AB 395 Nevada Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Revises provisions relating to services to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. (BDR 40-841)

AB 395 requires health facilities and healthcare providers to ensure deaf or hard of hearing patients can access qualified sign language interpreters. It mandates that facilities notify patients of interpreter availability and allow requests for in-person or remote interpreters, with in-person interpreters required unless a patient consents to remote service or specific circumstances make remote interpretation inappropriate. The bill also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to maintain an online list of facilities specializing in services for deaf or hard of hearing individuals. This affects all health facilities and providers receiving federal funding, directly impacting patients seeking medical care who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 11, 2025 Last action Jun 3, 2025

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What changed between versions

As Introduced → Reprint 1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill now applies only to health facilities and providers in counties with 20,000 or more residents, rather than statewide. It clarifies when in-person interpreters must be provided versus when remote interpreters are acceptable, and adds requirements to inform patients about other available accommodations.

Scope change

The bill's applicability is now limited to health facilities and providers in counties with a population of 20,000 or more, excluding smaller rural areas.

SCOPE

Added a population threshold of 20,000 or more for counties, limiting the bill's requirements to larger communities.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific timing requirements for providing in-person interpreters (48 hours before scheduled appointments or 2 hours after arrival for unplanned hospitalizations).

Added requirement to notify patients about other specific accommodations that may be available beyond interpreters.

Changed the consent requirement for remote interpreters from needing informed consent to simply being provided if the facility cannot provide in-person service after a good faith effort.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. To engrossment. Engrossed. First reprint. To committee.

lower

Apr 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 455.) Taken from General File. Rereferred to Committee on Ways and Means. Exemption effective. To printer.

lower

Mar 12, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. To committee.

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors