Proposed Laws and Regulations

One of the Board's major responsibilities, enacting regulations, involves compliance with current laws (Nevada Revised Statutes) and regulations (NAC), conducting research, making recommendations, initiating changes in laws and regulations, and testifying in legislative committees as necessary.

Board Laws: Nevada Revised Statutes NRS Chapter 637B

The Board is governed by NRS Chapter 637B and any changes to this or any chapter of NRS must be made through formal legislation. The Nevada Legislature meets on a biennial basis from January to June every odd-numbered year. The out of session period is referred to as the “interim” period.

Board Regulations: Nevada Administrative Code NAC Chapter 637B

The Board is governed by NAC Chapter 637B and any changes to this or any chapter of NAC must be made through through a statutory legislative process dictated by the Nevada Administrative Procedures Act (NRS 233B).This is typically done in the "interim" period between legislative sessions. Regulations must be tied directly to laws that provide the authority to create regulations.

Regulations supplement and clarify the methods and processes by which the Board implements its law, as the law establishes minimum requirements, and regulations provide the details. These are the method by which the Board prescribes the specifics of licensing, professional conduct, scope of practice, disciplinary actions, and other related processes, i.e. the “how-to” of protecting the public.

Current Work

Proposed Regulations NAC 637B LCB File #R026-25

Activity to Date

July 9, 2025 Public Workshop Held
October 15, 2025 Public Hearing Scheduled

The proposed regulations do the following:

Speech Language Pathologists

Adds new sections to NAC 637B sections addressing new licensing of SLP assistants in Assembly Bill 177 (2025):

Establishes new definitions for “Direct Supervision”, “Indirect Supervision”, “Medically Fragile”, and “Plan of Care”.
Establishes requirement for clinical training experience or clinical training plan to obtain SLPA license.
Establishes SLP assistant scope of practice & prohibited activities.
Establishes eligibility for a licensed SLP to act as a supervising SLP.
Establishes requirements for supervision of SLP provisional licensees, assistants, and students by supervising SLPs.
Establishes requirements for SLP assistants to maintain a record with the Board of all supervising SLP(s).

Audiologists

Revises the following sections of NAC 637B addressing audiologist licensure based on Assembly Bill 177 (2025) repeal of requirements for audiologists to pass examinations and hold a separate endorsement to fit & dispense hearing aids:

Removes "dispensing" from audiologist in NAC 637B.0442, NAC 637B.0446, NAC 637B.0448, NAC 637B.045.
Removes "dispensing" from audiologist and revises experience required for an audiologist to serve as the sponsor of a hearing aid specialist apprentice in NAC 637B.0396.
Removes Temporary dispensing audiologist license in NAC 637B.0374.

Hearing Aid Specialists

Revises the following sections of NAC 637B based on Assembly Bill 177 (2025) removal of NBC-HIS Certification for HAS licensure & reference to required training in regulations:

Revises HAS Provisional license requirement to require out-of-state license & less than 2 years of on-site training and work experience in NAC 637B.036.
Revises HAS Provisional license renewal to require active practice to complete 2-year on-site training and work experience requirement in NAC 637B.0363.
Adds hearing aid specialists to academic training and on-site training and work experience requirements in NAC 637B.0391, NAC 637B.0392, and NAC 637B.0394.

Applicability of Chapter

Revises NAC 637B.014 to align with exclusion from licensure revised in Assembly Bill 177 (2025), now limited to only non-licensees holding Nevada Department of Education SLP endorsement issued on or before 9/30/2026.

Disclosure of Supervisory Familial Relationship by Apprentice or Assistant

Adds a new section to require disclosure of familial relationship between apprentices and assistants and their sponsors and supervising SLPs.

Code of Ethics

Adds a new section to NAC 637B for consideration as modeled in other licensing statutes to:

Adopt the codes of ethics from ASHA, the American Academy of Audiology, the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences, and the International Hearing Society as standards for professional conduct in the State of Nevada.
Establish that a violation of one or more of these codes constitutes cause for disciplinary action.

Professional Responsibility

Removes the requirement for a licensee to notify the Board if a criminal charge is filed against them, and extends the requirement to report other incidents from 10 days to 30 days in NAC 637B.042.

Fees

Revises NAC 637B.030 based on Assembly Bill 177 (2025) addition of SLP assistants & repeal of dispensing audiologist requirements, and Assembly Bill 230 (2025) join Nevada to the ASLP Interstate Compact to:
Add new/lowered fees for SLP assistants & HAS apprentices;
Remove “endorsement” of a license; and
Add new initial & renewal ASLP-IC “privilege-to-practice” fees.
Adds criteria under which the Board may waive all or part of a fee in NAC 637B.035 based on Assembly Bill 177 (2025) addition of Board authority to do so.

Continuing Education

Revises NAC 637B.400 based on Assembly Bill 177 (2025) repeal of dispensing audiologist requirements to:

Remove references to dispensing audiologists; and
Revise the requirement for audiologists to complete continuing education in fitting & dispensing hearing aids.

Complaints Against Licensees

Revises NAC 637B.720 based on Assembly Bill 177 (2025) repeal of dispensing audiologist requirements, and addition of SLP assistant licensing to:

Remove “dispensing” from audiologist
Add references to SLP assistants & provisional licensees and their supervising SLP(s) to current section addressing apprentice sponsors in complaint cases.

Past Work

Assembly Bill 177 of the of the 83rd (2025) Session of the Nevada Legislature

Passed in the 2025 legislative session; effective january 1, 2026. Includes a number of significant proposed changes, including licensing of Speech-Language Pathology Assistants, removing the examination and endorsement requirement for Dispensing Audiologists, and removing the NBC-HIS certification requirement for HAS applicants.

LCB File R108-23

Revised multiple sections of NAC Chapter 637B, approved & effective June 20, 2024 but not yet codified into Chapter. Learn more on our Current Laws & Regulations page.

LCB File No. R064-21

Revised NAC 637B.400 prescribing continuing education requirements. Codified into Chapter - June 2024. Learn more on our Current Laws & Regulations page.

Assembly Bill 155 of the of the 81st (2021) Session of the Nevada Legislature

Failed to meet the April 9, 2021 deadline to pass the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor and no further action was taken. AB155 sought to revise the maximum fees the Board may charge for licensing and other services prescribed in NRS 637B.175.

LCB File R095-19

Revised multiple sections of NAC Chapter 637B. Codified into Chapter - June 2024 Learn more on our Current Laws & Regulations page.