Ways and Means clears a slate of Assembly bills in work session; dozens of measures advance with unanimous voice votes

In a series of brief actions during a Ways and Means work session, the committee approved a package of Assembly bills on motions to "do pass" or "amend and do pass" after fiscal staff presented summaries. Most motions were moved by Assemblymember Bacchus and seconded by other committee members, and were carried by voice vote.

Selected bills advanced and key points (committee actions):

- AB 212: Removes pilot language from the virtual early childhood family engagement program, extending its expiration to Sept. 30, 2027, and contains a general‑fund appropriation of $1,000,000 in each year of the upcoming biennium to DHHS. Motion: due pass as amended. (Mover: Assemblymember Bacchus; Second: Assemblymember Hategui; motion carried.)

- AB 221: Exempts certain physician offices from state permitting requirements for administering general anesthesia/sedation when the physician is also licensed as a dentist and holds a dental anesthesia permit. Motion: due pass. (Mover: Assemblymember Bacchus; Second: Assemblymember Hategui; motion carried.)

- AB 234: Requires the DHHS director to include lung, prostate and colorectal cancer screening under Medicaid; a conceptual amendment narrowed the scope and addressed fiscal concerns; motion: amend and do pass as amended. (Mover: Assemblymember Bacchus; Second: Assemblymember Hodeg; motion carried.)

- AB 243: Expands partial property‑tax exemptions for surviving spouses of service members killed in action and allows deposit of exempted amounts to veteran home gift accounts; conceptual amendment adds a definition for Nevada Gold Star surviving spouse. Motion: amend and do pass as amended. (Mover: Assemblymember Bacchus; Second: Assemblymember Hadegui; motion carried.)

- AB 251: Revises custom processing and mobile processing licensing for meat and poultry; fiscal impacts related to transferred positions and passage of companion bill SB466 were discussed; motion: amend and do pass as amended. (Mover: Assemblymember Bacchus; Second: Assemblymember Hadeghi; motion carried.)

- AB 284: Requires Medicaid to seek federal authority to reimburse at least 80% of costs for vagus nerve stimulation devices and associated procedures; fiscal estimates and proposed clarifying amendment were accepted. Motion: amend and do pass as amended. (Mover: Assemblymember Bacchus; Second: Assemblymember Watts; motion carried.)

- AB 296: Authorizes DMV to offer installment loans for registration fees, to permit digital license plates and to cap financed fees at 15% of amount financed; conceptual amendment adopted. Motion: amend and do pass as amended. (Mover: Assemblymember Bacchus; Second: Assemblymember Hategui; motion carried.)

- AB 328, AB 331, AB 336, AB 428, AB 49, AB 500 and others: Fiscal summaries were provided for each; motions to do pass or amend and do pass were made and carried by voice vote in the work session. Notably, AB 500 would require licensure and regulation of payment banks by the Commissioner of Financial Institutions and carried a large start‑up fiscal note; one committee member recorded a public no on the committee floor but the motion passed.

Procedure and context: Committee members declined to extend discussion on items that had been vetted in prior hearings and accepted fiscal staff presentations. Where conceptual amendments were offered at bill hearings, staff described their effect on fiscal notes and implementation.

Votes and procedure: Most measures passed by voice vote with Chairs calling for "aye" and recording no opposition in committee. Formal roll call votes were not recorded for these items in the work‑session excerpts in the transcript.

What’s next: The measures advanced out of the committee as amended or as presented and will proceed to the next steps in the legislative process. Several items referenced companion bills or additional approvals that could affect fiscal outcomes and implementation.