SB 138: Makes revisions governing health care for pregnant women and newborn children. (BDR 40-580) - Nevada

Reprint 2 → As Enrolled · 5 edits · May 30, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was updated from a pre-filed draft to its final enrolled version, incorporating amendments that streamline the text and remove redundant sections. The core policy requirements remain unchanged: hospitals providing birthing services must enroll as qualified providers to determine Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women or contract with qualified entities to do so, and they must notify parents of newborns about potential benefits. The final version also clarifies enforcement mechanisms by explicitly adding the new rights for parents of NICU patients as a specific ground for license revocation.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain the same; it applies to hospitals providing birthing services and parents/legal guardians of newborns in neonatal intensive care units.

TECHNICAL

Removed the 'Reprint' header and replaced it with the official 'As Enrolled' Senate Bill format, including the full title, sponsors, and Legislative Counsel's Digest.

Deleted the 'Summary' and 'Fiscal Note' sections which were present in the pre-filed draft but are not part of the final enrolled text.

Consolidated and renumbered sections, removing the original Section 1 and 2 (marked as deleted) and merging related content into the final statutory text.

Standardized formatting, including page headers and the removal of asterisks used in the draft version.

ENFORCEMENT

Added explicit language to the license revocation grounds, specifying that failure to honor the new rights for parents of newborns in NICUs is a valid reason to suspend or revoke a hospital's license.

As Introduced → Reprint 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to shift its focus from infant Medicaid enrollment to protecting pregnant women and newborns. The original text, which established presumptive eligibility and automatic enrollment for infants in neonatal intensive care units, was removed. It was replaced with new requirements for hospitals to act as qualified providers for determining Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women and to notify parents of federal benefits for newborns. The bill also added specific enforcement powers allowing the state to revoke hospital licenses if they fail to honor the rights of these patients.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from a programmatic enrollment initiative for infants to a regulatory mandate requiring hospitals to provide specific notices and act as Medicaid eligibility providers for pregnant women and newborns.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed provisions establishing presumptive Medicaid eligibility and automatic enrollment for infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for hospitals providing birthing services to enroll as qualified providers to determine Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women.

Added requirements for hospitals to notify pregnant women and parents of newborns about federal benefits they may be eligible to receive.

ENFORCEMENT

Added authority for the state to suspend or revoke a hospital's license if it fails to honor the rights of parents or legal guardians of newborn children in neonatal intensive care units.

FISCAL

Added a warning that the bill contains unfunded mandates for local governments, indicating new costs for hospitals without guaranteed state funding.

Reprint 1 → Reprint 2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was reprinted with amendments adopted on May 20, 2025, adding Assembly members as joint sponsors and expanding the bill's scope to allow hospitals to contract with qualified entities for determining Medicaid eligibility, rather than requiring hospitals to make all determinations themselves.

Scope change

The bill now allows hospitals to contract with qualified entities to make Medicaid eligibility determinations for pregnant women, in addition to requiring hospitals to make these determinations directly.

REQUIREMENT

Added joint sponsors: Assemblymembers Brown-May, Gonzáles, Gray, Nadeem, Nguyen, and Orentlicher.

Updated the Legislative Counsel's Digest to reflect that hospitals can contract with qualified entities for eligibility determinations, and clarified notification requirements for hospitals and contractors.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded the requirement for hospitals to either enroll as qualified providers or contract with qualified entities to determine Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women.

TIMELINE

Changed the reprint date from April 16, 2025 to May 20, 2025, reflecting amended versions of the bill.

Makes revisions governing health care for pregnant women and newborn children. (BDR 40-580)

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