Governor Sisolak Signed SB89, an Additional School Safety Bill, Earlier This Week.
CARSON CITY, Nev. – Everytown for Gun Safety and the Nevada chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown, today applauded Gov. Steve Sisolak for signing into law legislation establishing an Extreme Risk law, requiring responsible storage of firearms and prohibiting the sale and possession of bump stocks. Earlier this year, Sisolak signed legislation requiring background checks on all gun sales, making this a landmark session for gun safety in the Silver State. Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, a survivor of the October 1 mass shooting, authored AB291, the legislation signed today.
“Nevada just sent another powerful message to states that share its long tradition of gun ownership: The political map is changing when it comes to gun safety,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “For the second time in less than a year, Nevada — a state once considered an NRA stronghold — has enacted common-sense reforms that put public safety first while creating a model for how we can keep our classrooms and children safe.”
“When women go to the polls, they vote for gun safety. And when they become lawmakers, they pass gun safety laws,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “I’m so grateful that the nation’s first majority-female legislature is taking such a strong stand on gun safety. Moms Demand Action volunteers from across the state showed up to counter the gun lobby’s every move, and now the state has a host of new gun safety laws that will help prevent gun violence in Nevada and beyond. Thank you Governor Sisolak, Assemblywoman Jauregui, and all the gun sense champions who helped make Nevada safer.”
“No law can bring my daughter back, but I am so proud of our leaders 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. This legislation will undoubtedly save lives.”
The legislation signed into law today will go a long way in protecting Nevadans from mass shootings, school shootings and firearm suicides. AB291 included the following provisions:
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.
Additionally, Governor Sisolak signed into law SB89, legislation that will require evidence-based threat assessment programs in schools that help schools identify and deescalate dangerous situations. This legislation, combined with the provisions in AB291 and the background checks legislation signed earlier this year, 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
