‘Mia’s Law’ hearing: Nevada bill would require background checks and key logs for large apartment owners

CARSON CITY — Relatives of homicide victims and tenant‑safety advocates urged the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor to pass Senate Bill 114, a measure commonly called "Mia’s Law" that would require landlords of large properties to run criminal background checks for employees with master‑key access and to keep written key‑control policies and key logs.

Sen. Julie Pizzina (Senate District 12) introduced the bill as a response to the 2021 murder of 19‑year‑old Mia Marcano in Florida. "She was murdered by an apartment maintenance worker who exploited key access privileges and entered her apartment," Pizzina told the committee. Pizzina said the bill targets applicants for positions that include master‑key access and would not require background checks for employees who lack that access.

Family members spoke to the committee. Mia Marcano's mother, Ima Scarbriel, told lawmakers the crime was "preventable" and said, "If there had been something as basic as a background check in place, my daughter might have still been alive today." Jody Covington, co‑founder of the Mia Marcano Foundation, said the organization helped pass similar laws in Florida and Virginia and urged Nevada to adopt comparable protections.

Sen. Pizzina described SB 114's core provisions: landlords of premises with more than 100 dwelling units on a single property must (1) require criminal background checks for applicants for jobs that entail access to a master key, (2) create written policies on storage, issuance, return and security of dwelling‑unit keys (including electronic deactivation where applicable), and (3) maintain a log that accounts for the issuance and return of each dwelling‑unit key. The bill excludes financial institutions and real estate brokers/salespersons from the landlord definition.

Committee members pressed on the 100‑unit threshold. Vice Chair Houdege and Assemblymember O'Neil noted many owners operate large portfolios spread over multiple properties and asked whether the threshold should cover portfolios rather than a single parcel. Pizzina said she lowered the threshold from 200 (used in some other states) to 100 to cover more Nevada residents and said she is open to further discussion. Members also asked whether the bill includes remedies or penalties; Sam Poas, committee counsel, said the bill as written contains no express remedies, and proposed consequences would need to be added by amendment.

Supporters included multifamily developers and the Nevada Multifamily Alliance, which said many large owners already use background checks and key logs as industry standard. Several family members who described past killings urged the committee to add enforcement to the bill so landlords who ignore criminal records would face consequences.

Ending: The hearing closed after testimony from victims' family members, the sponsor and industry supporters. Lawmakers asked staff to consider whether the 100‑unit threshold and enforcement provisions should be changed or clarified before further action.