All Roll Calls
Yes: 48 • No: 15
NevadaSB18883rd Regular Session (2025)SenateWALLET
AN ACT relating to health care; requiring certain health facilities and providers of health care to take reasonable steps to provide a person with limited English proficiency with language assistance under certain circumstances; prescribing requirements governing the use of interpreters and translators to comply with that requirement; authorizing the discipline of certain health facilities and providers of health care for certain violations; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Sponsored By: FabianDeputy Majority Whip Doñate (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
BDR 40-41
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
Free language help at health facilities
Licensed health facilities must take reasonable steps to help people with limited English get needed care. Language help is free, accurate, timely, and private. Facilities must use qualified interpreters and translators, and a qualified translator must review important machine‑translated documents. Remote interpreters are allowed if audio and video are clear and real‑time, and staff who run the tech must be trained. Regulators give big weight to how important the communication is when checking compliance.
Language help rules for health providers
Health care providers must take reasonable steps so language barriers do not block needed care. Help must be free, accurate, timely, and protect privacy. Providers must use qualified interpreters and translators. They may use remote interpreters if audio is clear, video (when used) is high quality, and there is no lag, and they must train staff who run the tech.
Stronger enforcement for providers and facilities
Breaking these language‑access rules can lead to license denial, suspension, or revocation for facilities. The Division may limit admissions, cap occupancy, move patients, appoint temporary management, or fine up to $5,000 per day per violation. Boards can also discipline individual providers and certain administrators who aid violations. When the Division asks, county district attorneys must prosecute violations.
Who is covered by language rules
A person has limited English proficiency if they speak another language and cannot readily understand or communicate in English. Covered health facilities include medical facilities, certain Medicaid provider facilities, and other facilities that must be licensed by the Board.
Local governments can spend to implement
Local governments may spend extra money to carry out this law. A state limit on such costs does not apply. The law does not set who pays or the dollar amounts.
Who can interpret, with rare exceptions
Providers cannot make you provide or pay for your own interpreter, and they cannot use unqualified adults or children. In an urgent safety emergency, a facility may use any available adult or even a child temporarily if a qualified interpreter is not available, they are trying to find one, and a qualified interpreter later confirms the talk. You may ask to use a specific adult to interpret. That request must be made without that person present to a qualified interpreter, documented, and judged appropriate by the provider.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
FabianDeputy Majority Whip Doñate
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 5/22/2025
Final Passage - Assembly (2nd Reprint)
Yes: 35 • No: 7
Senate vote • 4/21/2025
Final Passage - Senate (1st Reprint)
Yes: 13 • No: 8
Actions Timeline
Chapter 172.
5/30/2025legislatureApproved by the Governor.
5/30/2025legislatureEnrolled and delivered to Governor.
5/27/2025legislatureAssembly Amendment No. 560 concurred in. To enrollment.
5/23/2025SenateIn Senate.
5/22/2025SenateRead third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved. (Yeas: 35, Nays: 7.) To Senate.
5/22/2025HouseTaken from General File. Placed on General File for next legislative day.
5/21/2025HouseTaken from General File. Placed on General File for next legislative day.
5/20/2025HouseFrom printer. To reengrossment. Reengrossed. Second reprint.
5/20/2025HouseRead second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 560.) To printer.
5/19/2025HouseFrom committee: Amend, and do pass as amended.
5/16/2025HouseRead first time. Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services. To committee.
4/24/2025HouseIn Assembly.
4/24/2025HouseTo Assembly.
4/23/2025SenateFrom printer. To engrossment. Engrossed. First reprint.
4/23/2025SenateRead third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved. (Yeas: 13, Nays: 8.) To printer.
4/21/2025SenateReprinting dispensed with.
4/18/2025SenateRead second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 351.)
4/18/2025SenatePlaced on Second Reading File.
4/18/2025SenateFrom committee: Amend, and do pass as amended.
4/18/2025SenateRead first time. To committee.
2/5/2025SenateFrom printer.
2/5/2025SenateTo printer.
2/4/2025SenatePrefiled. Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services.
2/3/2025Senate
Bill Text
As Enrolled
As Introduced
Reprint 1
Reprint 2
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