[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6630517,"mediaKeyId","2691859-f0af2b68649c6abe5a67dd48d5bb9aa6","parentId",2691859,"title","Committee hears SB268 to align insurance reimbursement with public‑health dental hygienist law; dental groups raise diagnostic concerns","audioSeconds",2648,"startMs",2441000,"endMs",5089000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2691859-f0af2b68649c6abe5a67dd48d5bb9aa6&start=2441&end=5089","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2691859-f0af2b68649c6abe5a67dd48d5bb9aa6/thumbnail_2441000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6630517/Nevada/Committee-hears-SB268-to-align-insurance-reimbursement-with-publichealth-dental-hygienist-law-dental-groups-raise-diagnostic-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630517-53a49eb9e0e0d5f6e6c8fde4448d476a/orig.mp4?Expires=1774964797&Signature=QrzFYj8XmkFO9oDoZcv9JuOe3Pgzca9DA8ntEr3qin8RwBiwQGYo8pwQQdsjCbTz8u~1GvB0UvbujfYz3wBqkzbgwPZJ1GFuK0E9hQV5Tyasx6VimzOuBwWoeA8pdaLEFDvXpllc4K4LJkLDCt2Qx15yCC~qwGXoY5dbIQiVyG9CIIdHRkn5iAXPhlcD1gtNqqHVvJQoYyTEh7WfEG74R3Y-wOf9DM7V~G4Gp2PNCVL9NOOo2CnpAaCRXCDQIOoE3aGAOz2F8UW~6wMacEERhRCUvIHt9BWo88SjlBESyjLcEgGw-niwmexSbyP~rp6-ZJnWT7v8lhGjrMck6OzHKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nevada State Legislature","date","2025-03-19T16:42:19.553Z","article","Sen. Edgar Flores (D‑District 2) and representatives of the nonprofit Future Smiles presented Senate Bill 268 to the Commerce and Labor Committee, saying the measure would align insurance reimbursement practices with existing law that allows public‑health endorsed dental hygienists to provide certain services without a dentist present.

\"SB 268 will align NRS 631.287 which is the section for our Dental Hygiene Public Health Endorsement and NRS 689A under the insurance commissioner,\" said Terri Chandler, executive director of Future Smiles. Chandler described the organization’s school‑based mobile program, the CDT procedure codes used (including D0190 oral health screening, D1206 fluoride varnish, D1351 sealants, D120N110 prophylaxis) and its case‑management work to find dental homes for children. Chandler said Future Smiles serves largely low‑income families; she told the committee that about 50 percent of the children they see are on Medicaid, 40 percent uninsured and about 10 percent have private dental insurance.

Sen. Flores and Future Smiles said insurers have denied legitimate claims on the ground that the services were provided without a dentist present, despite the existing statutory endorsement. Warren Hardy and Future Smiles representatives said the bill does not expand the scope of practice; it simply prevents insurers from denying payment for services the statute authorizes. \"We're looking to get paid for services that we legally provide under the statute so that the taxpayers don't have to and so that our philanthropists and donors don't have to,\" Hardy told the committee.

Opposition testimony came from the Nevada Dental Association and the Nevada Dental Association (NDA) leadership, represented by Eddie Ableser (TriStrategy), Dr. Amy Abbatan (vice president, Nevada Dental Association) and Mariana Kacyra (executive director, NDA). Opponents argued that submitting insurance claims using CDT codes requires an accompanying dental diagnosis that, under existing law and professional standards, must come from a dentist following an examination. Dr. Abbatan said, \"Submission of claims to insurances utilizing CDT ... requires a formal dental diagnosis, which must be made during an examination with the dentist. ... Dental hygienists are not statutorily able to provide that diagnosis on their own.\" NDA expressed concerns about patient safety, inconsistent diagnostic standards and potential insurance‑claim invalidity.

Chandler and Hardy said Future Smiles obtains parental consent, collects insurance information on consent forms, refers higher‑level care to dentists and uses case managers to navigate follow‑up care. Chandler said the nonprofit also receives grant funding and works with UNLV School of Dental Medicine and volunteer dentists. Hardy said the Division of Health and Human Services grant program already funds some expansion and that the Division of Insurance indicated it would remove a fiscal note because Medicaid already provides many of the services.

Delta Dental and the city of North Las Vegas provided support or neutral testimony; the Division of Insurance confirmed it would not anticipate triggering federal defray provisions by allowing additional providers to submit claims but said scope‑of‑practice and standard‑of‑care questions are not generally within its expertise.

Committee members asked for clarifying conversations between Future Smiles and the dental associations; Sen. Flores said he would convene a working group and invite Legislative Counsel Bureau legal counsel to clarify intent and statutory alignment. The committee did not take a final vote on SB268 during the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","3/19/2025 - Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor","oneSentenceSummary","Sen. Edgar Flores presented SB268 to require dental insurers to reimburse services permitted under Nevada’s public‑health dental hygienist endorsement, aiming to align insurer practice with existing statute and expand school‑based care.","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},6630525,"Senate committee hears bill to expand voluntary pharmacy drug take‑back bins, funds $500,000 grant",1120,1194000,2314000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2691859-f0af2b68649c6abe5a67dd48d5bb9aa6&start=1194&end=2314","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2691859-f0af2b68649c6abe5a67dd48d5bb9aa6/thumbnail_1194000.jpg","/articles/6630525/Nevada/Senate-committee-hears-bill-to-expand-voluntary-pharmacy-drug-takeback-bins-funds-500000-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630525-76bc94c79a34ae7f6dd21a18384dd49c/orig.mp4?Expires=1774964797&Signature=WQlaMh4bOcIxQ-6E2-fw4aE9UfdDEXp8d9KO7qFnwYvQG65wC-VxMaqQP0IwA~oLH~mupuuVTa5Mu2yIZ3THOLwLoLJqLSGlRMQB737GpFxrWiPEn6g07g0JT9ih2cWTA6szqoBmg2fxQ9Ym0GCGcPXyH2WJ9gdhOXFCZfg5usxr8~yMSTdyn4zA2H31aVWDopWU4lmuydQ8bu7ij8YudRMkM7O4FW9QOxsQxtNcVXM0A04aboCRorS32fX6B9nwTBz7o5UpSmzUonW45USGA5bkD-4UUZt0F~3d3vWE9zjf6BZFHZuM8fJ-C9od2h0ZqfnVy7RWUaejXOmswSmTMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. Jeff Stone, R‑Mesquite, told the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor that Senate Bill 231 would encourage pharmacies across Nevada to host secure drug take‑back bins and establish minimum operational safeguards for collection and destruction of home‑generated pharmaceuticals.

Stone said the goal is to reduce drug diversion, avoid inappropriate disposal into landfills and waterways, and make disposal more convenient. “The appropriate and the legal disposal of expired or unused prescription drugs is important to prevent drug diversion, protect our landfills, and safeguard our finite water supplies,” he said.

The bill would encourage pharmacies — particularly chain stores — to install secure, observed drop boxes that are locked when a pharmacy is closed, require conspicuous signage (including hours of permitted deposits and a list of unacceptable items such as syringes and Schedule I drugs), require regular inspection logs retained for two years, and require collectors to notify law enforcement within one business day of any suspected tampering, theft or significant loss. Stone described existing federal regulations under 21 C.F.R. that enable observed pharmacy collection and the role of DEA‑licensed reverse distributors to remove and incinerate collected pharmaceuticals.

SB231 does not mandate installation by pharmacies and shields participating pharmacies from discipline by the State Board of Pharmacy so long as collectors comply with the bill’s provisions — except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The measure also explicitly prohibits participating pharmacies from charging customers for use of the bins. Stone told the committee the bill would be funded by “a $500,000 grant from the Fund for Resilient Nevada created by NRS 433.732” administered through the Division of Public and Behavioral Health and the Department of Health and Human Services, and that, if passed, the act would become effective July 2025.

Supporters included Alex Tanchek of Stericycle, who said proper destruction of prescription drugs is a critical safety and environmental issue. No callers or witnesses registered opposition. Committee members asked operational questions — including whether libraries or police stations could host bins (Stone said the bill is specific to pharmacies, though some law‑enforcement facilities already host collection boxes) and whether Schedule I substances and needles would be accepted (those are excluded by the bill; Stone said collectors and pharmacies are not structured to accept sharps). Committee members and proponents discussed trace pharmaceuticals in Lake Mead and pharmacy coverage inequities across Nevada; Stone cited a State Board of Pharmacy/DEA shared database showing roughly 42 pharmacy locations statewide with drop boxes (3 in Elko, 11 in Reno–Sparks, 28 in Las Vegas–Henderson) and said that equates to about one bin per 76,190 residents in the cited area.

The bill hearing closed with Stone reiterating that SB231 is voluntary, funded, and intended to reduce diversion and downstream environmental contamination. The committee did not take a final vote on SB231 during the hearing.","Sen. Jeff Stone introduced SB231 to encourage pharmacies to host secure drug take‑back bins for home‑generated pharmaceuticals. The bill is voluntary, sets operational requirements for collectors and funds the program with a $500,000 grant from a state resilience fund.",{"_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},6630509,"Students from East Las Vegas urge lawmakers to act on youth online safety during public comment",745,6127000,6872000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2691859-f0af2b68649c6abe5a67dd48d5bb9aa6&start=6127&end=6872","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2691859-f0af2b68649c6abe5a67dd48d5bb9aa6/thumbnail_6127000.jpg","/articles/6630509/Nevada/Students-from-East-Las-Vegas-urge-lawmakers-to-act-on-youth-online-safety-during-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630509-d14950907c0d9b2b07859ae1b0e35933/orig.mp4?Expires=1774964797&Signature=gPSYtCsf6ZyNWQGq-YYG-m6U1ZyUDKhm2iYjo~pgaSE10xu-JV15t0LFmPyCJdzcTh2oVKtQt756i9QbFIZYajHTv0cfL3z-ajRI~EE9QkRHJvccptrwVjnSzJDfRrlNloE71JPLefZN57HoLkB4KYwv32pTEXOH8xrUVymSknsGUC7Q0VhT-pMV~lSjetXRhz8grfcllbYj7F4MKqQYhluV4lYe71XpjXdesjsuvmKd2v2ORLJ1c7ggys1~spNFs7aAQcfwivBDLiTL7lU-ZuTmpF7O1ZJEEWMqITbh2vSyk7QGFkvae23BWy9vrEuB059KlUuf4KxgNby6PlZtSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the committee’s public‑comment period, four students from Akipo Academy and East Las Vegas described firsthand harms they attribute to social media and urged support for youth online safety legislation (SB63), which the Attorney General’s Office said was removed from today’s agenda to allow further work.

Attorney General Aaron Ford introduced the students and said the Youth Online Safety Act is important and would be advanced after additional stakeholder work; he asked the committee to hear the students’ remarks into the record. Students described how social platforms facilitate drug and weapon access, enable school‑specific pages that amplify bullying and fights, and circulate videos that they said escalate conflict and cause shame and depression among peers. One student said: “Many teens my age have lost their lives due to conflicts that originated on social media.” Another described sellers using Instagram and Telegram to advertise drugs and arrange delivery, saying platforms “prioritize their own interest and profits over the well‑being of their users.”

Ben Salkowe, founding principal of Akipo Academy, and teacher representatives described rapid student mobilization to testify and urged legislators to consider stronger reporting and removal processes on platforms, and measures to limit commercial exploitation of youth. Attorney General Ford said the office had removed SB63 from the day’s agenda to continue working on language that would better protect youth online.

Committee members and the sponsor thanked the students for traveling and testifying; Sen. Flores publicly praised the students for civic engagement and invited them to remain involved in the legislative process. The committee did not take action on SB63 during the meeting because it had been temporarily withdrawn from the agenda.","Several students from Akipo Academy and other Las Vegas schools delivered public comments asking lawmakers to support youth online safety measures (SB63), describing how social media facilitates drug sales, bullying, violent escalation and mental‑health harms in their communities.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6630513,"SB285 amendment narrows new construction‑trade recognition, requires separate standards for each trade",977,5121000,6098000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2691859-f0af2b68649c6abe5a67dd48d5bb9aa6&start=5121&end=6098","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2691859-f0af2b68649c6abe5a67dd48d5bb9aa6/thumbnail_5121000.jpg","/articles/6630513/Nevada/SB285-amendment-narrows-new-constructiontrade-recognition-requires-separate-standards-for-each-trade","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630513-4d3e2ab765ec457cb8ad62c757db3d78/orig.mp4?Expires=1774964797&Signature=miyc7EKCtWUf4c5-zlS6os9mQOv7qR1ZMwNyvNUK22sCVhbx2lfw4rvvk9kMPCKthArQDptbez6JMc31pgiINB5SVYQg50ERN19hLIqd05urFqWnPQBbXp0h4yK0SqOZ~jnq6O4Ws8eRX9xZUMmcxuGMUS6OOzyLdDMwZq8FgH~4VhL8dss7V-kII7omjf843m7K6PmqOsh4cghH1UPzZGO0QNMQTVS3iX~YBp9407EcroY5YAqSI1zBqe4lX70a5pVkf6Pzukx7iB2TOqB0f6hGxcOoMOKuH13pjNppN~X8MwhdM-iwa6G8prSqiKkvyCNzLkN9f8dcq-BBp~mlQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. Skip Daley presented Senate Bill 285 and an amendment to guide the State Apprenticeship Council’s review of apprenticeship standards when an applicant seeks to create a program spanning multiple construction trades. Daley said the amendment requires separate standards for each construction trade when a program covers more than one trade and expressly references the 15 nationally recognized building and construction trades as the statutory list for purposes of the section.

\"If the program provides training in more than one construction trade ... it must have separate standards for each trade,\" Daley told the committee, describing the change as preserving the integrity of journeyman credentials and preventing creation of new, industry‑specific “one‑off” crafts that would not be portable across employers. He said the change clarifies that applicants cannot create an exhaustive new “construction trade” outside the 15 recognized trades and that existing multi‑craft programs already registered may continue under their current standards.

Industry groups testified in support after Daley secured an amendment. Craig Madole (Associated General Contractors), Brian Reeder (Nevada Contractors Association), Warren Hardy (Associated Builders and Contractors) and Wendy Colborne (Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada) expressed support, saying the amendment added clarity and protected apprenticeship integrity. The State Apprenticeship Council and Labor Commissioner provided neutral testimony and asked for technical clarifications about occupational classifications and appendices to standards; they indicated existing federal and Department of Labor registration processes break trades into occupations and that the amendment’s language aligned with current practice but should be reconciled with internal registration documents if needed.

No opposition testimony was recorded. Daley said he did not expect the amendment to change operation of the Apprenticeship Utilization Act and invited follow‑up with the state apprenticeship director to ensure technical conformity.","Sen. Skip Daley introduced SB285 to clarify how the State Apprenticeship Council should treat proposed apprenticeship programs that cover more than one construction trade; amendment specifies the 15 nationally recognized building and construction trades and requires separate standards for each trade.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears SB268 to align insurance reimbursement with public‑health dental hygienist law; dental groups raise diagnostic concerns

Senate committee hears bill to expand voluntary pharmacy drug take‑back bins, funds $500,000 grant

Students from East Las Vegas urge lawmakers to act on youth online safety during public comment

SB285 amendment narrows new construction‑trade recognition, requires separate standards for each trade