WEEK FIFTEEN UPDATE
Week fifteen in Carson City ended with the Second House Passage Deadline and leaves only 17 days remaining in the 83rd Session of the Nevada Legislature. The Legislature was busy this week as the final pieces of the Session started to come together.
NSHE Cost of Living Adjustments (AB568), Campus Safety and Security (AB567), and Weighted Caseload Adjustments (SB472) were introduced this week as funding bills. Each of these were initially included as one-shot (stand-alone/one-time) appropriation requests in the Governor’s Recommended Budget introduced this week. A bill related to Nursing Expansion one-shot funding is expected to be introduced early next week.
On Monday, May 19, the Cost of Living adjustments and Safety and Security bills will be presented by NSHE in the Assembly Ways and Means Committee at 9:00am to discuss the importance of receiving this vital funding for UNLV and all NSHE institutions.
On Thursday, Governor Lombardo held a press conference at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV to unveil his Nevada Healthcare Access Act (SB495). Interim President Chris Heavey and Interim Dean for the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine Alison Netski joined Governor Lombardo to provide comments. This week, the School of Medicine was also engaged in advocacy at the Legislature for Senator Pazina’s bill, SB262 (see below) highlighting the need for Graduate Medical Education support in Nevada.
In addition to her advocacy at hearings for SB353 and SB165, Dr. Michelle Paul, Assistant Vice President of Mental & Behavioral Health and Executive Director of UNLV PRACTICE, was
honored with a Proclamation presented by Senator and Committee Chair Marilyn Dondero Loop during Thursday’s Senate Committee on Finance (see below).
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UNLV Welcomes Class of 2025 at Spring Commencement May 16 and 17
UNLV expects to award about 3,500 degrees during its spring 2025 commencement at the Thomas & Mack Center. Class of 2025 graduates hail from 36 states/U.S. territories and 49 countries. Of the grads, 88% are Nevada residents, with 66% coming from ethnically diverse backgrounds...(more)
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On May 14, the Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on SB262, a bill sponsored by Senator Julie Pazina that would revise the administration of the Graduate Medical Education Grant Program, including expanding the purposes for which institutions that provide programs of residency training in this State may receive grants. The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV’s Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education Kate Martin, along with First-Year Medical Students Spencer Thatcher, Caleb Jolley, and Bridger Woods, as well as Class of 2028 President Dooley Gegen, each testified in support of the bill.
Their testimony emphasized the impact SB262 would have on UNLV’s commitment to advance medical education and the well-being of Nevadans. The bill would assist in the growth of new residency programs by expanding the related grant. Emphasis was placed on Nevada’s efforts to grow its healthcare workforce, including the training of physicians who are prepared to serve in underserved areas, engage in public health initiatives, and contribute to the overall improvement of health equity across Nevada.
The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV just celebrated its fifth graduating class, and all 60 graduating students were successfully matched into residency programs. However, only 42% of those graduates matched into residency programs here in Nevada. Research shows that students who move out of state to complete a residency are more likely to stay out of state to practice, usually in their state of residency. If Nevada wants to retain its “homegrown” physicians and address the ongoing physician shortage, it will need to expand residency opportunities within the state.
The passage of SB262 would represent a strategic investment in the future of healthcare in our state. It is an investment in the education of our medical professionals, the health of our communities, and the well-being of every Nevadan.
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Dooley Gegen
Class of 2028 President
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Spencer Thatcher
First-Year Medical Student
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Caleb Jolley
First-Year Medical Student
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Bridger Woods
First-Year Medical Student
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On May 15th, The Honorable Joe Lombardo, Governor of the State of Nevada and UNLV alumnus, unveiled the Nevada Healthcare Access Act (SB495) at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV.
If passed, the legislation would increase the number of available residencies, streamline licensing for healthcare workers, and help retain and increase the number of medical providers in the State. Interim President Chris Heavey and Interim Dean of the School of Medicine Alison Netksi provided comments, and students presented the Governor with a signed white coat.
| | UNLV Interim President Chris Heavey with Governor Joe Lombardo | | Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Interim Dean Alison Netski | | Medicine Students Presenting Governor Lombardo with a Signed White Coat | | |
Proclamation Honoring Dr. Michelle Paul and UNLV PRACTICE
During the Senate Finance Committee's May 15 Order of Business, Senator Marilyn Dondero Loop, Chair of the Committee and UNLV alumna, presented Assistant Vice President of Mental and Behavioral Health and Executive Director of UNLV PRACTICE, Dr. Michelle Paul, with a Proclamation in recognition of the many positive impacts Dr. Paul’s programs, including the UNLV PRACTICE, have had on mental health research, assessments, therapy, and clinical education throughout the State of Nevada.
| | 5/15/2025 – SB353 (Presentation), Senate Committee on Finance, Dr. Michelle Paul, Assistant Vice President of Mental & Behavioral Health and Executive Director of UNLV PRACTICE, was present for Senator Marilyn Dondero Loop's presentation of SB353, a bill revising provisions relating to Medicaid. | | 5/15/2025 – SB165 (Support), Senate Committee on Finance, Dr. Michelle Paul, Assistant Vice President of Mental & Behavioral Health and Executive Director of UNLV PRACTICE, testified in support of SB165, a bill establishing provisions relating to behavioral health, including the psychology internship program. | | UNLV ALUMNI IN THE LEGISLATURE SPOTLIGHT | | |
The Honorable Sandra Jauregui
The Honorable Sandra Jauregui is a Nevada State Assemblymember representing District 41 and a UNLV alumna. Assemblymember Jauregui’s service in the Legislature began in 2017, and includes serving as the Majority Floor Leader, as well...(more)
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The Honorable Jovan Jackson
The Honorable Jovan Jackson is a Nevada State Assemblymember representing District 6 and a UNLV alumnus. Assemblymember Jackson’s service in the Legislature began in 2025, and includes serving on the Government Affairs, Health and Human...(more)
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THE WEEK AHEAD
May 19 - 23, 2025
5/19/25 – AANHPI Heritage Day at the Legislature
5/19/25 - 9:00am, AB567, Assembly Committee on Ways & Means - A bill that makes an appropriation to NSHE for campus safety and security enhancements
5/19/25 - 9:00am, AB568, Assembly Committee on Ways & Means - A bill that makes an appropriation to NSHE for cost-of-living adjustments
5/19/25 - 9:00am, AB573, Assembly Committee on Ways & Means - A bill that makes an appropriation to the Nevada Department of Education to carry out the Incentivizing Pathways to Teaching Grant Program
5/19/25 - 1:00pm, SB460, Senate Committee on Education - The EDUCATE Act that is a comprehensive bill on education and includes support for teacher apprenticeships
5/20/25 – Nurses Day at the Legislature
5/20/25 - 8:00am, AB286, Assembly Committee on Ways & Means - A bill that provides a pilot program to assess the competency of applicants for a license to teach through alternative methods
5/20/25 - 8:00am, AB345, Assembly Committee on Ways & Means - A bill that requires the Board of Regents to establish a data dashboard to share statistical information relating to student outcomes
5/20/25 – TBA/Afternoon, AB584, Assembly Committee on Ways & Means - The Governor's omnibus education bill
5/22/25 - 8:00am, AB476, Assembly Committee on Ways & Means - A bill that makes an appropriation to the Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic at the William S. Boyd School of Law
5/23/25 – Second House Passage
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SAVE THE DATE
June 2 – Sine Die (End of 83rd Legislative Session)
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