S.B. 329
- *SB329*
SENATE BILL NO. 329–SENATORS FLORES;
DONDERO LOOP AND TAYLOR
MARCH 11, 2025
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JOINT SPONSORS: ASSEMBLYMEMBERS GOULDING AND NGUYEN
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Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services
SUMMARY—Requires certain persons to complete training on
dementia and cognitive impairments. (BDR 40-1086)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal Impact.
Effect on the State: Yes.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to emergency response; requiring certain first
responders to receive training concerning dementia and
other cognitive impairments; providing that receiving
such training does not change the standard of care to
which such first responders are held; and providing other
matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law requires each applicant for licensure as an ambulance attendant or 1
firefighter or certification as an emergency medical technician, advanced 2
emergency medical technician, paramedic or peace officer to complete training 3
concerning identifying and interacting with persons with developmental disabilities 4
before initial licensure or certification, as applicable. (NRS 289.605, 450B.160, 5
450B.180) Existing law provides that a person who is required to obtain such 6
training is not held to a higher standard of care and does not have a greater duty 7
because he or she has received such training. (NRS 41.1391) 8
Sections 1, 2 and 4 of this bill require each applicant for licensure as an 9
ambulance attendant or a firefighter or certification as an emergency medical 10
technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, a paramedic or a peace 11
officer to complete training concerning identifying and interacting with persons 12
with dementia and other cognitive impairments. Section 5 of this bill requires a 13
person who is licensed as an ambulance attendant or a firefighter or certified as an 14
emergency medical technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, a 15
paramedic or a peace officer to submit to his or her licensing authority on or before 16
October 1, 2026, proof that he or she has completed the training required by 17
section 1, 2 or 4, as applicable. Section 3 of this bill provides that an attendant, 18
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firefighter, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical 19
technician, paramedic or peace officer is not held to a higher standard of care and 20
does not have a greater duty because he or she has received such training. 21
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 450B.160 is hereby amended to read as 1
follows: 2
450B.160 1. The health authority may issue licenses to 3
attendants and to firefighters employed by or serving as volunteers 4
with a fire-fighting agency. 5
2. Each license must be evidenced by a card issued to the 6
holder of the license, is valid for a period not to exceed 2 years and 7
is renewable. 8
3. An applicant for a license must file with the health authority: 9
(a) A current, valid certificate evidencing the applicant’s 10
successful completion of a program of training as an emergency 11
medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or 12
paramedic, if the applicant is applying for a license as an attendant, 13
or, if a volunteer attendant, at a level of skill determined by the 14
board. 15
(b) A current valid certificate evidencing the applicant’s 16
successful completion of a program of training as an emergency 17
medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or 18
paramedic, if the applicant is applying for a license as a firefighter 19
with a fire-fighting agency. 20
(c) A signed statement showing: 21
(1) The name and address of the applicant; 22
(2) The name and address of the employer of the applicant; 23
and 24
(3) A description of the applicant’s duties. 25
(d) Proof that the applicant has completed the training required 26
by subsection 4. 27
(e) Such other certificates for training and such other items as 28
the board may specify. 29
4. In addition to the training required by subsection 3, each 30
applicant for a license must complete training concerning 31
[identifying] : 32
(a) Identifying and interacting with persons with developmental 33
disabilities [.] ; and 34
(b) Identifying and interacting with persons with dementia and 35
other cognitive impairments. The training completed pursuant to 36
this paragraph must be provided by or developed in collaboration 37
with a nationally recognized organization whose work focuses on 38
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dementia and other cognitive impairments, an accredited college 1
or university or the State or Federal Government or any agency 2
thereof. 3
5. The board shall adopt such regulations as it determines are 4
necessary for the issuance, suspension, revocation and renewal of 5
licenses. 6
6. Each operator of an ambulance or air ambulance and each 7
fire-fighting agency shall annually file with the health authority a 8
complete list of the licensed persons in its service. 9
7. Licensed physicians, registered nurses and licensed 10
physician assistants may serve as attendants without being licensed 11
under the provisions of this section. A registered nurse who 12
performs emergency care in an ambulance or air ambulance shall 13
perform the care in accordance with the regulations of the State 14
Board of Nursing. A licensed physician assistant who performs 15
emergency care in an ambulance or air ambulance shall perform the 16
care in accordance with the regulations of the Board of Medical 17
Examiners. 18
8. Each licensed physician, registered nurse and licensed 19
physician assistant who serves as an attendant must have current 20
certification of completion of training in: 21
(a) Advanced life-support procedures for patients who require 22
cardiac care; 23
(b) Life-support procedures for pediatric patients who require 24
cardiac care; and 25
(c) Life-support procedures for patients with trauma that are 26
administered before the arrival of those patients at a hospital. 27
The certification must be issued by the Board of Medical 28
Examiners for a physician or licensed physician assistant or by the 29
State Board of Nursing for a registered nurse. 30
9. The Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of 31
Nursing shall issue a certificate pursuant to subsection 8 if the 32
licensed physician, licensed physician assistant or registered nurse 33
attends: 34
(a) A course offered by a national organization which is 35
nationally recognized for issuing such certification; 36
(b) Training conducted by the operator of an ambulance or air 37
ambulance; or 38
(c) Any other course or training, 39
approved by the Board of Medical Examiners or the State Board 40
of Nursing, whichever is issuing the certification. 41
10. As used in this section, “developmental disability” has the 42
meaning ascribed to it in NRS 435.007. 43
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Sec. 2. NRS 450B.180 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
450B.180 1. Any person desiring certification as an 2
emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical 3
technician or paramedic must apply to the health authority using 4
forms prescribed by the health authority. 5
2. The health authority, pursuant to regulations and procedures 6
adopted by the board, shall make a determination of the applicant’s 7
qualifications to be certified as an emergency medical technician, 8
advanced emergency medical technician or paramedic and shall 9
issue the appropriate certificate to each qualified applicant. 10
3. A certificate is valid for a period not exceeding 2 years and 11
may be renewed if the holder of the certificate complies with the 12
provisions of this chapter and meets the qualifications set forth in 13
the regulations and standards established by the board pursuant to 14
this chapter. The regulations and standards established by the board 15
must provide for the completion of: 16
(a) A course of instruction, within 2 years after initial 17
certification, relating to the medical consequences of an act of 18
terrorism that involves the use of a weapon of mass destruction. The 19
course must provide at least 4 hours of instruction that includes 20
instruction in the following subjects: 21
(1) An overview of acts of terrorism and weapons of mass 22
destruction; 23
(2) Personal protective equipment required for acts of 24
terrorism; 25
(3) Common symptoms and methods of treatment associated 26
with exposure to, or injuries caused by, chemical, biological, 27
radioactive and nuclear agents; 28
(4) Syndromic surveillance and reporting procedures for acts 29
of terrorism that involve biological agents; and 30
(5) An overview of the information available on, and the use 31
of, the Health Alert Network. 32
The board may thereafter determine whether to establish 33
regulations and standards requiring additional courses of instruction 34
relating to the medical consequences of an act of terrorism that 35
involves the use of a weapon of mass destruction. 36
(b) Training before initial certification concerning [identifying] : 37
(1) Identifying and interacting with persons with 38
developmental disabilities [.] ; and 39
(2) Identifying and interacting with persons with dementia 40
and other cognitive impairments. 41
4. Training completed pursuant to [this paragraph] : 42
(a) Subparagraph (2) of paragraph (b) of subsection 3 must be 43
provided by or developed in collaboration with a nationally 44
recognized organization whose work focuses on dementia and 45
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other cognitive impairments, an accredited college or university or 1
the State or Federal Government or any agency thereof. 2
(b) Paragraph (b) of subsection 3 also satisfies the requirement 3
for such training prescribed by NRS 289.605 or 450B.160, if 4
applicable. 5
[4.] 5. The health authority may suspend or revoke a certificate 6
if it finds that the holder of the certificate no longer meets the 7
prescribed qualifications. Unless the certificate is suspended by the 8
district court pursuant to NRS 425.540, the holder of the certificate 9
may appeal the suspension or revocation of his or her certificate 10
pursuant to regulations adopted by the board. 11
[5.] 6. The board shall determine the procedures and 12
techniques which may be performed by an emergency medical 13
technician, advanced emergency medical technician or paramedic. 14
[6.] 7. A certificate issued pursuant to this section is valid 15
throughout the State, whether issued by the Division or a district 16
board of health. 17
[7.] 8. The Division shall maintain a central registry of all 18
certificates issued pursuant to this section, whether issued by the 19
Division or a district board of health. 20
[8.] 9. The board shall adopt such regulations as are necessary 21
to carry out the provisions of this section. 22
[9.] 10. As used in this section: 23
(a) “Act of terrorism” has the meaning ascribed to it in 24
NRS 202.4415. 25
(b) “Biological agent” has the meaning ascribed to it in 26
NRS 202.442. 27
(c) “Chemical agent” has the meaning ascribed to it in 28
NRS 202.4425. 29
(d) “Developmental disability” has the meaning ascribed to it in 30
NRS 435.007. 31
(e) “Radioactive agent” has the meaning ascribed to it in 32
NRS 202.4437. 33
(f) “Weapon of mass destruction” has the meaning ascribed to it 34
in NRS 202.4445. 35
Sec. 3. NRS 41.1391 is hereby amended to read as follows: 36
41.1391 An attendant, firefighter employed by or serving as a 37
volunteer with a fire-fighting agency, an emergency medical 38
technician, advanced emergency medical technician, paramedic or a 39
peace officer who has received the training required pursuant to 40
NRS 289.605, 450B.160 or 450B.180 shall not be held to a higher 41
standard of care and does not have a duty greater than had he or she 42
not received the training with respect to the identification, diagnosis 43
or treatment of a developmental disability [.] , dementia or other 44
cognitive impairment. 45
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Sec. 4. NRS 289.605 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
289.605 1. The Commission shall require, as a condition of 2
the certification of each peace officer, the completion of training 3
concerning [identifying] : 4
(a) Identifying and interacting with persons with developmental 5
disabilities [.] ; and 6
(b) Identifying and interacting with persons with dementia and 7
other cognitive impairments. 8
2. Training completed pursuant to [this] : 9
(a) Paragraph (b) of subsection 1 must be provided by or 10
developed in collaboration with a nationally recognized 11
organization whose work focuses on dementia and other cognitive 12
impairments, an accredited college or university or the State or 13
Federal Government or any agency thereof. 14
(b) This section also satisfies the requirement for such training 15
prescribed by NRS 450B.160 or 450B.180, if applicable. 16
3. As used in this section, “developmental disability” has the 17
meaning ascribed to it in NRS 435.007. 18
Sec. 5. 1. A person who, on October 1, 2025, is licensed as 19
an attendant or firefighter pursuant to NRS 450B.160 or certified as 20
an emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical 21
technician or paramedic pursuant to NRS 450B.180 must, on or 22
before October 1, 2026, submit to the health authority proof that he 23
or she has completed the training described in paragraph (b) of 24
subsection 4 of NRS 450B.160, as amended by section 1 of this act, 25
or subparagraph (2) of paragraph (b) of subsection 3 of NRS 26
450B.180, as amended by section 2 of this act, as applicable. 27
2. A person who, on October 1, 2025, is certified as a peace 28
officer pursuant to chapter 289 of NRS must, on or before 29
October 1, 2026, submit to the Peace Officers’ Standards and 30
Training Commission proof that he or she has completed the 31
training described in paragraph (b) of subsection 1 of NRS 289.605, 32
as amended by section 4 of this act. 33
3. If an attendant, firefighter, emergency medical technician, 34
advanced emergency medical technician, paramedic or peace officer 35
fails to comply with the requirements of this section, his or her 36
license or certificate is void on October 2, 2026. 37
4. As used in this section, “health authority” has the meaning 38
ascribed to it in NRS 450B.077. 39
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