Nevada Legislature: Bills signed including “cooling off” period for ex-lawmakers

Gov. Brian Sandoval has signed a series of bills including Assembly Bill 273 mandating former lawmakers take a “cooling off” period before they take a job as a paid lobbyist.

Under the bill, lawmakers would have to miss the legislative session following their departure from the body.

In addition, Sandoval signed the Nevada “Right to Try” law allowing people diagnosed with a terminal disease to try investigational or experimental drugs that haven’t yet been fully through the federal Food and Drug Administration approval process.

AB164 would allow physicians to prescribe those drugs to terminal patients.

SB459 providing immunity to people who seek medical help for someone experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose was also signed into law. The law is titled the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act and protects family members, friends and other people from both civil and criminal liability as well as professional discipline for calling for help.

The bill also provides protection for someone calling for help for themselves.

In addition, the law orders the state Department of Public Safety to develop a computer program to track prescriptions for controlled substances including the identities of people prescribed for controlled substances. The law then mandates doctors get a patient utilization report before writing prescriptions for someone.