Rep. Selena Torres-Fossett

Maddy summaryAB 428 requires most health insurance plans in Nevada to cover fertility preservation services for individuals diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer who face infertility from the cancer or its treatment. This coverage must include medically necessary procedures as defined by established medical guidelines, such as egg or sperm freezing before cancer treatment begins. Insurers affiliated with religious organizations may exclude this coverage if they provide written notice to insureds about the exemption. The law applies to private health plans, Medicaid, and state/local government employee health insurance, with enforcement by the Insurance Commissioner for non-compliance.

Maddy summarySB 262 transfers administration of Nevada’s Graduate Medical Education Grant Program from the Office of Science to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS). It requires medical institutions receiving grants to obtain DHS approval before eliminating or reducing residency training programs, with criteria including demonstrating reduced patient need and no negative impact on healthcare provider availability. The bill expands grant eligibility to include programs exceeding Medicare-funded resident slots and allows DHS to provide limited grants for new program development and staffing. It also directs DHS to explore using Medicaid funding to support residency programs, effective as of its passage and signing into law on June 10, 2025.

Maddy summaryAB 409 revises Nevada's special license plate program to include veterans of the U.S. Space Force and their families. It requires the DMV to issue these plates to Space Force veterans (and their spouses, parents, or children), expanding eligibility beyond existing military branches like the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. The bill also allows holders of personalized prestige license plates to combine them with military service plates by paying additional fees. This change directly affects Space Force veterans and their immediate family members seeking these specialized plates.

Maddy summaryAB 123 makes it a crime to threaten or intimidate a candidate for public office or their family members regarding bodily injury or property damage. It specifically targets threats that cause reasonable fear of being carried out, with first offenses classified as misdemeanors and repeat offenses as gross misdemeanors. The bill creates a process where candidates can report threats to the Secretary of State, who must investigate and refer serious cases to the Attorney General if reasonable suspicion exists. This law directly affects election candidates and their families by adding criminal penalties for targeted threats, while explicitly protecting constitutionally protected free speech.

Maddy summaryAB 335 requires school districts to appoint an administrator to support English learner students and mandates principals to consult this administrator when creating school improvement plans. The bill specifically directs schools with 10%+ English learners to prioritize closing achievement gaps between these students and proficient peers, setting quantitative goals for their progress. It also requires all teachers to complete English language acquisition training by 2030 and mandates that student data for newcomers be disaggregated without negatively affecting school or staff performance ratings. The bill repeals an outdated requirement for corrective action plans in schools with low English learner achievement. These changes directly affect school districts, principals, teachers, and English learner students across Nevada.

Maddy summaryAB 326 updates Nevada's rules for designating hospitals as trauma care centers. It explicitly allows the State Board of Health to create a level IV designation for critical access hospitals that meet specific criteria, such as being located more than 80 miles from counties with multiple existing trauma centers. The bill requires hospitals to obtain official designation from the Administrator before claiming a specific trauma care level (I-IV), and mandates a needs assessment to ensure new centers address actual gaps in trauma care capacity. This affects hospitals seeking trauma center status, particularly rural critical access facilities, and clarifies standards for approval and designation.

Maddy summarySB 305 requires Nevada’s Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) to officially sanction lacrosse as a school sport by January 2026, establishing specific rules for eligibility, competition, season timing, and safety. It mandates the NIAA to create the "Pipeline Infrastructure Fund" to support school sports infrastructure, including hiring staff and managing programs, and allows the fund to accept donations. The bill also directs the NIAA to conduct a study on developing student athletes into professionals, with findings reported to lawmakers by 2027. These changes directly affect Nevada public school students participating in interscholastic sports and the NIAA’s operational responsibilities.

Maddy summarySB 280 appropriates $2.9 million from the State General Fund to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine to create a dedicated cleft and craniofacial medical team. The team must provide dental and medical care to children under 3 years old, and potentially children with special needs aged 3-18, through clinics open at least 4 hours per day, one day monthly (or more if resources allow). The bill requires the team to obtain accreditation from the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association and establish partnerships with other Nevada educational institutions. All funds must be spent by September 17, 2027, with unused amounts reverting to the State General Fund. This bill directly affects children in Nevada with cleft lip/palate or craniofacial conditions who would access these new services.

Maddy summaryAB 404 revises Nevada's alcohol regulations by expanding brew pub operations and updating personal alcohol shipment rules. It changes the definition of a "special event" from one-day events to up to three days requiring a local permit, allowing brew pubs to sell malt beverages they manufacture off-site at up to three additional locations they operate (including transport/storage for these sales). The bill also updates a personal use exception, changing the rule from "entering the state" to "shipping into Nevada" for personal alcohol shipments limited to one gallon per month. These changes directly affect brew pubs, local governments issuing permits, and individuals shipping alcohol for personal use.

Maddy summaryAB 286 establishes a pilot program allowing prospective teachers in Nevada to bypass standard competency tests for initial teaching licenses by completing an alternative assessment pathway. The program, limited to 100 participants annually from Nevada higher education institutions, targets applicants holding provisional teaching licenses or substitute endorsements. Participants must complete 10 professional development sessions, receive mentorship, and achieve two consecutive "effective" teaching evaluations over 24 months to qualify for exemption. The pilot expires in 2029 and requires institutions to submit annual progress reports and a final implementation plan based on data collected.