Committee hears bill to expand referrals to NevadaResiliency and Justice Center for crime victims

Sen. John Steinbeck, sponsor of Senate Bill 125, told the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Oct. 26 that the bill would remove barriers that prevent law enforcement from sharing victim information with the Resiliency and Justice Center so more victims of violent crime across Nevada can receive services.

The measure seeks to ensure statewide access to the Resiliency and Justice Center, a multi-agency victim resource managed by the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. "This will allow more people to receive assistance in behavioral health, victims of crime compensation, legal assistance, and utilize additional local, state, federal, and nonprofit resources," Steinbeck said.

Supporters said the center, created after the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting and currently located in Las Vegas, provides navigation of services for survivors, helps with Victims of Crime Compensation applications, and coordinates mental-health referrals when victims have trouble accessing care. Barbara Buckley, executive director of the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, described the center's role: "We assist the victim in filling out a Victims of Crime Compensation application, so their mental health co-pays are paid, so that they can more easily access the services they need to focus on recovery," she said.

Speakers representing Clark County and the city of North Las Vegas voiced support, and the Nevada District Attorneys Association also filed supporting testimony on record. No callers registered opposition or neutral testimony during the committee hearing, and Steinbeck closed by urging the committee's support so the center could address "pinch points" that prevent referrals.

The committee opened the hearing and took public testimony, but the transcript does not show a committee vote on SB125 during this session; the sponsor and supporters asked the committee to advance the bill. Testifying parties included the Resiliency and Justice Center team and local governments; no formal amendments or committee votes were recorded in the transcript for this item.

The bill would not itself create new victim services but would change the rules for sharing victim information to facilitate referrals to the existing center managed by Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. Testimony emphasized coordination with local law enforcement, Clark County, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and state behavioral-health partners. The sponsor and witnesses said the change is intended to increase access to existing supports rather than create a new program or a new funding stream.

The committee hearing concluded with no recorded opposition and no recorded committee action in the transcript. The measure will return to the committee or be scheduled for further action consistent with legislative procedure.

Details recorded during the hearing show the bill's intent and the organizations prepared to operate referral services rather than the committee's adoption of a final statutory text. Additional bill language, potential amendments, and any vote tally will appear in subsequent committee records if the committee moves SB125 forward.