A trio of Democrat-supported bills creating new restrictions on firearm access are now headed to Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo’s desk after passing out of their second house Monday, although Lombardo still isn’t saying how he’ll act on them.

The bills, which sponsors say are aimed at reducing gun violence amid a record pace of mass shootings in the U.S. this year, each passed along party lines in both the Senate and Assembly and include:

• AB355, which would prohibit access to semi-automatic rifles and shotguns for those under 21 years old, up from the current age limit of 18; 
• AB354, which would prohibit access to firearms within 100 feet of an election site, including a polling place or ballot drop box, and clean up the language of a 2021 ban on ghost guns; and 
• SB171, which would prohibit access to firearms for anyone convicted of committing or attempting to commit a violent hate crime.

Passage of the three measures marks the first major test of Lombardo’s veto pen, with Democratic and Republican lawmakers locked in opposing positions on the bills. All but one of the six bills that have been signed by Lombardo passed out of both chambers of the Legislature with unanimous support. The exception was SB124, a mining tax measure.

The governor’s office did not indicate Lombardo’s position on the bills when asked for comment Monday.

“As bills are presented to Gov. Lombardo in their final form, our office will comment and respond appropriately,” Lombardo’s spokesperson said in a statement.

Lombardo promised on his 2022 campaign website to “veto any legislation” that would take away the “right to build a firearm for personal use.” He also said he “supports the right of all law-abiding citizens to own a firearm if they so choose.”

Legislative Democrats are one Senate seat short of being able to override a Lombardo veto without Republican support, as they hold 13 of 21 Senate seats and a 28-seat supermajority in the 42-member Assembly.

“I never want another Nevadan to experience the trauma that I and so many others have endured. The time to act is now,” Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas), a survivor of the 1 October mass shooting and sponsor of the two Assembly bills, said in a release Monday.

No Republican lawmakers have indicated any signs of support for the measures. During floor speeches Monday, Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Henderson) argued AB355 would infringe on the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

“I know if this bill is passed, if it becomes law, it will be litigated,” he said, also referencing a federal court’s decision to strike down a California law restricting the ability of 18- to 20-year-olds to purchase rifles.

Editor’s Note: This story appears in Behind the Bar, The Nevada Independent’s newsletter dedicated to comprehensive coverage of the 2023 legislative session. Sign up for the newsletter here.