Bill would require driver barriers, panic buttons on large Nevada buses after rise in assaults

Assembly Bill 361 would require county transportation authorities in Nevada's largest counties to install specified safety infrastructure on large mass-transit buses to protect drivers from assault or violent incidents, sponsors told the Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure.

"This bill is aimed at improving safety and security of Nevada's public transit system," Assemblymember Linda Hunt said at the hearing. "At this moment, I would like to turn it over to my co-presenter, Ross Kinzan, to do a walk-through of the bill."

Hunt and co-presenter Ross Kinzan (Teamsters Local 533) said the measure responds to a growing national trend of violent assaults on transit operators and to a recent, graphic attack in Northern Nevada that left a 78-year-old operator with multiple broken ribs and a broken jaw. Kinzan told the committee AB361 would require regional transportation commissions in counties with populations over 100,000 (noted in testimony as Clark and Washoe counties) to maintain and install protective infrastructure such as driver enclosures/barriers, panic buttons, and onboard signage; the bill would apply to larger buses operated by drivers holding commercial driver's licenses.

"This bill sends a clear message. We value the safety of our transit operators and the passengers they serve," Kinzan said, describing barriers and panic buttons as measures that can buy bus operators time for first responders to arrive. "Having those barriers in place... and having those panic buttons in place is something that is essential and making sure that it's on all of our buses from here into the future."

Support at the hearing was strong among labor and union groups that represent transit workers. Susie Martinez of the Nevada State AFL-CIO and Gary Watson of Teamsters Local 533 urged the committee to pass the bill. "No one should have to fear for their safety while serving their community," Wendy Colborne of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada said.

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada testified as neutral and said it already has implemented many of the bill's measures across its fleet, including driver enclosures, panic buttons and live-looking cameras.

"The RTC of Southern Nevada has already implemented the safety measures aligned in this bill," Maria Nieto Orta, speaking for the RTC, said. "With these protections already in place, we testify in neutral of this bill and remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of our drivers and passengers."

Committee questions focused on deterrence and enforcement. Senator Buck asked whether offenders read signs or would be deterred by barriers; Mr. Kinzan and others acknowledged that some offenders may not be deterred by signage but said physical enclosures and panic buttons can reduce the likelihood and severity of injuries by restricting direct contact and enabling faster emergency response.

Senators also discussed whether the bill would include provisions to ban individuals from transit service; sponsors said earlier language addressing bans was removed in stakeholder negotiations and that criminal penalties and conditions of release would be handled through existing criminal justice procedures, not by automatic lifetime bans in the bill text.

AB361's sponsors cited national transit-safety data and local incidents in support of the bill. No committee vote on AB361 was recorded in the hearing; sponsors said they had worked with stakeholders including Teamsters, RTCs, unions and the Public Defender's Office to reach a consensus approach.

Ending note: The committee heard unanimous support from labor and many public-safety advocates, a neutral statement from RTC noting existing measures, and a call from sponsors for legislative action to standardize protective infrastructure on large buses across the state.