deescalate dangerous situations.
An Extreme Risk law, which can help prevent tragedy before it strikes by empowering families and law enforcement to get a court order to temporarily prevent a person from accessing guns when they might be a risk to themselves or others.
Legislation requiring people to store firearms responsibly to prevent unsupervised access to firearms, which can help prevent school shootings and unintentional shootings at home. The majority of school shootings occur after a student has accessed unsecured guns from a parent or family member’s home. This suggests that responsible storage laws can be an effective tool in addressing the source of guns used in school shootings.
Prohibition of bump stocks and other devices that can be used to effectively convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic guns. In October 2017, Nevada experienced the deadliest mass shooting in modern history when a gunman opened fire on a concert in Las Vegas and in a matter of minutes, killed 58 people and injured over 400. The gunman used firearm accessories, known as bump stocks, to increase the carnage he could unleash. A bump stock is a device that harnesses the recoil of a semiautomatic firearm to fire several shots in succession, mimicking automatic fire.
These measures will establish Nevada as a leader in school safety. More information on proven strategies for improving school safety is available in a report released earlier this year by Everytown, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.