Senate adopts amendment placing 6-month limit on extraordinary medical-debt collections during declared emergencies

The Nevada Senate on the floor adopted amendment 951 to Assembly Bill 204, adding a six-month limit on extraordinary collection actions by debt collectors when a county in which the consumer resides is subject to certain emergencies or disasters under federal law.

The amendment, moved and explained on the floor by Senator Pesina, “applies a time limit of 6 months that a collection agency shall not engage in any extraordinary collection action where there exists in a county in Nevada in which the consumer resides certain emergencies, disasters, or similar events pursuant to federal law.” The Senate adopted the amendment by voice vote and ordered AB 204 reprinted, engrossed and placed on the general file.

AB 204 revises provisions related to medical debt; the adopted amendment limits the ability of collection agencies to undertake extraordinary collection activity during specified federally-recognized emergency periods affecting a consumer’s county of residence. The motion to adopt was moved by Senator Pesina; no second was recorded in the oral transcript. The action was approved by voice vote (ayes and nays) and recorded as carried.

Floor proceedings did not elaborate further on how “extraordinary collection action” is defined in the bill text or on implementation mechanics; the adopted language ties the protection to “federal law” emergency declarations. The amendment text and the engrossed bill will govern the statutory language as the measure proceeds through the legislative process.

The bill was ordered to the general file for further consideration after engrossment.