[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6664394,"mediaKeyId","2381928-d81f4479a997b673fd759ec11d5e0dc9","parentId",2381928,"title","Assembly committee debates AB177 on audiology licensing, SLP assistants and school workforce impacts","audioSeconds",3233,"startMs",4744000,"endMs",7977000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381928-d81f4479a997b673fd759ec11d5e0dc9&start=4744&end=7977","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381928-d81f4479a997b673fd759ec11d5e0dc9/thumbnail_4744000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6664394/Nevada/Assembly-committee-debates-AB177-on-audiology-licensing-SLP-assistants-and-school-workforce-impacts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6664394-04ca368876dbb21b0ec7ff11ef6b2747/orig.mp4?Expires=1771109596&Signature=BTwDNREXENSPndCnrDDGBSq9UzyA4Be2BC0NrsOBC7nt4xvQF9blM~gqmEQsB6iKH5jq2gvHQxxVLTrLzLGojAiMMFESikLXeI3JkP65C4z00Yz-ev6vpCF3Jk1Z0MvIxYJ~E6UrGXdVi6DbuUIAhgErgUaUbcghWfdq57Ibd7wNKR8BypSkBT9ZT02RjzcR2p~rGOQMzWudZyeRU4~J~XZIcph2H0ceaGvpyxksXtlUHnPbKEd-OXRzMnXfHGRt0Ni3OjpT5LMMkLJKVkBjgUE7Y21q7l6Fm-M7DdjqoNaqaaE-GxZHhCKJBVUMRrKAY~bsklOzAcBswD7AnKEkmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nevada State Legislature","date","2025-02-24T23:29:13.15Z","article","Assemblymember Cecilia Gonzales introduced Assembly Bill 177 to the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee as a package of changes to licensing and scope for audiology, hearing-aid dispensing and speech-language pathology. \"This bill will increase consumer access to services, expand licensing eligibility, reciprocity and portability, reduction in licensing barriers, expanded scopes of practice and removal of unneeded or obsolete rules and references,\" Jennifer Pierce, executive director of the Nevada Speech Language Pathology Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensing Board, told the committee.

Pierce described three primary change areas: creating a new licensing pathway for speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) intended to address workforce shortages and convert certain existing school-based bachelor-level staff into a regulated assistant role; changing audiology licensing and endorsement procedures to reduce duplicative exams for audiologists who fit and dispense hearing aids; and revising hearing aid specialist licensing requirements, including removing an entry-level requirement for National Board Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS).

Supporters, including Nevada State University, the University of Nevada, Reno and professional associations, said the bill will expand access and create supervised assistant roles. \"This bill is a crucial step toward improving access to care for children and families in need,\" Jessica Garrett, an SLP and private-practice owner, said in support.

Opponents — notably the Clark County Education Association and the Clark County School District — raised concerns that separate changes in Nevada Department of Education regulations (not the bill text) will result in 204 of the school district’s roughly 411 SLPs being reclassified into support-staff roles, with attendant changes to pay and collective-bargaining status. \"Either educators should fully be in this bill or we should fully be out of this bill,\" Brad Keating, representing the Clark County School District, said in neutral testimony; Keating warned that reclassification could reduce pay for veteran staff and disrupt services for 19,536 students who currently receive speech-language services in the district.

Medical and specialist groups also opposed specific provisions that would expand tasks for hearing-aid dispensers. The Academy of Doctors of Audiology said allowing hearing-instrument specialists to perform cerumen management and tinnitus treatment while lowering licensure standards would lower the standard of care and cited other states’ rejections or reversals of similar proposals. \"Cerumen management is a complex medical procedure that requires comprehensive knowledge of the anatomy and physiology,\" Stephanie Chayeski of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology testified.

Board officials said the bill does not aim to displace employees and that some workforce concerns derive from a 2023 change at the Nevada Department of Education that sunsets bachelor-level endorsements for school-based speech personnel on Oct. 1, 2026. Pierce said that NDE’s regulation change will grandfather staff who hold current endorsements and that the bill would provide a path for those staff to obtain an SLPA license that allows continued practice in schools or private settings.

Committee members asked for clarifications about grandfathering, whether school-employed bachelor-level staff would remain eligible to work without interruption, the board’s license counts, and how changes would affect reciprocity and exam requirements for audiologists. The sponsor said she would continue working with stakeholders and the Department of Education to refine statutory language.

Why it matters: The bill touches licensing, scope of practice and workforce classification for services used by students, children and adults with communication disorders, and it could affect pay and collective-bargaining status for school-based staff if districts reclassify employees.

What’s next: Committee members heard extensive testimony from higher-education programs, professional associations, school-district representatives and affected practitioners. No committee vote was taken during the hearing; sponsors and stakeholders said they will continue discussions before any work session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2/24/2025 - Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor","oneSentenceSummary","Assemblymember Cecilia Gonzales presented AB177 to revise licensing and practice rules for audiologists, hearing-aid dispensers and speech-language pathology, including creating a licensed SLPA category to address workforce shortages.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature NV, Nevada","taxId",78440,"location","Nevada","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6664399,"Committee weighs AB231 to tighten home-warranty response times, require hotel stays when AC not restored",3035,1703000,4738000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381928-d81f4479a997b673fd759ec11d5e0dc9&start=1703&end=4738","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381928-d81f4479a997b673fd759ec11d5e0dc9/thumbnail_1703000.jpg","/articles/6664399/Nevada/Committee-weighs-AB231-to-tighten-home-warranty-response-times-require-hotel-stays-when-AC-not-restored","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6664399-fc058cf0dc94a5dec2eb900230e1d028/orig.mp4?Expires=1771109596&Signature=P7ThFAfQ03os7BVDO~2ft9plX9rvYA2vN6JdrEpeaf4IC7fOAtlFkXnKpOz8l7SLV0sBYilMBmfGOhp-dF31B7Ryr-DX9IVotmw0URLmNcWwxMINwxVSsrx5P-V-3XYrojntvpysggNdhugcIJVRzpzTXlL0AvUWX8jPsB0~ME1XOJ~-yBaXEMSefue2bIlzX1igEnxJV3B1C8bXIEmc0RsS8kTnV6keF7G1uTrEUZX6dLeYsrytkC944ABeo3jRiHi~mnpiYpgheEr9egYHm1yobqeGFShEAZGoFRKO2tLw1cENXtnBPiQsJIJb0Z0eoPWOdvXiUi9DGPPzRMHRTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Assemblymember Linda Hunt presented Assembly Bill 231 to the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee as a measure to require home-warranty service contracts to specify provider duties and timeline expectations. \"This bill is only meant to address home warranty service contracts,\" Assemblymember Linda Hunt said when introducing the measure.

Taylor Altman, a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, walked the committee through a conceptual amendment that would require repairs covered under a service contract to be completed within defined timeframes and make certain failures actionable under Nevada’s deceptive trade-practice law. \"Subsection (1)(g) sets out the duties of a provider of a home warranty service contract,\" Altman said. The conceptual amendment cited in committee would require general repairs within 14 business days after notice, create a 3-calendar-day repair deadline specifically for air conditioners, and require providers to offer hotel accommodations at no cost to the contract holder until air conditioning is restored when that 3-day deadline is missed.

Supporters described consumer harm during extreme heat and urged stronger timelines. Testimony played an evening news segment showing a family in Las Vegas who waited weeks for AC repairs; the segment quoted Commissioner Scott Kipper of the Nevada Division of Insurance explaining that current administrative code requires providers to notify the consumer and the division if repairs cannot be completed in three calendar days. \"They have 3 days to notify the consumer. They have 3 days in which to reach out to a contractor to initiate the work,\" Commissioner Scott Kipper was shown saying in the video.

The conceptual amendment added multiple consumer protections including prohibitions on requiring holders to move appliances before service, a ban on canceling service calls for failure to pull out an appliance, a fraud provision for charging holders for canceled service calls, advance written notice (30 days) of coverage changes prior to renewal, and civil penalties enforceable by the Commissioner of Insurance and consumer remedies under state consumer-protection statutes.

Contractors and industry groups opposed or asked for changes, citing parts and supply-chain delays and technician availability. \"There's no limitation on cost. There's no limitation on what hotel they want to stay at at, Caesars Palace or ... where do they want how long can they stay there?\" said Jordan Krainbuehl, executive director of the Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors of Nevada. Industry witnesses asked the committee to consider alternatives such as providing portable units while parts are obtained and urged allowances for parts availability and delivery timelines.

The Nevada Division of Insurance testified neutral and provided data showing 8,539 initial reports in calendar year 2024 under NAC provisions tied to essential items. Division staff said AB231 would grant the agency additional authority to enforce timelines for paired emergency items such as air conditioning units but cautioned that some service-contract providers could reevaluate market participation if compliance becomes impractical due to parts availability or technician shortages.

Committee members raised questions about scope, including whether the bill should explicitly include heating and hot-water systems, how the homeowner/landlord/tenant interaction would work when a landlord holds the contract for rental properties, and how to define reasonable hotel accommodations. Sponsors and stakeholders said they were open to drafting language refined in follow-up meetings.

Why it matters: Supporters framed the bill as a public-safety and consumer-protection measure for Nevada’s extreme heat, citing cases where seniors or medically vulnerable residents lacked functioning air conditioning for extended periods. Opponents warned potential unintended consequences for contractor participation, higher costs for consumers, and practical issues with parts availability.

What’s next: The hearing included extensive testimony and a proposed conceptual amendment; no committee vote was recorded during the hearing. The sponsor said she will continue stakeholder discussions.","Assemblymember Linda Hunt introduced AB231, which would impose mandated duties on home-warranty providers, including strict repair timelines for air conditioners and hotel accommodations for holders while repairs are pending.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6664403,"Nevada committee hears bill requiring residential brokerage agreements be written",508,1199000,1707000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381928-d81f4479a997b673fd759ec11d5e0dc9&start=1199&end=1707","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381928-d81f4479a997b673fd759ec11d5e0dc9/thumbnail_1199000.jpg","/articles/6664403/Nevada/Nevada-committee-hears-bill-requiring-residential-brokerage-agreements-be-written","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6664403-9945b7fec0405ee332dc2ae8229d3537/orig.mp4?Expires=1771109596&Signature=HaY1WbZ3uVsbyMS8QNMNM49XEkWxwLjztxQnzmx4aivuT0EbHzNGq4TpkBEjSV0p5edDZYvdggbu5AVoaylAJmBU0v3RyvXGy~9THHAHT7Go1i~Sz~-uKW6c3s2jdbLgsGPcby7Y5ya6NTy~83jt5YPG6GhjgLVtA5hOj7ADzDzrXfKn6hItoQZpqDZwaR0ye1J63xBaDI4iKlk-VtPJllm-w16XmJN5DGd26L5rG7eZAn6fTekHde4KNjE-6e42PkQNPxQeCfVDEQeBqgCyUOo~X2QuMRadRXkhvu80IA49LDtNth1QW~dZXUP4dceuh0oTVmRCMScdwwHQFsB7sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Assemblymember Cynthia Moore, sponsor of Assembly Bill 258, told the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor that AB258 would align Nevada law with a national settlement and require brokerage agreements to be in writing for residential transactions. \"I'm bringing AB 258 forward to make sure Nevada is following the National Association of Realtor Settlement Agreement,\" Assemblymember Cynthia Moore said.

The bill aims to eliminate oral brokerage agreements in residential real estate and make written agreements the statewide standard. \"A written agreement provides transparency, helps buyers and sellers understand the role of their broker, the scope of the services being provided, and the associated costs,\" Brandon Roberts, president of Nevada Realtors, testified in support.

Supporters said the change is intended to protect consumers and increase clarity in transactions. Under current Nevada law, some brokerage agreements may be oral; AB258 would remove that option for residential brokerage agreements while leaving existing commercial requirements in place, proponents said. Roberts told the committee the National Association of Realtors' settlement recommends that brokerage agreements be in writing before performing any service, including showing homes.

Committee members did not raise substantive objections during the hearing and no callers provided public testimony in support, opposition or neutral positions. Chair Marzola closed the hearing after the sponsor offered brief closing remarks.

Why it matters: Proponents said requiring written agreements will increase transparency about services and fees in real estate transactions. The bill would apply to residential brokerage agreements and, according to witnesses, extend the written-agreement requirement to all real estate licensees regulated under Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 645.

Details and context: Supporters noted commercial brokerage agreements are already required to be written under existing statutes; AB258 would make residential agreements conform. The sponsor identified Brandon Roberts (Nevada Realtors) and other industry representatives as presenters. No formal committee action or vote was recorded in the hearing transcript.

What’s next: The hearing record closed with no recorded votes. The bill will proceed through the legislative process and may return for committee work sessions or amendments before any final action.","The Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee heard testimony on AB258, which would require written brokerage agreements for residential transactions to align Nevada law with a National Association of Realtors settlement and extend the requirement to all real estate licensees under NRS chapter 645.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Assembly committee debates AB177 on audiology licensing, SLP assistants and school workforce impacts

Committee weighs AB231 to tighten home-warranty response times, require hotel stays when AC not restored

Nevada committee hears bill requiring residential brokerage agreements be written