Revises provisions relating to the use of corrective room restriction. (BDR 5-769)

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Alexis Hansen

AB 167 tightens oversight of corrective room restriction for minors, ensuring safety checks, documentation, 24-hour reviews with mental-health referrals, and limits up to 72 hours.

Approved by the Governor. Chapter 233.

Main purpose

AB 167 revises Nevada law governing the use and oversight of "corrective room restriction" (room confinement) for children detained in state, local, or regional juvenile facilities. The bill strengthens review, monitoring, and reporting requirements and explicitly requires facility staff to consider mental‑health referrals when a youth has been confined beyond 24 hours.

Key provisions and changes

Statutes amended: NRS 62B.215 and NRS 63.505.

Definition: Retains and clarifies “corrective room restriction” to include administrative seclusion, behavioral room confinement, corrective room rest, and room confinement.

Safety checks: Facilities must perform safety and well‑being checks at least once every 10 minutes while a child is in corrective room restriction.

Documentation and supervision: Any action resulting in corrective room restriction for more than 2 hours must be documented in writing and approved by a supervisor.

Reviews for prolonged confinement:

If a child is subjected to corrective room restriction for more than 24 hours, the facility must provide:
At least 1 hour per day of out‑of‑room large‑muscle exercise (outdoor recreation if weather permits).
The same access to meals, medical and mental‑health treatment, contact with parents/guardians, legal assistance, and educational services as the general population.
A review of the confinement status by a member of facility staff at least once every 24 hours. Each review must, without limitation, include a review of whether a referral for mental‑health screening, evaluation, or treatment is appropriate. Continuation of confinement must be documented in writing with why no less‑restrictive option is available.

Time limit retained: Facilities may not subject a child to corrective room restriction for more than 72 consecutive hours (existing statutory ceiling was retained).

Reporting: Facilities must report monthly to the Juvenile Justice Programs Office (Division of Child and Family Services) the number of children subjected to corrective room restriction and the duration for each; any incident of 72 consecutive hours must be specifically explained.

Who is affected

Children detained in Nevada state, local, and regional juvenile detention/treatment facilities.

Facility staff (responsible for reviews, checks, documentation).

County and regional juvenile services agencies; potential operational and fiscal impacts for jurisdictions that rely on contracted mental‑health providers (notably rural counties).

Procedural timeline and status

Introduced/prefiled Jan 2025; passed Assembly and Senate with amendments in spring 2025.

Multiple committee amendments considered (including proposals to change maximum consecutive hours and to require earlier reviews or clinician visits).

Approved by the Governor on June 3, 2025 — Chapter 233, 83rd Session.

Stakeholder concerns and fiscal note

Fiscal note: May have fiscal impact on local governments; effect on the State: Yes.

Some stakeholders (county juvenile services) supported the mental‑health focus but raised operational and fiscal concerns — especially in rural counties without on‑site clinicians — about mandates requiring clinician contact within short windows and the cost/availability of contracted clinicians.

The enacted version emphasizes staff reviews that consider mental‑health referrals rather than imposing an absolute clinician visit deadline.

Bill