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Senate Health and Human Services committee advances a package of health bills; votes at a glance
Summary
During a work session following the SB 425 hearing, the committee considered and voted on a series of health-related bills, advancing most measures (many with amendments) to the next step. Several votes recorded dissent from Senators Titus and Stone on particular bills.
The Nevada Senate Committee on Health and Human Services considered a series of bills in a work session after the SB 425 hearing and advanced most measures, many with committee amendments. Committee staffer Destiny Cooper summarized each bill before votes. The committee recorded several recorded nays on particular measures; most motions were carried.
Votes at a glance (committee action and short description):
- Senate Bill 54 — Requires Medicaid to provide coverage of medical respite care for persons experiencing homelessness; committee moved to amend and do pass. Motion carried.
- Senate Bill 118 — Expands Medicaid coverage for certain pharmacist-provided services and requires parity in reimbursement and removes some prior-authorization requirements for services pharmacists provide that are otherwise covered; committee moved to do pass. Motion carried unanimously.
- Senate Bill 192 — Multiple public-health provisions including requirements for interpreters and Medicaid coverage of doulas; committee moved to amend and do pass. Two recorded nays (Senators Titus and Stone); motion carried.
- Senate Bill 295 — Revises provisions related to sidewalk vendors and food operations, narrows certain definitions and strikes original cottage food provisions in the amendment; committee moved to amend and do pass. Two recorded nays (Senators Stone and Titus); motion carried.
- Senate Bill 300 — Expands Medicaid coverage for certain mental health services at federally qualified health centers to include mental health counselors (master's level); committee moved to amend and do pass. Motion carried unanimously.
- Senate Bill 329 — Requires certain emergency medical personnel to complete training on dementia and cognitive impairments and submit proof of certification by Oct. 1, 2026 (as amended); committee moved to amend and do pass. Two recorded nays (Senators Titus and Stone); motion carried.
- Senate Bill 337 — Requires a non-opioid directive form and procedures for offering patients the opportunity to execute one; committee moved to amend and do pass. Motion carried unanimously.
- Senate Bill 372 — Adds circumstances in which a child is not considered abused or neglected related to seeking mental health care or bringing a foster/adoptive child with behavioral health needs into the home; committee moved to do pass. Motion carried unanimously.
- Senate Bill 389 — Revises administration of pharmacy benefits under Medicaid and creates a state pharmacy benefit manager contracting structure; committee moved to amend and do pass. One recorded nay (Senator Titus); motion carried.
- Senate Bill 423 — Revises public health funding structures and creates an account for public health; committee moved to amend and do pass. Motion carried unanimously.
- Senate Bill 424 — Imposes an assessment on private emergency medical transport providers and creates an account for emergency medical transport quality and access (as amended); committee moved to amend and do pass. Two recorded nays (Senators Titus and Stone); motion carried.
- Senate Bill 434 — Establishes the SHARP grant program to address provider shortages and requires transfers to a SHARP account subject to rainy-day fund protections (as amended); committee moved to amend and do pass. One recorded nay (Senator Titus); motion carried.
Most measures advanced with committee amendments that staff summarized before each motion. Several members voiced policy questions during discussion — for example concerns that SB 54’s model appeared tailored to a single facility and a request to ensure statewide flexibility, and funding concerns about SB 434’s proposed transfer mechanism relative to the rainy-day fund.
Where the committee recorded dissent, Senators Titus and Stone were the most frequent no votes in this work session; specific vote tallies were recorded on the floor for each motion. Committee staff noted that amendments and additional language for many bills are attached to the work session documents, and sponsors said multiple measures will still need finance or subsequent rulemaking steps before taking effect.
