Nevada bill would create 'Hope Card' for survivors to verify extended protection orders

Assemblywoman Melissa Hardy introduced Assembly Bill 159 on the HOPE Card Program, which would let people granted an extended protection order receive a free, wallet‑size paper or digital card summarizing key details of the order so they can more readily show it to law enforcement, schools, employers or others.

The HOPE Card, as described by Hardy, would be issued at the time a judge grants an extended protection order and would include the applicant's name, date of birth, the issuing court, the order's issuance and expiration dates, and identifying information for the protected parties and the adverse party. "The HOPE card must include important information ... It's a wallet size. It can be in digital or paper form and there wouldn't be a fee charged to the person seeking the card," Assemblywoman Melissa Hardy said.

SafeNest CEO Liz Ortenberger, who testified with the sponsor, said the card addresses a common enforcement gap: when an adverse party evades service and the extended order is not yet entered into a searchable repository, police in the field may not be able to verify that an order exists. "The small card provides convenience and clarity for survivors," Ortenberger said, adding that survivors need flexible options — physical, laminated or digital copies — because abusers sometimes take or destroy victims' phones.

The bill tasks the Office of the Attorney General with developing and administering the program and allows applicants to indicate on their extended protection order application whether they request a HOPE Card. Teresa Benitez Thompson, chief of staff for Attorney General Ford, told the committee the AG's office supports the concept and believes it can manage implementation. "Logistically, we can make a plan and pull this together," she said. The AG's office provided a fiscal estimate that anticipates hiring one administrative assistant (AA3) based on an estimated workload; the office cited just over 1,700 extended temporary protection orders in its last available report as a basis for that estimate.

Committee members asked about operational details: whether the card would be automatic or by request (Hardy and witnesses said it would be requested on the extended order application), how officers would use a card at chaotic scenes, and what information should appear on a compact card. Safety providers and law enforcement groups that testified in support — including the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Domestic Violence Resource Center, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office and the Nevada District Attorneys Association — said the cards help officers confirm protections at time‑sensitive scenes.

Supporters noted the HOPE Card does not replace repository records but provides immediate, portable proof when repository access is delayed or when an adverse party has not been served. The bill includes a misdemeanor penalty for knowingly presenting a fraudulent or expired card with intent to falsely claim an extended order.

No committee vote was recorded during the hearing. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, with the AG's office offering technical cooperation and a modest fiscal note. Proponents said more operational detail would be worked out between the AG's office, courts and local partners during implementation.

The bill hearing closed with the sponsor urging committee support. "A simple card given to a survivor to show they have an extended protection order could be the difference between life and death," Assemblywoman Hardy said.