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Reps. Titus, Cohen Introduce Legislation to Protect the Rights of Airplane Passengers with Disabilities

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – Today Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV), a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, introduced the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act with Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN). This legislation would protect and expand the rights of airplane passengers with disabilities, improve air travel safety, and close service gaps that passengers with disabilities frequently encounter in air travel. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will introduce companion legislation in the Senate.

"People with disabilities shouldn't have to face extra obstacles when they travel," said Rep. Titus. "They deserve equal access to our airports and airplanes. This legislation will expand their rights and safety while making air travel more convenient and accommodating for all."

“This legislation protects the rights of the flying public with disabilities and will improve overall safety for passengers,” said Rep. Cohen. “As a polio survivor with post-polio syndrome, I am proud to support legislation that seeks to make travel more accommodating for those living with disabilities.”

“Every American deserves to be treated with dignity and feel safe when they are traveling, but for far too long, passengers with disabilities, including our veterans, have been left behind. I have heard firsthand from Wisconsinites who’ve had their wheelchairs – the tool that lets them live a free and independent life – damaged by airlines, and it’s simply unacceptable,” said Senator Baldwin. “Our bill will ensure every American, no matter their ability, gets the respect they deserve when traveling.”

“No traveler should face barriers while traveling because of their disability,” said Senator Duckworth. “I hear so many frustrating stories from those who have experienced their wheelchair getting damaged, assistance being delayed and their needs for onboard accommodations just outright ignored—and it has to stop. Our legislation would help protect the rights of passengers with disabilities and provide them with the support they need when airlines fall short.”

This legislation is supported by the following organizations:

Paralyzed Veterans of America, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), American Cochlear Implant Alliance (ACI Alliance), Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), American Legion, I AM ALS, American Council of the Blind, Cure SMA, United Spinal Association, Periodic Paralysis Association, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Student Veterans of America (SVA), The Arc, The Seeing Eye

“Paralyzed Veterans of America has championed this issue for decades because our members, veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases, like MS and ALS, know firsthand what happens when civil rights protections lack real enforcement. The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act closes the accountability gap that has allowed these failures to persist for far too long. This is exactly the kind of reform PVA has fought for, and we are fully committed to working alongside Rep. Titus to get it across the finish line,” said Heather Ansley, Esq., MSW, Chief Policy Officer, Paralyzed Veterans of America.

“Congresswoman Titus is a longtime leader for air travel rights for wheelchair users, like me. She’s not only notched major wins in federal law for our community, but she's also taken the time to understand, on a personal level, what wheelchair users go through just to get on an airplane,” said Seth McBride, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at United Spinal Association and a Paralympic gold medalist.

“When it comes to winning access to safety, to getting the same services and same travel experiences as everyone else, Rep. Dina Titus has our back. When I experienced my own air travel hell, she listened to me one-on-one to understand my frustrations with the system, including how difficult it was to obtain proper compensation for mistreatment by the airline. And that’s what’s at the heart of her bill, the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2026, safety and fairness. When the system does not work for us, we should be able to have a court hear us. That’s not partisan politics, that’s justice.”

Original co-sponsors of the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act include Congresswoman Titus, Congressman Cohen, Congressman André Carson (D-IN), Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA), and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

Full bill text can be found here.

Background:

For 40 years, the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) has prohibited discrimination based on disability in air travel. Despite this progress, too many travelers with disabilities encounter significant barriers, such as damaged assistive devices and wheelchairs, delayed assistance, unclear communications, and lack of onboard accommodations.

The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act will protect and expand the rights of air passengers with disabilities and improve air travel safety by:

Requiring the Secretary of Transportation to assess civil penalties for Air Carrier Access Act violations and refer patterns of discrimination to the Department of Justice;
Granting individuals with disabilities a private right of action in civil court; and
Expressing a sense of Congress that legislation is necessary to ensure that individuals with disabilities have adequate remedies available when air carriers violate the ACAA.

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Rep. Dina Titus Statement on Republican ICE Spending Bill

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) released a statement following her vote against today's Republican ICE spending bill.

“Gas prices are rising. Grocery costs are up. Health care is too expensive. Yet, instead of addressing any of those issues in today’s funding bill, Republicans passed a $70 billion-dollar blank check for ICE on top of the $140 billion already given to them in President Trump’s Big, BS Budget Bill,” Congresswoman Titus said.

“I voted against this legislation because it is an egregious abuse of taxpayer dollars and fails to include critical reforms to ICE needed to protect our communities from brutal tactics used by the Trump Administration in its immigration enforcement,” Congresswoman Titus continued. “ICE agents should be held to the same standards as other law enforcement officers. They should not be allowed to hide behind masks and should wear badges identifying them and their agency. They also should not be allowed to conduct warrantless searches. They must be held accountable for use of excessive or unnecessary force.”

“ICE does not need more money; it needs reform,” Congresswoman Titus concluded.

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Rep. Dina Titus Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Public Lands

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) introduced bipartisan legislation, H.R.9167, with Representatives Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Joe Neguse (CO-02), and Ryan Zinke (MT-01) to prevent future efforts to sell off public lands through the Congressional reconciliation process.

“Our precious public lands should never be used as revenue raisers for partisan issues,” said Congresswoman Titus. “Last year, I spearheaded the effort to stop the proposed sale of 65,000 acres of land in Southern Nevada without our consent. Now I am joining Representatives Vasquez, Ciscomani, Neguse, and Zinke to introduce legislation that would prevent similar proposals from advancing in the future.”

Under the Congressional Budget Act, Congress can pass legislation affecting revenue and spending through both chambers with a simple majority vote. The Public Lands Integrity Act would designate any reconciliation provision to sell or dispose of public lands as “extraneous” under this process, preventing land grabs from advancing in the U.S. Senate under the so-called “Byrd rule.” This will help ensure that land sales in Nevada are not conducted outside of the SNPLMA process, and that proceeds are not diverted back to Washington to pay for initiatives that do not directly benefit the residents of the Silver State.

"Public lands belong to the American people, not the highest bidder," said Congressman Vasquez. "Last year, we saw serious attempts to sell off millions of acres of public land through a fast-tracked process that limited public input and debate. This bipartisan bill makes sure future Congresses cannot use reconciliation as a backdoor to sell lands that belong to hunters, anglers, ranchers, Tribes, outdoor businesses, and families across the country.”

“Our public lands should never be subject to backroom deals or rushed budget negotiations. Selling or disposing of them through reconciliation is the wrong approach,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “That’s why I’m proud to co-lead the bipartisan Public Lands Integrity Act. Southern Arizona is home to some of the nation’s most beautiful and treasured public lands, including Saguaro National Park, Mount Lemmon, and Sabino Canyon. The Public Lands Integrity Act ensures decisions about our public lands are made openly, through regular order, and with full public input. This legislation protects these treasured spaces and helps ensure future generations can experience and enjoy the same natural beauty that makes Arizona and our country so special.”

“Our nation's public lands belong to the people and are held in trust for future generations. They don’t belong to political appointees or special interests, and I'm proud to partner with my colleagues to ensure that remains true,” said Congressman Neguse. “Last summer we fought off efforts to sell-off millions of acres across the Rocky Mountain West—and we must continue to fight to ensure the reconciliation process cannot be used as a vehicle to force the sale of these treasured spaces. Republican or Democrat—representing red, purple, or blue districts—one sentiment continues to ring true: our public lands are not for sale.”

Senators Bennet, Wyden, and Heinrich have introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

Background:

Congresswoman Titus is a founding member of the Public Lands Caucus and a staunch defender of Southern Nevada’s public lands.

In September 2025, Congresswoman Titus introduced the first ever Congressional resolution recognizing National Public Lands Day.
Last year, after House Republicans added provisions to the reconciliation bill to sell off 65,000 acres of land in Southern Nevada to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, Congresswoman Titus successfully removed those provisions through an amendment.
Congresswoman Titus has championed efforts to establish National Monuments throughout Nevada, including Avi Kwa Ame in 2023, Gold Butte in 2016, and Basin and Range in 2015.
On January 7, 2026, Congresswoman Titus sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee urging them to oppose Stevan Pearce’s nomination to serve as Director of the Bureau of Land Management over concerns about his record on public lands and National Monuments.
On February 14, 2025, Congresswoman Titus led Nevada’s Congressional Democratic Delegation in a letter to Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum urging him not to roll back designations of national monuments.
Congresswoman Titus leads an annual appropriations letter calling for robust funding for the Bureau of Reclamation’s National Conservation Lands account.

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Democrats renew call for probe of rescinded Boring fines; Lombardo says allegations are ‘baseless’

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Nevada state regulators say the investigation into alleged safety violations at The Boring Company’s underground tunnel project— and the resulting controversies — have been addressed, but Democratic federal and state lawmakers are calling for an independent investigation, citing inconsistencies.

In December, Fortune reported that just one day after Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration served Elon Musk’s Boring Company more than $425,000 in fines for safety violations in May 2025, the fine was rescinded following a call from Boring president Steve Davis to Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office.

Public records documenting the meeting with Boring and the revoking of the violations also disappeared. A forensic analysis by the Governor’s Technology Office was unable to recover the records and could not determine how the files were deleted or who deleted them.

A review of the case file by the Governor’s Technology Office indicated that the original files could not be restored or recovered because of “existing backup retention limitations,” according to the Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office.

“It’s been a whole year since Lombardo’s administration orchestrated the shady cover-up of a company owned by the richest man in the world, and Nevada’s still have zero answers,” Assemblymember Cinthia Moore (D-Las Vegas) said during a press conference with U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) last week.

During the press conference, Moore said Lombardo has been inconsistent when explaining why his office could not find evidence of how the files were deleted.

“When Lombardo’s office was asked about the cover-up, he claimed his office couldn’t find any evidence on the deleted OSHA records because of the cyber attack back that our state suffered back in August, but the files were deleted last May, and no other government official has made such a claim before,” Moore said.

Moore was referring to a March interview during a Nevada Independent event, where Lombardo responded to a question about the Boring controversy by suggesting the files couldn’t be recovered because of a cyber attack that crippled many of the state’s services and websites.

“There was an allegation that all those records had been deleted. Unfortunately that was in close proximity to the cyber incident and so the computer systems within — as has been told to me through an investigation — that were responsible via OSHA and (Nevada Business and Industry), they had lost a lot of records not just that one a lot of records in some of their ongoing investigations,” Lombardo said during the event.

In a statement provided to the Current this week, Lombardo’s office said that their technology office’s inability to recover the file “was not related to the cyber-incident,” adding that the governor “simply conflated two issues stemming from the same confusing constellation of baseless accusations” when responding to questions about the Boring investigation.

Lombardo’s office said the governor was referring to “a limited set of files contained on the office’s shared drive — included documents reflecting the composition (and potential vacancies) for certain Nevada State Boards and Commissions.”

“The Office’s inability to recover those files resulted in some initial uncertainty and processing delays in filling certain vacancies,” said Lombardo’s communication director, Drew Galang, in a statement.

During the press conference, Titus and Moore accused Lombardo of participating in a “cover-up” and demanded an independent investigation into the 2024 violation investigated by Nevada OSHA, relating to workers and firefighters enduring chemical burns on the job.

“Tell us how they got off the hook,” Titus said. “Tell us why there was no appeals process that looked at why they suddenly didn’t have to pay the penalty. None of those questions has been answered.”

“We learned that suddenly the OSHA penalty just disappeared. There was a mysterious phone call to the governor. The Elon Musk folks made a few phone calls, and suddenly there were no more problems,” she continued.

Legal counsel with the Division of Industrial Relations and Nevada OSHA told lawmakers during a February meeting that the citations were revoked because they were “legally insufficient” due to mistakes and anomalies in the incident report.

A spokesperson for the Nevada Department of Business and Industry in a statement to the Current this week said “questions about this inspection have been asked and answered,” pointing to a federal OSHA investigation on the incident that found “new policies established by Nevada OSHA were adequate to address the deficiencies in the process that allowed legally insufficient citations to be issued.”

In a statement, Business and Industry spokesperson Teri Williams said accusations of a cover up was “political theater” and that “state and elected officials need to stop using this office as a weapon in their partisan attacks.”

“If Congresswoman Titus was actually interested in determining the facts, she would have contacted the department directly instead of holding a press conference,” Williams said in a statement.

During the press conference, Titus and Moore emphasized that their call for an independent investigation and more transparency from the governor’s office is not political, as election season and the fight for the governor’s seat heats up.

“This happened over a year ago. It has nothing to do with the election. Nevadans deserve answers,” Moore said.

“We started this a year ago, that was not the election cycle. This is about the safety of the people who live in District 1, they care more about that than they do about any kind of election politics,” Titus said.

“Since then we’ve learned that there are other problems down there, problems of ventilation, problems of exiting in the case of an emergency. Firefighters don’t have adequate access to what they might need in case of an accident,” Titus continued.

Titus Leads Democratic Lawmakers in Introducing Bill to Block Trump’s Proposed Triumphal Arch

Fri, 29 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – U.S. Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV) and Don Beyer (D-VA) today introduced the Arlington National Cemetery Viewshed Protection Act to explicitly prohibit construction of President Trump’s proposed “Triumphal Arch” outside Arlington National Cemetery in Northern Virginia.

Rep. Dina Titus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Humanities Caucus, who previously led challenges to the Trump Administration’s illegal schemes to fund the arch using the National Endowment for the Humanities budget, said:

“As President Trump strips away the necessary safety nets from Americans who are struggling to afford their basic needs like groceries and healthcare, he builds his unauthorized, grandiose Triumphal Arch. While destroying historical monuments and artifacts important to our American identity, he is erecting monuments to honor himself.

“I am fighting this abuse of taxpayer dollars with Congressman Beyer by introducing legislation that would clearly prohibit President Trump from using federal funds for pet projects like this one. The American people deserve a leader who is responsibly using federal funding for critical government services, not for self-promotion.”

Rep. Beyer who represents a Northern Virginia district in the U.S. House that includes Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) said:

“Arlington National Cemetery is sacred ground, the resting place for some of our nation’s greatest heroes. It is unthinkable that we would desecrate this hallowed space to build a monument to Donald Trump’s ego.

“Trump’s vanity project would waste taxpayer money, brazenly violate existing law, and become yet another vehicle for his corruption. The Administration has also given no consideration to potential harmful effects on the region including impacts on air safety and traffic on major roadways.

“Worst of all, Trump is not trying to build this arch to commemorate national heroes, servicemembers who lie in Arlington National Cemetery, or to celebrate freedom. He did not dedicate it to the American people or our country’s greatness. Asked who this arch is for, Trump said, simply: ‘me.’ Congress must draw the line at dishonoring our fallen with such naked displays of narcissism, and I therefore call on all members of both parties to join our efforts to block this arch.”

Trump’s proposed arch is plainly illegal under the Commemorative Works Act, which requires congressional approval for memorials on federal land in or near Washington, DC. Underlining that the Arch is not approved by Congress as required by law, the Arlington National Cemetery Viewshed Protection Act would:

Explicitly prohibit construction of a triumphal arch within Lady Bird Johnson Park, the small island between Arlington Memorial Cemetery and the Potomac River;
Permanently prohibit the use of federal funds for such an arch; and
Prohibit the construction of such an arch or similarly-disruptive and non-Congressionally approved structures on any National Park Service lands within the National Capital Region.

In addition to Titus and Beyer, the bill is cosponsored by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) and U.S. Representatives Robert Garcia (CA), Suhas Subramanyam (VA), Bobby Scott (VA), Dan Goldman (NY), Pramila Jayapal (WA), Steve Cohen (TN), Jasmine Crockett (TX), Danny Davis (IL), Dianna DeGette (CO), Lois Frankel (FL), John Larson (CT), Stephen Lynch (MA), Betty McCollum (MN), Morgan McGarvey (KY), Kevin Mullin (CA), Mike Quigley (IL), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA), Mark Takano (CA), Jill Tokuda (HI), Paul Tonko (NY), Rashida Tlaib (MI), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ).

Bill text is available here.

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Rep. Titus Champions Committee Passage of the Bipartisan Build America 250 Act

Fri, 22 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – Today Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, helped pass the Build America 250 Act. This legislation includes several highway and hazardous materials provisions championed by Congresswoman Titus.

“It feels like just yesterday that we enacted the most significant infrastructure investment in our nation’s history through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Congresswoman Dina Titus. “I am proud to help pass this bipartisan package to build on that progress that includes my provisions to help prevent thermal runaway accidents, make our buses more resilient in the face of extreme heat, protect our children in school zones, keep children out of emergency rooms from e-bike and e-scooter accidents, increase funding for critical infrastructure projects across Southern Nevada, and keep animals and drivers out of harm’s way.”

Highways and Hazardous Materials Provisions Championed by Congresswoman Titus include:

Thermal Runaway Reduction Act (H.R.7928): helps communities prepare for and respond to lithium-ion battery fires by creating a $2 million/year grant program at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to test effective strategies to extinguish thermal runaway. These provisions also modernize the federal regulations for the commercial transportation of lithium-ion batteries.
BUFFER Act (H.R.5216): eliminates the Federal Transit Administration’s arbitrary spare bus ratio cap, helping buses run on time even during extreme heat waves.
Protect Our Students Act (H.R.3265): makes safety improvements in school zones eligible for federal highway safety funding.
MOVE Act (H.R.6702): helps families make more informed decisions about e-bikes and e-scooters, keeping children out of the emergency room.
Preventing Roadside and Work Zone Deaths Act (H.R.2992): helps prevent roadside vehicle crashes and work zone crashes.
Modal Parity in Permitting Act (H.R.8315): aligns the permitting process for transit and rail projects with the permitting process for highway projects.
Protecting Horses (H.R.1661): prevents the transport of equines for slaughter for human consumption.
Wildlife Crossings Program: makes the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program permanent.

Rail Provisions Championed by Congresswoman Titus include:

Congresswoman Titus, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, also secured comprehensive rail safety provisions to finally implement the National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendations on the causes of the derailment in East Palestine in 2023.

This includes the Railway Safety Act, which was enacted through a bipartisan amendment introduced by Congresswoman Titus. Among other provisions, it would phase out the use of DOT-111 tank cars, the type of car that was punctured and caused a hazardous fire after the derailment, strengthen the standards for wayside detectors, and codify the two-person crew rule.

The package also includes Congresswoman Titus’s Secure Tracks Act, legislation that requires visual track inspections be conducted by a human track inspector at least twice a week. These provisions also require railroads to use Automated Track Inspection (ATI) technology at regular intervals to supplement and support visual track inspections.

“Trains carrying hazardous materials run right through my District in the heart of Las Vegas,” said Congresswoman Titus. “The railway safety provisions I secured in the BUILD America 250 Act will prevent future derailments like the one in East Palestine and keep communities safe across the United States. I am proud to have championed multiple bipartisan amendments that were adopted to put the safety of our communities first.”

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Rep. Dina Titus Legislation to Safeguard Water Security and Expand Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Signed into Law

Wed, 20 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Dina Titus’s Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act, H.R. 972, was signed into law this week, increasing Southern Nevada’s water security while enhancing environmental conservation.

“This is a critical step in ensuring our water future,” Congresswoman Titus (NV-01) said. “Southern Nevada is the epicenter of the climate crisis with rising temperatures and dwindling water resources. Our precious water supply must be protected. The Horizon Lateral pipeline strikes an important balance. It will protect and enhance water access for Southern Nevada residents and businesses while preserving more of the unique habitat and cultural history of Sloan Canyon.”

The Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act will allow a portion of the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) Horizon Lateral water pipeline project to tunnel beneath the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA), increasing water reliability for over a million Southern Nevadans, fortifying the region’s water infrastructure against potential outages, and minimizing disruptions and impacts to the surrounding communities from water infrastructure projects.

The legislation will also expand the 48,438-acre Sloan Canyon NCA by 9,290 acres to enhance the preservation of the desert landscapes and habitat unique to Southern Nevada. The Sloan Canyon NCA contains the Sloan Petroglyph Site, which includes thousands of petroglyphs created by native cultures.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority has affirmed its support for the legislation, emphasizing the significance of ensuring water service reliability for the Las Vegas Valley.

“This legislation increases water service reliability for more than one million residents and hundreds of businesses in Southern Nevada, helping ensure the long-term viability of our regional water system while also expanding and protecting environmental resources for our community,” said John Ensminger, General Manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

Background:

The proposed underground route beneath Sloan Canyon NCA is estimated to save Southern Nevadans at least $200 million while minimizing disturbances to both residents and the local environment.

Additionally, this route ensures the water delivery system’s redundancy in emergency situations and offers flexibility to accommodate the needs of a growing community.

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Trump signs into law bill for new Southern Nevada water pipeline

Wed, 20 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — President Donald Trump this week signed into law a bill that clears the way for a new water pipeline to serve Southern Nevada.

The White House said the president on Tuesday signed HR 972, also known as the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act, after it passed both houses of Congress.

The bill directs the Bureau of Land Management to grant rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for the construction of a water transmission pipeline. The new underground route is expected to save the residents in the region $200 million and ensure water delivery redundancy in the case of emergencies.

U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nevada, introduced the bill in the U.S. House and applauded its passage, calling it a critical step for ensuring Southern Nevada's water future.

"Southern Nevada is the epicenter of the climate crisis with rising temperatures and dwindling water resources.," Titus said in a statement Wednesday. "Our precious water supply must be protected. The Horizon Lateral pipeline strikes an important balance."

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, led the legislation in the Senate. She said nearly 3 million people in the Las Vegas valley rely on just one pipeline.

"That's a dangerous situation in which one system failure could cut off the water supply for close to 40 percent of Las Vegas residents and businesses," Cortez Masto said in a statement. "This law will increase the reliability of Southern Nevada's water supply for generations to come."

The bill also expands the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, adding nearly 9,300 acres to enhance the preservation of desert landscape and habitat.

Rep. Titus Introduces the AVERT Future Violence Act

Tue, 19 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) reintroduced the Animal Violence Exposes Real Threat of (AVERT) Future Violence Act. This legislation is co-led by Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC).

“Animal abusers have a significantly higher likelihood of committing acts of interpersonal violence,” said Congresswoman Titus. “Despite this, animal abuse continues to be treated as an isolated act rather than an indicator of violent behavior. By collecting data to study the link between animal and domestic abuse, we will be able to make informed legislative decisions that improve public safety, decrease incidents of domestic violence, and protect animals.”

“Not surprisingly, deranged individuals who abuse innocent animals are significantly more likely to go on to commit violence against people,” said Congressman Buchanan. “In fact, studies have shown that nearly 40 percent of known animal abusers commit crimes against humans as well. I’m pleased to lead efforts with Congresswoman Titus to study the troubling connection between domestic abusers and animal violence.”

“There is a clear connection between animal abuse and interpersonal violence, but more research is needed to help our communities effectively prevent and respond to red flags when we see them,” said Senator Peters. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill would improve our understanding of how a history of animal abuse can lead to future violence, while directing needed federal resources to the local partners who work to protect our communities each and every day.”

“Acts of animal cruelty are often a warning sign of future violence, and we should treat them with the seriousness they deserve,” said Senator Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation will help law enforcement, mental health professionals, and local communities better identify threats early, intervene effectively, and prevent future acts of violence before they happen.”

Background
The bipartisan Animal Violence Exposes Real Threat of (AVERT) Future Violence Act of 2026 would:

1. Commission a definitive study within the Department of Justice to assess the link between acts of animal cruelty and violence against others, developing effective interventions for offenders convicted of animal cruelty to prevent their future participation in domestic abuse.

2. Require that the National Institute of Justice to submit a report to Congress detailing the findings of the study and offering evidence-informed policy recommendations; and

3. Authorize a $2 million annual grant program to support mental health experts, law enforcement, and animal welfare organizations in their efforts to stop animal cruelty and rehabilitate offenders.

Individuals who commit animal abuse are far more likely to commit crimes than non-animal abusers. Studies show that 70% of convicted animal abusers have committed another crime, with nearly 40% having committed violent crimes against people. To better understand this link, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began collecting data in 2016 through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) specifically on animal abuse.

The AVERT Future Violence Act is endorsed by the Animal Welfare Institute, Humane World Action Fund, and Humane World for Animals.

Congresswoman Titus has been a lifelong advocate for animal protection, earning a 100% rating from the Humane World Action Fund on their 2025 Humane Scorecard. She has led efforts to stop government agencies from wasting taxpayer dollars on inhumane animal experiments and introduced legislation to ensure animals are rescued and cared for during emergencies and natural disasters.

The full bill text can be found HERE.

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Retail crime bill sponsored by Nevada legislator moves through Congress

Mon, 18 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A bill to crack down on retail crime, sponsored by Nevada Democratic Congresswoman Dina Titus, has cleared its first hurdle on the way to becoming law.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, also known as CORCA, recently passed through the House of Representatives.

Proponents called the bipartisan bill a step forward for business owners and shoppers in Nevada, as said during a news conference at Boulevard Mall on Monday.

“I’m very pleased that this is moving forward, ” Titus said.

CORCA, which was first introduced in 2023, would expand federal enforcement of organized theft in here in Las Vegas and across the country.

Retail crime cost Nevada businesses approximately $466 billion in 2021, according to the Nevada Organized Retail Crime Association.

CORCA would establish a national response to this retail theft, which targets retail stores and cargo shipments on trucks and trains, experts said.

“This type of illegal activity impacts the entire community,” said Sou Ngo, owner of local business Brew Tea Bar.

Ngo joined other business owners, along with representatives from state organizations, to speak on the proposal’s importance in Southern Nevada.

“This type of crime impacts all businesses, but for a small business such as ours, it can make or break us. And this type of illegal activity impacts the entire community,” Ngo said.

The bill would also target money laundering through gift cards, which is common among crime syndicates in Nevada, according to law enforcement.

In addition, CORCA would give local police departments more tools to combat crime as it happens.

It would also close the gap between city, state, and federal operations, Titus said.

“CORCA responds to the limitations at the state level for going after these criminals,” Titus said. “Because it is often inter-state, the nature of these crimes.”

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. If it passes through, it would then move to President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed into law.