Senate Bill 344 would require certain health insurers to cover noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT, or cell‑free DNA testing) and would prohibit prior‑authorization requirements for that screening, majority leader Sen. Nicole Cannizzaro told the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee.

"NIPT represents one of the most significant advancements in prenatal care in recent decades," Cannizzaro said during her presentation. She and testifying physicians said the screening can be performed as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy with high accuracy and that it lowers the need for later, invasive diagnostic procedures.

Dr. Joseph Adashek, a high‑risk obstetrician and president of the Nevada State Medical Association, told the committee that NIPT can detect fetal chromosomal abnormalities with about 90–95 percent accuracy and can produce results earlier than the prior-standard combined screenings. "To say that this is a game changer is an understatement," Adashek said, noting that the old approach produced many false positives that led to emotional distress and additional invasive testing. He also told the committee that 47 other states cover NIPT broadly and that the testing can replace multiple first‑ and second‑trimester screens and reduce follow‑up invasive tests.

Witnesses from the Nevada State Medical Association, the Nevada section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), ACOG clinicians and other medical professionals testified in support, describing patient and clinical benefits. The Division of Insurance notified the committee that an earlier written concern about federal defrayal was resolved by an amendment that removes the federal-defrayal trigger.

No opposition testimony was offered during the hearing. Supporters urged the committee to pass the measure to align Nevada with the majority of states and expand access to an early, less‑invasive form of prenatal genetic screening. The committee closed the hearing without a recorded vote.