# Nevada SB188: 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. Nevada SB188, 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., is a 83rd Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Fabian Doñate (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-05-30 (Chapter 172.) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-SB188-83rd2025 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Nevada SB188 - State: Nevada - Session: 83rd Regular Session (2025) - Title: 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. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-03 - Last action: 2025-05-30, Chapter 172. - Sponsor: Fabian Doñate (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: BDR 40-41 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (48 yes, 15 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Free, qualified language help in healthcare: benefit, medium. Health facilities and licensed providers must take reasonable steps to remove language barriers. Language help for people with limited English is free, accurate, timely, and private. When needed, they must use a qualified interpreter or translator. Important machine‑translated documents must be che… - No forced or unqualified interpreters in care: benefit, medium. You cannot be required to bring or pay for your own interpreter. Facilities and providers cannot use a child or an unqualified person to interpret. In an emergency, a temporary unqualified interpreter may be used only until a qualified interpreter confirms or fixes the communication. You may ask to… - Boards can discipline providers for violations: benefit, medium. Licensing boards can investigate and discipline providers who break the language‑access rules. Boards may fine up to $10,000 per violation and recover investigation costs. Orders are public records. Boards keep jurisdiction even if a license is expired, surrendered, or not renewed. - Strong penalties for noncompliant facilities: benefit, medium. The state can punish facilities that break these rules. It can stop new admissions, limit beds, move patients at the facility’s cost, or appoint temporary managers. The Division can fine up to $5,000 per day for each violation, with up to 10% yearly interest on unpaid fines. Unpaid penalties can le… - Localities exempt from usual cost rule: mixed, low. The usual NRS 354.599 rule does not apply to extra local‑government costs from this law. Local governments must handle these expenses under this exemption. This mainly affects how local budgets are managed. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Fabian Doñate (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-22 | House | Final Passage - Assembly (2nd Reprint) | pass | 35 | 7 | | | 2025-04-21 | Senate | Final Passage - Senate (1st Reprint) | pass | 13 | 8 | | ## Actions (24) - 2025-05-30: Chapter 172. (legislature) - 2025-05-30: Approved by the Governor. (legislature) - 2025-05-27: Enrolled and delivered to Governor. (legislature) - 2025-05-23: Assembly Amendment No. 560 concurred in. To enrollment. (Senate) - 2025-05-22: In Senate. (Senate) - 2025-05-22: Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved. (Yeas: 35, Nays: 7.) To Senate. (House) - 2025-05-21: Taken from General File. Placed on General File for next legislative day. (House) - 2025-05-20: Taken from General File. Placed on General File for next legislative day. (House) - 2025-05-20: From printer. To reengrossment. Reengrossed. Second reprint. (House) - 2025-05-19: Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 560.) To printer. (House) - 2025-05-16: From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (House) - 2025-04-24: Read first time. Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services. To committee. (House) - 2025-04-24: In Assembly. (House) - 2025-04-23: To Assembly. (Senate) - 2025-04-23: From printer. To engrossment. Engrossed. First reprint. (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved. (Yeas: 13, Nays: 8.) To printer. (Senate) - 2025-04-18: Reprinting dispensed with. (Senate) - 2025-04-18: Read second time. Amended. (Amend. No. 351.) (Senate) - 2025-04-18: Placed on Second Reading File. (Senate) - 2025-04-18: 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 Health and Human Services. (Senate) ## Bill text - As Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB188_EN.pdf) - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB188.pdf) - Reprint 1: [PDF](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB188_R1.pdf) - Reprint 2: [PDF](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB188_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/SB188_EN.pdf) - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB188.pdf) - [Reprint 1 (PDF)](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB188_R1.pdf) - [Reprint 2 (PDF)](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB188_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-SB188-83rd2025 (as of 2026-11-01).