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- 83rd Session (2025)
Senate Bill No. 380–Senators Ohrenschall;
and Dondero Loop
CHAPTER..........
AN ACT relating to autism; requiring peace officers to complete
certain training concerning developmental disabilities;
authorizing certain training concerning autism spectrum
disorders to be included as part of the training of peace
officers in interactin g with persons with developmental
disabilities; requiring the Legislative Auditor to conduct an
audit of the Board of Applied Behavior Analysis; and
providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law requires a p eace officer, as a condition of certification, to
complete training concerning identifying and interacting with persons with
developmental disabilities, including, without limitation, autism. (NRS 289.605)
Section 3 of this bill authorizes such training to include instruction in certain
specific topics relating to autism spectrum disorders. Section 2 of this bill requires
continuing education for peace officers to include training in interactions with
persons with developmental disabilities, which may include training on recognizing
and responding to persons with an autism spectrum disorder. Section 1 of this bill
defines the term “autism spectrum disorder” for the purposes of sections 2 and 3.
Existing law provides for the registration of registered behavi or technicians
who provide applied behavior analysis services under the supervision of a licensed
behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst to persons with autism spectrum
disorder in this State. (NRS 641D.300, 641D.310, 641D.600, 641D.610)
Section 4.5 of this bill requires the Legislative Auditor to conduct an audit of
the process of the Board of Applied Behavior Analysis for licensure of behavior
analysts and assistant behavior analysts and registration of registered behavior
technicians, including , without limitation, the effectiveness, efficiency and
timeliness of the Board in processing applications. Section 4.5 requires the
Legislative Auditor to present a final written report of the audit to the Audit
Subcommittee of the Legislative Commission.
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:
Section 1. NRS 289.010 is hereby amended to read as follows:
289.010 As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise
requires:
1. “Administrative file” means any file of a peace officer
containing information, comments or documents about the peace
officer. The term does not include any file relating to an
investigation conducted pursuant to NRS 289.057 or a criminal
investigation of a peace officer.
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2. “Adult use of canna bis” has the meaning ascribed to it in
NRS 678A.075.
3. “Autism spectrum disorder” means a condition that meets
the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder published in
the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disor ders published by the American Psychiatric
Association or the edition thereof that was in effect at the time the
condition was diagnosed or determined.
4. “Law enforcement agency” means any agency, office,
bureau, department, unit or division created by any statute,
ordinance or rule which:
(a) Has a duty to enforce the law; and
(b) Employs any person upon whom some or all of the powers
of a peace officer are conferred pursuant to NRS 289.150 to
289.360, inclusive.
[4.] 5. “Medical use of cannabis” has the meaning ascribed to
it in NRS 678A.215.
[5.] 6. “Peace officer” means any person upon whom some or
all of the powers of a peace officer are conferred pursuant to NRS
289.150 to 289.360, inclusive.
[6.] 7. “Punitive action” means any action whic h may lead to
dismissal, demotion, suspension, reduction in salary, written
reprimand or transfer of a peace officer for purposes of punishment.
[7.] 8. “Screening test” means a test of a person’s blood, urine,
hair or saliva to detect the general presence of a controlled substance
or other drug.
Sec. 2. NRS 289.510 is hereby amended to read as follows:
289.510 1. The Commission:
(a) Shall meet at the call of the Chair, who must be elected by a
majority vote of the members of the Commission.
(b) Shall provide for and encourage the training and education
of persons whose primary duty is law enforcement to ensure the
safety of the residents of and visitors to this State.
(c) May make necessary inquiries to determine whether the
agencies of this State and of the local governments are complying
with standards set forth in the regulations adopted pursuant to
subsection 2.
(d) Shall carry out the duties required of the Commission
pursuant to NRS 432B.610 and 432B.620.
(e) May perform any other acts that may be necessary and
appropriate to the functions of the Commission as set forth in NRS
289.450 to 289.680, inclusive.
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(f) May enter into an interlocal agreement with an Indian tribe to
provide training to and certificat ion of persons employed as police
officers by that Indian tribe.
(g) Shall develop and approve a standard curriculum of certified
training programs in crisis intervention, which may be made
available in an electronic format, and which address specialized
responses to persons with mental illness and train peace officers to
identify the signs and symptoms of mental illness, to de -escalate
situations involving persons who appear to be experiencing a
behavioral health crisis and, if appropriate, to connect suc h persons
to treatment. A peace officer who completes any program developed
pursuant to this paragraph must be issued a certificate of
completion.
2. The Commission shall adopt regulations establishing
minimum standards for:
(a) The certification and de certification, recruitment, selection
and training of peace officers. The standards adopted pursuant to
this paragraph must:
(1) Establish requirements for evaluations to be conducted
during the recruitment and selection of peace officers, which must
identify implicit bias on the part of a peace officer on the basis of
race, color, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability,
sexual orientation or gender identity or expression;
(2) Establish requirements for basic training for category I,
category II and category III peace officers and reserve peace
officers;
(3) Establish standards for programs for the continuing
education of peace officers, including minimum courses of study
and requirements concerning attendance, which must require that all
peace officers annually complete not less than 12 hours of
continuing education in courses that address:
(I) Racial profiling;
(II) Mental health, including, without limitation, crisis
intervention;
(III) The well-being of officers;
(IV) Implicit bias recognition;
(V) De-escalation;
(VI) Human trafficking; [and]
(VII) Firearms; and
(VIII) Interactions with persons with developmental
disabilities which may include, without limitation, training on
recognizing and responding to persons with an autism spectrum
disorder;
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(4) Establish qualifications for instructors of peace officers;
(5) Establish requirements for the certification of a course of
training;
(6) Require all peace officers to receive training in the
handling of cases involving abuse or neglect of children or missing
children;
(7) Require all peace officers to receive training in the
handling of cases involving abuse, neglect, exploitation, isolation
and abandonment of older persons or vulnerable persons;
(8) Not prohibit the certification of an applicant solely on the
basis that the applicant has engaged in the adult use of cannabis or
the medical use of cannabis;
(9) Not require the decertification of a peace officer solely on
the basis that the pea ce officer has engaged in the adult use of
cannabis or the medical use of cannabis; and
(10) Require the decertification of a peace officer upon a
determination by the Commission that the peace officer knowingly
provided false or misleading information i n his or her application
for certification.
(b) An annual behavioral wellness visit for peace officers to aid
in preserving the emotional and mental health of the peace officer
and assessing any conditions that may affect the performance of
duties by the peace officer.
(c) The reciprocity of a person who has been certified as a
category III peace officer or its equivalent by the certifying
authority of another state or who has successfully completed a
federal law enforcement training program that is equiv alent to a
category III peace officer in this State.
3. The regulations adopted by the Commission pursuant to
subsection 2:
(a) Apply to all agencies of this State and of local governments
in this State that employ persons as peace officers; and
(b) May require that training be carried on at institutions which
it approves in those regulations.
4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a law
enforcement agency from adopting a policy that requires a peace
officer to submit to a screening test as:
(a) A condition precedent to employment; or
(b) A condition for continued employment.
Sec. 3. NRS 289.605 is hereby amended to read as follows:
289.605 1. The Commission shall require, as a condition of
the certification of each peace officer, the completion of training
concerning identifying and interacting with persons with
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developmental disabilities. Such training may include, without
limitation, training concerning:
(a) The nature and manifestation of au tism spectrum
disorders;
(b) Appropriate techniques for interviewing or interrogating a
person with an autism spectrum disorder;
(c) Techniques for locating a person with an autism spectrum
disorder who is missing and in danger, with as little stress as
possible for the person with an autism spectrum disorder;
(d) Techniques for recognizing the agency of a person with an
autism spectrum disorder while identifying potentially abusive or
coercive situations;
(e) Techniques for deescalating a potentially d angerous
situation involving a person with an autism spectrum disorder to
protect the safety of the peace officer and the person with an
autism spectrum disorder;
(f) Techniques for differentiating between a person with an
autism spectrum disorder and a person who does not have an
autism spectrum disorder but is acting belligerently,
uncooperatively or otherwise similarly to a person with an autism
spectrum disorder;
(g) Procedures to identify and address challenges related to the
safety of persons with an autism spectrum disorder in correctional
facilities; and
(h) The impact of interacting with peace officers on persons
with autism spectrum disorders.
2. Training completed pursuant to this section also satisfies the
requirement for such training pres cribed by NRS 450B.160 or
450B.180, if applicable.
3. As used in this section, “developmental disability” has the
meaning ascribed to it in NRS 435.007.
Sec. 4. (Deleted by amendment.)
Sec. 4.5. 1. During the 2025 -2027 biennium, the Legislative
Auditor shall conduct an audit of the process of the Board of
Applied Behavior Analysis for licensure of behavior analysts and
assistant behavior analysts and registration of registered behavior
technicians, including, without limitation, the effectiveness,
efficiency and timeliness of the Board in processing applications
submitted pursuant to NRS 641D.300.
2. On or before January 31, 2027, the Legislative Auditor shall
present a final written re port of the audit performed pursuant to this
section to the Audit Subcommittee of the Legislative Commission.
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Sec. 5. 1. This section and section 4.5 of this act become
effective upon passage and approval.
2. Sections 1 to 4, inclusive, 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 October 1, 2025, for all other purposes.
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