Read the full stored bill text
- 83rd Session (2025)
Assembly Bill No. 326–Assemblymembers
Koenig; Cole and Torres-Fossett
CHAPTER..........
AN ACT relating to health care; prohibiting a center for the
treatment of trauma from representing it provides a specific
level of care unless the center provides that level of care;
authorizing the State Board of Health to adopt regulations
establishing specific designations for the level of care
provided by a center for the treatment of trauma ; and
providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law requires that before operating a center for the treatment of trauma,
a hospital must obtain the approval of the Administrator of the Division of Public
and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human Services and, if the
hospital is located in a county whose population is 700,000 or more (currently only
Clark County), the district board of health. (NRS 450B.236, 450B.237) Existing
law also requires the Administrator to verify that a hospital meets certain standards
and complete a co mprehensive assessment of needs before approving a proposal to
designate a hospital as a center for the treatment of trauma. (NRS 450B.237)
Existing law requires the State Board of Health to adopt regulations establishing the
standards for the designation of hospitals as centers for the treatment of trauma.
(NRS 450B.237) Existing regulations authorize the Administrator to designate a
center for the treatment of trauma as level I, II or III. (NAC 450B.780 -450B.875)
Section 5 of this bill provides explicit statutory authorization for the State Board of
Health to adopt regulations establishing specific levels of trauma care that a
hospital may be designated to provide, including regulations that allow the
designation of a critical access hospital that meets ce rtain requirements as a level
IV center for the treatment of trauma. Section 4 of this bill prohibits the operator of
a center for the treatment of trauma from representing that the center for the
treatment of trauma provides a specific level of treatment unless the center has been
designated by the Administrator to provide that level of treatment.
EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Sections 1-3 and 3.5. (Deleted by amendment.)
Sec. 4. NRS 450B.236 is hereby amended to read as follows:
450B.236 A person shall not [operate] :
1. Operate a center for the treatment of trauma without first
applying for and obtaining the written approval of the Administrator
of the Division.
2. Represent that a center for th e treatment of trauma
operated by the person provides a specific level of treatment unless
the center for the treatment of trauma has been designated by the
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Administrator of the Division pursuant to the regulations adopted
pursuant to subsection 3 of NRS 4 50B.237 to provide that level of
treatment.
Sec. 5. NRS 450B.237 is hereby amended to read as follows:
450B.237 1. The board shall establish a program for treating
persons who require treatment for trauma and for transporting and
admitting such persons to centers for the treatment of trauma. The
program must provide for the development, operation and
maintenance of a system of communication to be used in
transporting such persons to the appropriate centers.
2. The State Board of Health shall adopt regulations which
establish the standards for the designation of hospitals as centers for
the treatment of trauma. The State Board of Health shall consider
the standards adopted by the American College of Surgeons for a
center for the treatment of trauma as a guide for such regulations.
3. The regulations adopted pursuant to subsection 2 may
establish specific designations signifying the level of treatment
provided by centers for the treatment of trauma , which may
include, without limitation, levels I, II, III and IV. If regulations
are adopted for the designation of centers for the treatment of
trauma as level IV, the regulations must limit the designation of
level IV to critical access hospitals located more than 80 mi les
outside the boundaries of a county with two or more existing
centers for the treatment of trauma.
4. The Administrator of the Division shall not approve a
proposal to designate a hospital as a center for the treatment of
trauma unless:
(a) The hosp ital meets the standards established pursuant to
[this] subsection [;] 2; and
(b) The Administrator determines, after conducting a
comprehensive assessment of needs, that the proposed center for the
treatment of trauma will operate in an area that is expe riencing a
shortage of trauma care. Such an assessment of needs must include,
without limitation, consideration of:
(1) The impact of the proposed center for the treatment of
trauma on the capacity of existing hospitals to provide for the
treatment of trauma;
(2) The number and locations of cases of trauma that have
occurred during the previous 5 calendar years in the county in which
the proposed center for the treatment of trauma will be located and
the level of treatment that was required for those cases;
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(3) Any identified need for an additional center for the
treatment of trauma in the county in which the proposed center for
the treatment of trauma will be located; and
(4) Any additional criteria recommended by the American
College of Surgeons or its successor organization, other than criteria
related to community support for the proposed trauma center.
[3.] 5. Each district board of health in a county whose
population is 700,000 or more shall adopt:
(a) Regulations which establish the standards for the designation
of hospitals in the county as centers for the treatment of trauma
which are consistent with the regulations adopted by the State Board
of Health pursuant to subsection 2; and
(b) A plan for a comprehensive trauma system concerning th e
treatment of trauma in the county, which includes, without
limitation, consideration of the future trauma needs of the county,
consideration of and plans for the development and designation of
new centers for the treatment of trauma in the county based o n the
demographics of the county and the manner in which the county
may most effectively provide trauma services to persons in the
county.
[4.] 6. A district board of health in a county whose population
is 700,000 or more shall not approve a proposal to designate a
hospital as a center for the treatment of trauma unless:
(a) The hospital meets the standards established pursuant to
subsection [3;] 5;
(b) The proposal has been approved by the Administrator of the
Division pursuant to subsection [2;] 4; and
(c) The district board of health concludes, based on the plan
adopted pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection [3,] 5, that the
proposed center for the treatment of trauma will not negatively
impact the capacity of existing centers for the treatment of trauma in
the county.
[5.] 7. Upon approval by the Administrator of the Division
and, if the hospital is located in a county whose population is
700,000 or more, the district board of health of the county in which
the hospital is located, of a proposal t o designate a hospital as a
center for the treatment of trauma, the Administrator of the Division
shall issue written approval which designates the hospital as such a
center. As a condition of continuing designation of the hospital as a
center for the trea tment of trauma, the hospital must comply with
the following requirements:
(a) The hospital must admit any injured person who requires
medical care.
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(b) Any physician who provides treatment for trauma must be
qualified to provide that treatment.
(c) The hospital must maintain the standards specified in the
regulations adopted pursuant to subsections 2 , [and] 3 [.] and 5.
8. As used in this section, “critical access hospital” means a
hospital which has been certified as a critical access hospital by
the Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to 42
U.S.C. § 1395i-4e.
Sec. 6. The provisions of NRS 354.599 do not apply to any
additional expenses of a local government that are related to the
provisions of this act.
Sec. 7. 1. This section and sections 3, 3.5 and 6 of this act
become effective upon passage and approval.
2. Sections 1, 2, 4 and 5 of this act become effective:
(a) Upon passage and approval for the purpose of adopting any
regulations and performing any other preparatory administrative
tasks that are necessary to carry out the provisions of this act; and
(b) On January 1, 2026, for all other purposes.
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