With the end of the 2023 Legislative Session in Nevada, here are the summaries of the medical freedom related bills that we fought and their results; the ones that became law and those that didn’t. At this moment there are still a few awaiting the governor’s signature or veto. I’ll update this post to reflect changes as they happen. This session was rough with new DEM supermajorities in both the Assembly and Senate. They were going for broke; no holds barred. It seems as though they were trying to surpass the liberal pro-pharma policies of deep blue states like California, New Jersey, Washington & Oregon; all in one fell swoop to get Nevada firmly into that camp. Interestingly, Nevada and New York seemed to be facing the exact same bills this session. Are we the two lucky test markets? We had some wins, but overwhelmingly we suffered devastating losses. Here’s how it all shook out.
WINS
SB419 (Electronic Health Record Database Interface): 1.) Creates the “framework” for the electronic transmittal, maintenance and exchange of health data. 2.) Requires governmental entities, health care providers, insurers and
insurance administrators to use electronic data exchange for patient health data. 3.) Requires interoperability between different health information exchanges. 4.) Expands immunity from liability to any 5.) Authorizes state to seek federal funding authority for illegal aliens to receive coverage under the Children’s Health Insurance Program for prenatal, labor and delivery care for persons who are otherwise ineligible for Medicaid because of their immigration status. 6.) Outreach in an effort to maximize enrollment of members of marginalized or underserved communities in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. 7.) Requires feasibility studies to investigate a.) creating a natural persons index for this State (Centralized database) b.) procedures to streamline the collection of patient health data c.) enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rates in underserved communities d.) methods for increasing the amount of biotechnological and medical research conducted in this State e.) including in the State Plan for Medicaid a program to provide services through managed care to recipients of Medicaid who are aged, blind or disabled. Explanation: This appears to be setting up the coordination between the state electronic health database established with AB7 and outside entities’ (potentially the federal gov’t, World Health Organization, etc.) databases. PASSED both houses. VETO by Gov. Lombardo 6/16/23.
AB237 (School Based Health Centers): This bill was gutted at the very last minute with nearly everything, including SBHCs, being removed. The final version included only a Medicaid expenditure provision. Explanation: We are concerned by the integration of healthcare into schools. Where children could potentially be preyed upon and coerced into needless drugs and procedures without their parents’ involvement or knowledge. Nothing that was in the final bill is of concern. The final bill increases the state medicaid reimbursement rate for nursing facilities and it allocates funding from the state general fund and the state highway fund for healthcare. HUGE WIN having SBHCs removed! Amended Bill PASSED both houses. Signed by Gov. Lombardo 6/15/23.
AB357 (Comprehensive Sexuality Education): 1.) Mandates sexuality education course requirement for kindergarten-12th grade in all school districts and requires curriculum to follow standards set by the Nevada Council to Establish Academic Standards for Public Schools. 2.) Changes existing (grades 5-12) sex ed class parental opt-in approval to an opt-out required by submitting new statewide prescribed form. 3.) Creates an 11 member curriculum advisory council within each district, appointed by the school board (including 2 students) to determine and review the CSE curriculums. 4.) Allows sexuality education to be included in any other course/class curriculum. Explanation: Much of the CSE curriculum focuses on HIV and promotes the long term use of (unproven & potentially dangerous) anti-HIV drugs. DEAD. Did not make it through 2nd house (Senate).
SB302 (Gender “Care” Sanctuary State): 1.) Prohibits medical licensing boards from sanctioning any provider for providing or assisting with “gender care” in Nevada. 2.) Prohibits the governor or any state agency, law enforcement entity & judicial entity from assisting with investigations initiated in other state, of parties providing “gender care” which is criminalized by law in the other state. 3.) Introduces feasibility study on reciprocal licensure for licensed “gender care” practitioners in other states’. Explanation: We believe that predatory practices within this industry seek to eliminate parental rights and ultimately benefit the pharmaceutical & medical industry profits at the expense of the well being of minor children. PASSED both houses. VETO by Gov. Lombardo 6/4/23.
SB239 (Assisted Suicide): 1.) Allows a patient, under certain circumstances, to self-administer a medication that is designed to end the life of the patient. 2.) Authorizes a patient to request that his or her attending practitioner prescribe a medication that is designed to end his or her life. 3.) Requires death certificate to omit physician assisted suicide as a cause of death and instead note the terminal condition or “natural cause” illness that the deceased suffered from and thereby resulting in their medical suicide. Explanation: We opposed this bill because it chips away at both the physician’s oath of “do no harm” and we believe this may lead to a reduction of informed consent and that it could lead to nefarious actions by bad actors looking to reduce the medical burden and cost associated with caring for and treating long term illness. We believe this reduces patients’ rights. PASSED both houses. VETO by Gov. Lombardo 6/5/23.
AB117 (Domestic Terrorism): 1.) Creates the “Anti Domestic Terrorism Assistance Account” that will “award grants of money to state and local agencies, including, without limitation, intelligence centers, to support programs for countering domestic terror activity. 2.) Criminalizes “Civil Disobedience”. DEAD. Did not advance out of the house of origin (Assembly).
LOSSES
SB172 (Minor Medical Consent): 1.) Allows minor children of any age to give express consent to drugs, vaccines, medical procedures and medical devices for “Reproductive Care” and “STD Prevention & Treatment” without parental consent or knowledge. Note: Anti-HIV drugs took center-stage in the presentation of this bill in the Senate. It seems that pharma wants everyone (particularly our kids) on never-ending anti-HIV drugs. There are drugs for those who have not yet been “exposed”. Drugs for anyone “post-exposure”. And of course, drugs for those who have tested positive for HIV. Drugs that, once you’ve started, you just keep on taking for the rest of your life. Not to mention hormonal birth control, pregnancy prevention devices and the HPV vaccine. If CA, WA & OR are any indication of where things will go next with minor consent, “gender care” drugs and surgeries will surely be included in the fine print once the Board of Health drafts the corresponding administrative codes. PASSED both houses. Signed into law by Gov. Lombardo 6/6/23.
AB7 (Centralized State Electronic Health Record Database): 1.) Creates a “statewide master index” of patient health records termed a “health information exchange”. 2.) Requires ALL healthcare related entities to use centralized database for all patient healthcare information. Hospitals/healthcare facilities/large provider group practices by July 1, 2024, governmental entities and public & private insurance companies by July 1, 2025 and ALL remaining small practice & independent providers by Jan. 1, 2030. 3.) Does not allow patients to opt out of having their information entered into the health information exchange but it does allow patients to opt out of “retrieving” the information from the system. 4. Expands immunity from liability for all parties using the database for errors made in data entry or treatment errors as a result of false information contained in health records contained in the health information exchange. Explanation: This appears to be setting up the statewide electronic health database. PASSED both houses. Signed by Gov. Lombardo 6/8/23.
SB439 (HIV Drugs): 1.) Guarantees continual distribution of all HIV drugs to persons on public assistance and incarcerated persons during a “Public Health Emergency”. 2.) Requires jails and prisons to have programs in place for HIV drug treatment accessibility. Note: A lawsuit filed on behalf of plaintiffs in the states of Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin and in the courts now alleges that Gilead Pharmaceuticals “failed to adequately warn [doctors and patients] about the risks of TDF,” and that “Gilead knowingly designed its TDF (Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate) drug to be unreasonably dangerous and unsafe to patients’ kidneys and bones”. This includes “anti-HIV” drugs Viread, Truvada, Atripla, Complera, and Stribild, which all contain TDF. This bill originally included a section on Comprehensive Sexuality Education that was identical to a portion of AB357 (Comprehensive Sexuality Education). That section was amended out before being PASSED by both houses. The HIV portion of the bill is a boon to pharma and will result in these drugs being pushed on and administered to vulnerable inmates. Signed by Gov. Lombardo 6/15/23.
AB147 (Dentist Vaccine Administration): 1.) Adds Dentists and Dental Hygienists to classification of “Provider of Health Care” (NRS629.031) and moves this industry into the public health sector. 2.) Creates “Tele-dentistry” whereby dentists can see & treat patients remotely and allows them to be assisted by a non-licensed “collaborator” who could physically be with the patient while the licensed dentist is on the other end of the screen. 3.) Allows a dentist to administer vaccines. 4.) Allows dentists to participate public health programs or any program administered by DHHS, a health district or a school district. We were able to get the introduction of mandatory dental screenings for school admittance removed in an amendment to the bill and we got parental consent for treatment and vaccination of minors added. Explanation: We are not thrilled with passage that now allows dentists to vaccinate, but we were happy with the safeguards that were added to protect parental rights and informed consent for minor children. PASSED both houses. Signed by Gov. Lombardo 6/15/23.
SB44 (Dentistry): 1.) Moves the dental and dental hygienist industries from within the DHHS Division of Healthcare Financing & Policy and establishes a new DHHS Division; the State Program for Oral Health. 2.) Transfers the Advisory
Committee on the State Program for Oral Health to this new Division. 3.) Assigns the appointments of State Dental Health Officer and State Public Health Dental Hygienist to the director of DHHS and removes the requirement that either be licensed to practice in Nevada within their respective fields. Explanation: This bill transfers the dental industry directly into the healthcare/medical industry and into “public health”. PASSED both houses. Signed by Gov. Lombardo 5/25/23.
SB109 (Organ “Gifting”): 1.) Allows organs to be taken from deceased “in the absence of evidence that the deceased was opposed to donation 2.) Removes liability from entities involved in organ “procurement” in case of errors made in harvesting and releasing organs for transplant. Note: This reverses the organ donation approval from the prior required affirmative opt in to an assumed approval where citizens will need to make clear if they do not wish to donate their organs. If you do not want to participate, we’d suggest writing with a sharpie on your drivers license or putting a small sticker on your license that says you DO NOT wish to donate your organs. PASSED both houses. Signed by Gov. Lombardo 6/3/23.
SB131 (Reproductive “Care” Sanctuary State): 1.) Prohibits medical licensing boards from sanctioning any provider for providing or assisting with “reproductive health care services” in Nevada. 2.) Prohibits the governor or any state agency, law enforcement entity & judicial entity from assisting with investigations initiated in other state, of parties providing “reproductive health care services” criminalized by law in the other state. 3.) Introduces feasibility study on reciprocal licensure for licensed “reproductive health care service” providers in other states. PASSED both houses. Signed by Gov. Lombardo 5/31/23.
SB163 (Gender “Care” Insurance Mandate): 1.) Requires public & private health insurance plans to cover treatment of conditions relating to gender dysphoria and gender incongruence including for minor children under the age of 18. 2.) Mandates that insurers must follow “standards of care” determined by the NGO World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Note: This bill is 37 pages long of mainly new verbiage to be added to NV law relating to gender transitioning and mandated insurance coverage for this category of “health” care. PASSED both houses. Signed by Gov. Lombardo 6/12/23.
SB153 (Gender “Rights” for Prisoners): 1.) Will allow prisoners to be housed in facilities per their “gender identity” rather than biological sex. 2.) Requires “cultural competency” training programs for DOC staff as to “appropriate interactions” with offenders who are transgender, gender non-conforming, gender non-binary and intersex. PASSED both houses. Signed by Gov. Lombardo 5/31/23.
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Wow! Thank you for taking the time to summarize all of this information! Very concise and clear. LOVE IT.
Many thanks💖
Following!