Senate Bill 262, presented by Senator Julie Pizzina, requests state appropriations to expand graduate medical education (GME) capacity in Nevada. Supporters told the committee expanding residency positions is a long‑term strategy to retain physicians and address the state’s low physician‑per‑capita rate.

Pizzina said Nevada has roughly 218 physicians per 100,000 people in the state and that federally funded residency positions are limited by an old population formula. The bill seeks $4.5 million for fiscal year 2025–26 and a matching amount for 2026–27 to create or seed residency programs. Paul Hauptman, dean of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, explained the relationship between training and retention: historically about 40% of Nevada medical students practice in the state, but a higher share stay if they also complete residency in Nevada.

Maureen Scott, a medical student at UNR School of Medicine, testified about personal plans and the difficulty of remaining in state without additional residency slots. Hospitals, medical associations, and health systems including HCA, Dignity Health — St. Rose Dominican, rural hospital partners and UNR Med expressed support, citing workforce shortages and the effect on rural and specialty care.

Pizzina explained that a prior bill created a graduate advisory committee that will recommend which specialties and programs to start; costs vary by specialty (she cited illustrative startup estimates such as an OB‑GYN residency startup costing approximately $2.8 million annually). The request therefore funds a flexible pilot meant to seed multiple programs, with a goal of increasing the number of residency slots and ultimately physician retention.

The committee heard broad support from the health care community and closed the hearing. No committee vote was recorded at that time.