Giffords Applauds Nevada Assembly for Advancing Comprehensive Gun Safety Bills
For the first time since Las Vegas massacre, Nevada state assembly takes action to save lives
April 23, 2019 — Giffords , the gun safety organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, applauded the Nevada assembly for advancing two pieces of critical gun safety legislation today. AB 291 is a comprehensive bill package which includes a ban on bump stocks and AB 153 holds gun owners accountable for not properly storing a firearm. The bills, coupled with a background checks bill signed earlier this year by Governor Sisolak, are the first time that legislation to better prevent gun violence has passed since the October 1 shooting, the worst in modern American history, which left 58 people dead and more than 800 injured.
“Nevadans are tired of losing loved ones, friends, and neighbors to gun violence,” said Molly Voigt, state legislative manager at Giffords. “58 people lost their lives at the October 1 shooting, and over 450 people in Nevada are killed each year by guns. Assemblywoman Jauregui and Assemblyman Fumo didn’t wait around for more tragedy; they took courageous action to strengthen the state’s gun laws by passing comprehensive safety measures. Today’s assembly vote signals that the Silver State’s lawmakers will prioritize measures that address public safety. We applaud the assembly’s efforts and look forward to continuing to fight for this bill as it heads to the senate.”
AB 291, known as the October 1 bill, was sponsored by Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, a survivor of the Route 91 shooting. It bans the use of bump stocks, reduces the acceptable concentration of alcohol present in a person’s blood or breath while carrying a firearm, and allows counties to implement their own regulations to keep their communities safe from gun violence.
“As a legislator and survivor of gun violence, I believe I should use my voice and my unique position to push for solutions to our gun violence epidemic,” said Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, sponsor of AB 291. “With AB 291, we have the opportunity to enact policies that will save lives. I know that this fight is far from over, but gun safety is something I’m going to fight for, because no other person or family should have to experience this again. You shouldn’t have to die to matter, but the fact that people died should matter.”
AB 153, known as Brooklyn’s Law, was introduced by Assemblymembers Ozzie Fumo, Shannon Billbray-Axelrod, and Alexander Assefa. The bill creates criminal liability for individuals who negligently store or leave a firearm in a location under their control when they know there is a “substantial risk” that an unauthorized child could gain access to the firearm. This helps to strengthen Nevada’s Child Access Prevention laws by expanding their coverage to include negligent storage. Brooklyn’s Law is named after the 13-year-old who was accidentally killed by her friend when they found an unlocked gun in the kitchen.
“I am very excited to see Brooklyn’s law pass out of the Assembly,” said Assemblyman Fumo, sponsor of AB 153. “I am honored to be able to sponsor this important piece of legislation that will save lives and prevent another family from going through the unimaginable anguish that too many families have had to endure.”
Prior to the Las Vegas massacre, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence reported that the cost of gun violence to the state of Nevada was $2.3 billion alone. In a report released a year after the mass shooting, Giffords Law Center found the cost increased by 26 percent alone and highlighted how victims, businesses, and Las Vegas residents continue to struggle under the economic burden of our nation’s deadliest mass shooting.
Earlier this year, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed S.B. 143, a bill establishing background checks in the state. In its latest edition of the Annual Gun Law Scorecard , Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence found that Nevada received a “D.”
Related Resources:
- Press Release: Giffords Applauds Nevada State Legislature for Taking Action to Pass Comprehensive Gun Safety Bills
- Blog Post: I Survived the Las Vegas Massacre. Here’s How We Can Make Our Communities Safer.
- Giffords Law Center Page: Preemption, Child Access Prevention