SB 18 changes Nevada's budget rules by allowing state agencies in the Executive Department to retain 50% of unspent funds from the State General Fund or Highway Fund that remain unobligated by June 30 each year, instead of those funds reverting to the state treasury. This applies to operational appropriations (excluding supplemental or one-time funding) and permits agencies to use the retained money for any purpose within their existing responsibilities. The bill does not affect federal funds, proprietary funds, or specific entities like the University of Nevada Board of Regents. It amends Nevada Revised Statutes to clarify this retention mechanism and takes effect on July 1, 2025.
SB 377 requires Nevada health insurers to cover at least one non-opioid alternative for every medical purpose where opioids are commonly used and a non-opioid option exists. Insurers cannot impose stricter requirements (like prior authorization) on these alternatives than they do on opioids, and must exempt patients from extra medical management steps if a provider confirms the alternative is appropriate. The law applies to all health insurance policies sold in Nevada, including group and individual plans, with new policies required to comply starting January 1, 2026. It aims to expand access to safer pain management options while preventing insurers from creating barriers to non-opioid treatments.
SB 308 standardizes fee waivers for eligible students enrolled in the Nevada System of Higher Education. It expands existing waivers to cover registration, laboratory, and other mandatory fees for all undergraduate and graduate degree programs, applying to groups including active Nevada National Guard members (and recruits), veterans with Purple Hearts, families of fallen service members, homeless students, and Native American tribal members or descendants. Students using these waivers must maintain a 2.0 GPA and be deemed Nevada residents for fee purposes. The bill also allows National Guard members to reassign waivers to spouses or children after reenlistment, subject to specific usage limits.
SB 265 requires Nevada state and local government agencies to collect race and ethnicity data using a single question with specific subcategories for Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander individuals. Agencies must offer options like Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Native Hawaiian, Samoan, or other subcategories, while keeping all personally identifiable information confidential. The bill mandates that agencies publish aggregated data online and include it in demographic reports, and prohibits denying services to anyone who declines to provide this information. This affects agencies collecting such data, including those in criminal justice, social services, and health programs.
SB 351 revises Nevada's school accountability system by requiring the state to weight academic progress more heavily for students who scored below the 75th percentile in their school on prior standardized tests. Specifically, it mandates that schools receive double credit for improvement in these students' scores when calculating annual performance ratings. This change affects all public schools in Nevada, particularly those with higher concentrations of struggling students, and aims to better reflect growth in student achievement. The bill modifies how school ratings are determined under NRS 385A.600, focusing on measurable progress rather than absolute scores.
SB 236 revises Nevada law to clarify rights for property owners and occupants in disputes over dwellings. It defines "squatter" (not a tenant) for summary court proceedings and shortens the time locked-out occupants have to seek reentry (from 7 to 3 days) and the time owners must store belongings (from 30 to 15 days). The bill also expands the crime of unlawful occupancy to cover taking residence in *any* dwelling without permission - whether vacant or occupied - without owner consent. These changes directly affect property owners, occupants locked out of dwellings, and law enforcement handling eviction-related cases.
SB 239 requires Nevada's Department of Health and Human Services to identify Medicaid services primarily provided to children with cancer or serious diseases that predominantly affect children. The department must also determine which of these services are delivered by specialists in short supply within the state, using metrics like patient-to-provider ratios and wait times. Then, the department must request federal reimbursement rate increases of at least 10% for all identified services and an additional 10% for services provided by specialists in short supply. These requests must be submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services by October 1, 2025.
SB 441 changes Nevada's rules for drivers working with ride-sharing companies (like Uber or Lyft). Instead of following current requirements for transportation network company drivers, these drivers will now need to meet the same licensing standards as taxi drivers. This includes obtaining a Nevada Transportation Authority driver's permit, passing an FBI background check, and paying a $50 fee for licensing and fingerprint processing. The bill directly affects ride-share drivers in Nevada by shifting regulatory requirements from the companies to the individual drivers.
SB 92 allows insurance companies to immediately implement proposed rate increases or decreases for most insurance types (excluding certain health plans) while waiting for the Commissioner of Insurance's final approval or disapproval. Currently, insurers must wait for approval before implementing changes, but this bill permits immediate implementation pending the Commissioner's decision. If the Commissioner later disapproves a rate change, insurers must stop using it within 90 days of the disapproval order, though existing policies may require premium adjustments after that date. This bill modifies Nevada’s insurance rate filing law (NRS 686B.070) and directly affects insurers and policyholders for non-health insurance lines.
SB 64 prevents Nevada from recovering Medicaid benefits from ABLE accounts upon the death of the account holder. It prohibits the state from seeking repayment from leftover funds in an ABLE account or filing claims against the account, unless federal law requires it. This directly affects Nevada residents with disabilities who use the state’s ABLE Savings Program and receive Medicaid benefits. The bill also requires the state to stop any ongoing efforts to recover Medicaid funds from these accounts. The change aligns Nevada’s practice with federal protections for ABLE accounts, which shield these savings from affecting public benefit eligibility.
SB 342 authorizes the State Engineer to coordinate with water right holders to formally relinquish (give up) their rights through contracts or agreements, then retire those rights, permanently removing them from the water system. This prohibits new water appropriations for retired rights and applies to designated groundwater basins across Nevada, directly affecting current water right holders who choose to relinquish their rights. The bill also clarifies that permits canceled for failure to file documents are not subject to rules about changing a water right's effective date. This revision streamlines water rights management while ensuring retired rights cannot be reused.
SB 105 requires Nevada insurers selling Medicare supplemental policies to allow people purchasing "guaranteed issue" policies (those that must be sold without health screening) to choose any standard plan the insurer offers to new customers. It also prohibits insurers from varying commissions or treating these policies differently for commission purposes based on their "guaranteed issue" status. The bill applies to all standardized benefit plans available for new enrollment under federal law. This affects insurers operating in Nevada who sell Medicare supplemental policies, ensuring consistent plan access and commission rules for eligible buyers.
