Sponsors push to extend trespass 'look-back' from 24 to 36 months to address repeat offenders in tourism districts

Sen. John Steinbeck and representatives of Nevada's resort industry told the Assembly Judiciary Committee that Senate Bill 371 would lengthen the period in which a prior trespass warning can be used to support a trespass prosecution from 24 months to 36 months.

Steinbeck said the change responds to repeated incidents in tourism districts and would give law enforcement and prosecutors a longer window to identify patterns of trespass and related criminal behavior. "This bill will update NRS to extend that trespassing look back period from 24 months to 36 months," Steinbeck said.

Nick Vasiliades of the Nevada Resort Association and security representatives from major gaming companies said resort district security teams and law enforcement see a pattern in which alleged offenders move from property to property and reoffend; they argued a longer look-back helps reveal patterns and inform charging and sentencing decisions. Vasiliades said experience over the past two years showed 24 months "is simply not enough time to provide a complete picture."

Supporters included Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, city officials and multiple resort companies, which argued the industry substantially invests in security and that habitual trespassers erode employee and guest safety. Virginia Valentine of the Nevada Resort Association and representatives from MGM, Wynn and Caesars testified in support and said they would provide additional Metro or court data if requested.

Opponents, including Clark County and Washoe County public defenders, warned the change could extend cycles of incarceration for people who are unhoused or medically vulnerable. Paloma Guerrero of the Clark County Public Defender's Office said an earlier localized court initiative had created a pattern of repeated charges and jail time for people living in drainage channels and other hidden locations; she urged data-based review and cautioned against criminalization absent resources and alternatives.

Committee members asked for supporting data showing the frequency of repeat trespassers and whether the problem was concentrated in tourism corridors or broader commercial and public facilities. The committee chair provided the effective date of the existing 24-month rule as July 1, 2023, and asked sponsors to supply Metro and court data to justify the change before any vote.

The committee did not take a vote on SB371; sponsors committed to providing requested data to staff.