The 2025 Nevada Legislative Session: A Balancing Act of Policy and Politics

When people say that Nevada is the Wild West, it includes our legislative sessions. The 83rd legislative session is now in our rear-view window, but it was nothing short of dramatic. Even before the legislative session began, the state faced a budget deficit stemming from a series of forecasting errors for the upcoming biennium. As the session came to a close, it did so with a lieutenant governor nearly locked out of the Senate chambers and a filibuster to end the night. In all, over 1200 bills and resolutions were introduced during this legislative session. In keeping with Governor Lombardo’s priorities from his State of the State address, many bills touched upon healthcare, economic development, housing, education, and criminal justice reform. Many of these bills are seeing their way onto his desk now for approval. Many will be signed, and many others won’t. Below are some key highlights from the bills impacting the state. 

• SB494 – One of only two of Governor Lombardo’s priority bills to be passed this session was SB494, which splits the Department of Health and Human Services into two entities. The first is the Department of Health and Human Services, which provides direct social services to the state. However, through this bill, the New Nevada Health Authority is split away, taking with it the Division of Healthcare Financing and Policy, Medicaid, and the Medical Regulatory bodies. In doing so, the intent is to find and create economies of scale while improving state effectiveness in price negotiations and service delivery to constituents. 
• SB460– This was Senator Cannizzaro’s landmark legislation in the education arena. As introduced, it mirrored many of the school accountability measures found in the Governor’s education bill, SB 485. However, after intense negotiations and stakeholder input, the bill now represents a historic step forward for Nevada’s education landscape. The bill creates four cornerstones for the state’s education system: accountability, transparency, efficiency, and choice. In doing so, Nevada families will have a greater ability to monitor and engage with their school preferences. 
• SB457 – Introduced by Governor Lombardo, SB457 was a comprehensive crime reform bill that increased penalties for assaults on public employees and hospitality workers, strengthened protections for stalking and domestic violence victims, and proposed targeted reforms to Nevada’s specialty courts and juvenile justice system. The bill also introduced the concept of “crime corridors” and expanded mental health evaluations for youth offenders. Despite multiple hearings and strong backing from the Governor’s office, SB457 failed to advance in the final hours of the session. While it ultimately stalled, the bill reflected a broader vision for public safety — one focused on accountability, prevention, and system-wide improvements.
• AB238 – As one of the most watched bills of the session, Majority Leader Jauregui’s Film Tax Studio bill had incredible public support from organized stakeholders but later faced some of the fiercest headwinds following the Economic Forum’s updated budget projections. This bill would have enabled the state to diversify its economic portfolio by attracting new industries to the state while creating thousands of new jobs. Had it passed, it would have solidified Las Vegas’ place as the capital of the entertainment world. After narrowly passing in the assembly, it became a victim of the economic forum’s mandated budget cuts and the political storm that dominated the final hour of the legislative session.  

As Governor Lombardo continues to review the 178 bills on his desk, he knows that more still have yet to arrive. At this juncture, we’re not sure if he’ll break his record of vetoing 75 bills from the last session, but with 65 already vetoed, he still has plenty of opportunities to decide whether he wants to break that record again.  

This all happens as the 2026 election cycle moves to the forefront. As Governor Lombardo reviews these bills, he knows that Attorney General Ford has already announced his intention to challenge him. The State Controller, Zach Conine, has also announced his candidacy for the Attorney General spot. While only those two have officially announced so far, everyone in politics knows that it’s not just a matter of who’s in the race; sometimes, it’s also about who can still jump in. 

As this happens, the legislative interim committees will again be at the forefront in helping to shape narratives, address challenges, and lay out the foundations for the next legislative session. No one knows where the state will be in January 2027, but Western Public Affairs will help you be aware of what trends are shaping the political and legislative environment.