# Nevada SB165: AN ACT relating to behavioral health; providing for the licensure and regulation of behavioral health and wellness practitioners; requiring the establishment of a Behavioral Health and Wellness Practitioner Advisory Group; authorizing the Board of Psychological Examiners to investigate and impose discipline on a behavioral health and wellness practitioner; prohibiting the unlicensed practice of behavioral health promotion and prevention; establishing a privilege for certain confidential communications between a patient and a behavioral health and wellness practitioner under certain circumstances; requiring Medicaid to cover behavioral health promotion and prevention services provided by a behavioral health and wellness practitioner; providing penalties; requiring certain allocations and transfers of money and authorizing certain expenditures; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Nevada SB165, AN ACT relating to behavioral health; providing for the licensure and regulation of behavioral health and wellness practitioners; requiring the establishment of a Behavioral Health and Wellness Practitioner Advisory Group; authorizing the Board of Psychological Examiners to investigate and impose discipline on a behavioral health and wellness practitioner; prohibiting the unlicensed practice of behavioral health promotion and prevention; establishing a privilege for certain confidential communications between a patient and a behavioral health and wellness practitioner under certain circumstances; requiring Medicaid to cover behavioral health promotion and prevention services provided by a behavioral health and wellness practitioner; providing penalties; requiring certain allocations and transfers of money and authorizing certain expenditures; and providing other matters properly relating thereto., is a 83rd Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Rochelle T. Nguyen (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-06-06 (Chapter 379.); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-SB165-83rd2025 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Nevada SB165 - State: Nevada - Session: 83rd Regular Session (2025) - Title: AN ACT relating to behavioral health; providing for the licensure and regulation of behavioral health and wellness practitioners; requiring the establishment of a Behavioral Health and Wellness Practitioner Advisory Group; authorizing the Board of Psychological Examiners to investigate and impose discipline on a behavioral health and wellness practitioner; prohibiting the unlicensed practice of behavioral health promotion and prevention; establishing a privilege for certain confidential communications between a patient and a behavioral health and wellness practitioner under certain circumstances; requiring Medicaid to cover behavioral health promotion and prevention services provided by a behavioral health and wellness practitioner; providing penalties; requiring certain allocations and transfers of money and authorizing certain expenditures; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-03 - Last action: 2025-06-06, Chapter 379. - Sponsor: Rochelle T. Nguyen (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: BDR 54-145 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (58 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 10 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Conversion therapy banned for minors: benefit, medium. Psychotherapists, including licensed behavioral health and wellness practitioners, may not provide conversion therapy to anyone under 18. Licensing boards can discipline providers who break this rule. - Medicaid covers prevention services in 2026: benefit, medium. Beginning January 1, 2026, Nevada Medicaid covers behavioral health promotion and prevention services by licensed behavioral health and wellness practitioners. Coverage applies to the extent federal matching funds are available. The state must apply for any needed federal waiver or State Plan amend… - Safety and reporting rules for practitioners: benefit, medium. If a patient makes an explicit, imminent threat and the practitioner believes the patient can carry it out, the practitioner must act. They may start or petition for a crisis hold, or try to warn the person threatened or law enforcement. Practitioners who act with reasonable care are legally protec… - Stronger crackdown on unlicensed practice: benefit, medium. It is illegal to practice or claim the title of behavioral health and wellness practitioner without the required license. Violations can be a gross misdemeanor. Regulators first try notice, education, or mediation before criminal charges when appropriate. The Board can investigate, subpoena, fine $… - Scholarships to grow behavioral health workforce: benefit, medium. For the 2025–2027 biennium, Nevada reimburses colleges to build programs and give scholarships. Up to $574,980 each goes to UNR, UNLV, and Great Basin College for bachelor’s programs and scholarships. Up to $500,000 each helps UNR, UNLV, and Great Basin College create micro‑credentials and scholars… - Privacy rules for training recordings: benefit, low. Approved programs and listed mental health professionals may use recordings for training only with informed written consent on a Board form. Recordings must follow HIPAA, and cannot include personal details unless the patient or client agrees. They are destroyed after a Board‑set time and generally… - Funding to add Medicaid prevention services: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the state moves $68,705 into the Nevada Medicaid budget and authorizes $115,171 in spending for FY 2026–2027. This money supports adding coverage for behavioral health promotion and prevention services by licensed wellness practitioners. - New license for behavioral health practitioners: mixed, high. Nevada creates a new license for behavioral health and wellness practitioners. Supervision may be by a psychiatrist, a qualified psychiatric APRN, a psychologist, a clinical professional counselor, a marriage and family therapist, or a clinical social worker. The Board sets detailed rules, with hel… - New license and rules for wellness practitioners: mixed, medium. Nevada creates a license to practice behavioral health promotion and prevention. To get it, you must be 18, of good moral character, hold a listed degree, finish a Board‑approved program, name a licensed supervisor, and pass the Board exam or an approved alternative. The Board must give a written d… - Who is covered and who is exempt: mixed, low. Behavioral health promotion and prevention is now a regulated profession. Behavioral health and wellness practitioners count as providers of health care, and malpractice and professional‑standards rules apply to their services. Many licensed professionals and clergy remain exempt if they do not mis… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Rochelle T. Nguyen (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Carrie Ann Buck (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: John C. Steinbeck (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-31 | House | Final Passage - Assembly (2nd Reprint) | pass | 38 | 1 | | | 2025-05-27 | Senate | Final Passage - Senate (2nd Reprint) | pass | 20 | 0 | | ## Actions (28) - 2025-06-06: Chapter 379. (legislature) - 2025-06-06: Approved by the Governor. (legislature) - 2025-06-04: Enrolled and delivered to Governor. (legislature) - 2025-06-02: To enrollment. (Senate) - 2025-06-01: In Senate. (Senate) - 2025-05-31: Read third time. Passed. Title approved. (Yeas: 38, Nays: 1, Excused: 3.) To Senate. (House) - 2025-05-30: Read second time. (House) - 2025-05-30: Placed on Second Reading File. (House) - 2025-05-30: From committee: Do pass. (House) - 2025-05-28: Read first time. Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor. To committee. (House) - 2025-05-28: In Assembly. (House) - 2025-05-28: From printer. To re-engrossment. Re-engrossed. Second reprint. To Assembly. (Senate) - 2025-05-27: Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved, as amended. (Yeas: 20, Nays: None, Excused: 1.) To printer. (Senate) - 2025-05-27: Reprinting dispensed with. (Senate) - 2025-05-27: Read third time. Amended. (Amend. No. 823.) (Senate) - 2025-05-27: Placed on General File. (Senate) - 2025-05-27: From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: To committee. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: From printer. To engrossment. Engrossed. First reprint. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Taken from General File. Re-referred to Committee on Finance. Exemption effective. To printer. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 34.) (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Notice of eligibility for exemption. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Placed on Second Reading File. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Read first time. To committee. (Senate) - 2025-02-05: From printer. (Senate) - 2025-02-04: To printer. (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Prefiled. Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor. (Senate) ## Bill text - As Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB165_EN.pdf) - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB165.pdf) - Reprint 1: [PDF](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB165_R1.pdf) - Reprint 2: [PDF](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB165_R2.pdf) ## Related bills - AB499: AN ACT relating to elections; requiring, with certain exceptions, a registered voter show photo identification to vote in person; requiring the Department of M… (vetoed) - AB397: AN ACT relating to higher education; revising provisions governing certain waivers of fees provided by the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada; revisi… (vetoed) - AB259: AN ACT relating to health care; prohibiting certain actions related to pricing and reimbursement for certain drugs; creating a cause of action for violating su… (vetoed) - AB188: AN ACT relating to the Public Employees' Benefits Program; requiring the Board of the Public Employees' Benefits Program to report certain information relating… (vetoed) - SB217: AN ACT relating to health care; prohibiting a governmental entity from substantially burdening certain activity relating to assisted reproduction under certain… (vetoed) - SB185: AN ACT relating to health care; requiring reimbursement under Medicaid to family members who provide personal care services to certain recipients of Medicaid;… (signed) ## Sources - [As Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB165_EN.pdf) - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB165.pdf) - [Reprint 1 (PDF)](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB165_R1.pdf) - [Reprint 2 (PDF)](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB165_R2.pdf) ## Related - [AB499: AN ACT relating to elections; requiring, with certain exceptions, a registered…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-AB499-83rd2025) - [AB397: AN ACT relating to higher education; revising provisions governing certain waiv…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-AB397-83rd2025) - [AB259: AN ACT relating to health care; prohibiting certain actions related to pricing…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-AB259-83rd2025) - [AB188: AN ACT relating to the Public Employees' Benefits Program; requiring the Board…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-AB188-83rd2025) - [SB217: AN ACT relating to health care; prohibiting a governmental entity from substant…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-SB217-83rd2025) - [SB185: AN ACT relating to health care; requiring reimbursement under Medicaid to famil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-SB185-83rd2025) - [Nevada bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/nevada/bills) - [Nevada state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/nevada) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-SB165-83rd2025 (as of 2026-11-01).