Senate Bill 376 would expand access to specialty care and reimbursement timelines for firefighters and law-enforcement officers who claim occupational heart or lung disease under Nevada’s industrial insurance laws, supporters told the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee.

Ryan Beeman of Professional Firefighters Nevada said SB 376 would allow an injured employee to seek treatment from a physician of their choice when the Division of Industrial Relations (DIR) panel lacks sufficient specialists, and it would mandate prompt reimbursement for out‑of‑pocket medical costs and set timelines and penalties for delayed payment.

Testimony from a firefighter and claimant, Ryan Orton, described extended delays and a lack of meaningful physician choices from the DIR panel. Orton said a reopening of his occupational disease claim led to an eight‑month fight and that some DIR specialty lists had large numbers of physicians who were not practically available; he described going months without access to a pulmonologist and a six‑month wait to see a cardiologist during the dispute. "For pulmonology, the wait from time of claim acceptance to seeing a doctor was five months... For ENT, to this day, I still have not been able to see a doctor," Orton said.

Sponsors and public-safety groups argued the measure is narrowly targeted and only applies when the statutory panel fails to provide timely, reasonable access to specialists. Supporters — including Professional Firefighters Nevada, the Nevada Fire Chiefs Association and public-safety unions — said timely access to diagnosis and treatment is essential for injured first responders and for returning them to work.

No opposition testimony was recorded at the hearing. Supporters urged the committee to move the bill forward to correct what they described as gaps in the current system that produced long waits and uncertain access to specialists.