SB155 allows Nevada agencies to hire noncitizens as law enforcement-officers beginning January 1, 2026, as long as the person is legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law, has already been employed as a peace officer in another state, and meets all other Nevada requirements for law-enforcement employment. The bill also prohibits the state Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (POST) Commission from adopting or enforcing any regulation that requires U.S. citizenship for these applicants, and it voids any existing POST regulations that conflict with this new policy.

The Nevada State Assembly passed SB155 on May 22, 2025 by a vote of 27 to 15. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this legislation undermines public safety and U.S. citizenship. While the 10th Amendment reserves to the states the authority to regulate law-enforcement qualifications, this power should be exercised in a manner that upholds the integrity of both law enforcement and citizenship. Allowing noncitizens to exercise police power and authority over citizens as law-enforcement officers undermines public trust in law enforcement and raises concerns about allegiance and accountability.