AB 161 — Makes revisions relating to hospice care (BDR 40‑656)
Chapter 232 (Approved by Governor June 3, 2025)
Main purpose
AB 161 revises Nevada’s licensing and operational requirements for hospice programs to increase patient protections and transparency. The final enacted version focuses on informed consent, notice and documentation requirements, and informing patients of their statutory rights to hospice services. Earlier, broader proposals (e.g., mandatory Medicare participation, accreditation, ownership restrictions, enhanced inspections and oversight) were removed during amendment.
Key provisions (final enacted language)
Informed consent
- Programs must obtain and document the informed, written consent of the patient or the patient's authorized representative for all treatments and all decisions concerning the patient’s care.
- Consent documentation must be retained for at least 5 years after the patient ceases receiving care from the program.
Notice and patient communication
- Programs must timely notify the patient or the patient’s representative if the program has initiated filing claims for benefits on behalf of the patient.
- Programs must provide a written notice at admission containing the program’s contact information and the hours during which the program can be contacted.
- Programs must provide a written admission notice informing patients (or their representatives) of the right to file a complaint with the Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH).
- If a program chooses to terminate a patient’s care or ceases operations, it must notify the patient or representative not less than 7 days before the termination or cessation.
Patient rights and enforcement
- The bill declares that patients of hospice programs have rights to the care prescribed under existing hospice statutes, and requires programs to inform patients of those rights.
- Nevada’s Division of Public and Behavioral Health may deny, suspend or revoke hospice licenses for violations, and the statute’s enforcement provisions were updated to reference the new requirements.
Who is affected
- Hospice programs (all licensed hospice care providers in Nevada) — new administrative and documentation obligations, plus potential enforcement risk for noncompliance.
- Hospice patients and their representatives — strengthened protections, clearer notice about billing/claims, contact channels, complaint processes and advance written consent.
- Division of Public and Behavioral Health — responsible for enforcement under existing licensing authority.
- State government — the bill carries a fiscal note indicating an effect on the State (no specific dollar amounts appear in the enrolled text).
Legislative process / timeline highlights
- Introduced: January 8, 2025 (prefiled Jan 30, 2025).
- Passed Assembly: March 20, 2025 (as amended).
- Multiple amendments were adopted in the Senate (Assembly Amendment No. 184; Senate Amendment No. 633) that substantially narrowed the bill from its original, broader oversight proposals.
- Enrolled and delivered to Governor: May 29, 2025.
- Approved by Governor: June 3, 2025 — Chapter 232.
Notes on evolution of the bill
Early drafts of AB 161 contained broader regulatory measures (e.g., requiring Medicare participation, national accreditation, ownership restrictions, staged inspections and enhanced oversight during the first 24 months after licensure, expanded medical‑director duties, independent review boards, and annual public reporting). Those provisions were removed or scaled back in subsequent amendments; the enacted law concentrates on informed consent, notices, documentation retention, and patient notification of rights and complaint processes.
If you want, I can prepare a redline comparing the original introduced bill to the enrolled version, or extract the exact statutory text that was added to NRS 449.196 and NRS 449.160 for use in guidance materials.
