Committee advances 'Jaya's Law' to make wrong‑way driving on divided highways a misdemeanor

Assemblyman Brian Hibbetts presented Assembly Bill 111, called ‘‘Jaya’s Law,’’ proposing to make driving the wrong way on a divided highway a misdemeanor. Hibbetts opened his remarks by describing a December 9, 2023 crash on U.S. 95 near the Durango interchange in northwest Las Vegas that killed three people, including 3‑year‑old Jaya Brooks. He said the at‑fault driver traveled southbound in northbound lanes for more than 2.8 miles before causing the collision.

Hibbetts told the committee the relevant Nevada wrong‑way statute (NRS 484B.227) was converted to a civil infraction by legislation effective Jan. 1, 2023, and he argued that the statute should again be a misdemeanor. ‘‘Assembly Bill 1 11 simply makes driving the wrong way on a divided highway a misdemeanor. Nothing more, nothing less,’’ he said, adding that prosecutors would retain discretion to treat cases as civil matters when appropriate.

Support came from law enforcement and first‑responder groups. John Abel of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association testified in support and described traveling the stretch of road involved; Josh Martinez of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said wrong‑way driving is a recurring problem that leads to serious collisions. The Nevada Trucking Association and Professional Firefighters in Nevada also expressed support.

Family members of victims delivered emotional testimony. Andrea Rainey, Jaya Brooks’ grandmother, described her granddaughter as ‘‘bright, beautiful, vibrant’’ and urged lawmakers to act so other families do not suffer similar loss. Jan Brooks, father of Jaya, and Darius Wayne, Jaya’s mother, also spoke about the personal impact of the crash. Ray Foote and Angela Roosevelt appeared and addressed the committee in support; callers from the public offered additional support.

Hibbetts cited local enforcement figures to frame the problem: he said Las Vegas police found 634 reported wrong‑way driver incidents in their dispatch search for calendar year 2024, and that the Nevada Highway Patrol recorded 731 wrong‑way driver calls in 2024; he said statewide data included 123 wrong‑way crashes in 2024 with 24 of those crashes resulting in 49 fatalities. He argued that restoring criminal penalties would increase public awareness and deter dangerous behavior.

After public testimony, the committee moved AB111 to a work session, and a motion to do pass the bill carried unanimously. Senator Pesina moved the do‑pass motion with Senator Hansen seconding; the chair signed the committee’s floor statement and assigned it to Senator Pesina.

The sponsor and supporters said the measure is intended to enhance public safety by restoring criminal consequences for wrong‑way driving on divided highways while preserving prosecutorial discretion to pursue civil dispositions when appropriate.