AB17 - Clarifies provisions relating to the confidentiality of certain records relating to suicide. (BDR 19-292)

A.B. 17 - *AB17* ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 17–COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS (ON BEHALF OF THE DIVISION OF PUBLIC AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES) PREFILED OCTOBER 28, 2026 ____________ Referred to Committee on Government Affairs SUMMARY—Clarifies provisions relating to the confidentiality of certain records relating to suicide. (BDR 19-292) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State: No. Effect on the State Highway Fund: No. ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to public records; clarifying the confidentiality of certain records of the Committee to Review Suicide Fatalities within the Department of Human Services; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law creates the Committee to Review Suicide Fatalities within the 1 Department of Human Services. (NRS 439.5104) Existing law provides that, with 2 certain exceptions, any information acquired by the Committee or any record of the 3 Committee is confidential. (NRS 439.5108) Existing law further provides that all 4 public books and public records of a state or local government entity, unless 5 otherwise declared by law to be confidential, are required to be open at all times 6 during office hours for the public to inspect, copy or receive a copy thereof. (NRS 7 239.010) Section 1 of this bill clarifies that the information acquired by the 8 Committee and the records of the Committee are not required to be open at all 9 times during office hours for the public to inspect, copy or receive a copy thereof. 10 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. NRS 239.010 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1 239.010 1. Except as otherwise provided in this section and 2 NRS 1.4683, 1.4687, 1A.110, 3.2203, 41.0397, 41.071, 49.095, 3 – 2 – - *AB17* 49.293, 62D.420, 62D.440, 62E.516, 62E.620, 62H.025, 62H.030, 1 62H.170, 62H.220, 62H.320, 75A.100, 75A.150, 76.160, 78.152, 2 80.113, 81.850, 82.183, 86.246, 86.54615, 87.515, 87.5413, 3 87A.200, 87A.580, 87A.640, 88.3355, 88.5927, 88.6067, 88A.345, 4 88A.7345, 89.045, 89.251, 90.703, 90.730, 91.160, 116.757, 5 116A.270, 116B.880, 118B.026, 119.260, 119.265, 119.267, 6 119.280, 119A.280, 119A.653, 119A.677, 119B.370, 119B.382, 7 120A.640, 120A.690, 125.130, 125B.140, 126.141, 126.161, 8 126.163, 126.730, 127A.160, 127A.230, 127B.370, 127B.750, 9 127C.420, 127C.870, 127E.120, 128.090, 130.312, 130.712, 10 136.050, 159.044, 159A.044, 164.041, 172.075, 172.245, 11 176.01334, 176.01385, 176.015, 176.0625, 176.09129, 176.156, 12 176A.630, 178.4715, 178.5691, 178.5717, 179.495, 179A.070, 13 179A.165, 179D.160, 180.600, 200.3771, 200.3772, 200.5095, 14 200.604, 202.3662, 205.4651, 209.392, 209.3923, 209.3925, 15 209.419, 209.429, 209.521, 211A.140, 213.010, 213.040, 213.095, 16 213.131, 217.105, 217.110, 217.464, 217.475, 218A.350, 218F.150, 17 218G.130, 218G.240, 218G.350, 218G.615, 223.250, 226.462, 18 226.796, 228.270, 228.380, 228.450, 228.495, 228.570, 231.069, 19 231.1285, 231.1473, 232.1369, 232.49925, 233.190, 237.300, 20 239.0105, 239.0113, 239.014, 239B.026, 239B.027, 239B.030, 21 239B.040, 239B.050, 239C.140, 239C.210, 239C.230, 239C.250, 22 239C.270, 239C.420, 240.007, 240A.260, 241.020, 241.029, 23 241.030, 241.039, 242.105, 242.1289, 242.129, 244.264, 244.335, 24 244.3635, 247.540, 247.545, 247.550, 247.560, 250.087, 250.130, 25 250.140, 250.145, 250.150, 268.095, 268.0978, 268.490, 268.910, 26 269.174, 271A.105, 281.195, 281.805, 281A.350, 281A.680, 27 281A.685, 281A.750, 281A.755, 281A.780, 284.4068, 284.4086, 28 286.110, 286.118, 287.0438, 289.025, 289.080, 289.387, 289.830, 29 293.4855, 293.5002, 293.503, 293.504, 293.558, 293.57697, 30 293.870, 293.906, 293.908, 293.909, 293.910, 293B.135, 293D.510, 31 331.110, 332.061, 332.351, 333.333, 333.335, 338.070, 338.1379, 32 338.1571, 338.1593, 338.1725, 338.1727, 348.420, 349.597, 33 349.775, 353.205, 353A.049, 353A.085, 353A.100, 353C.240, 34 353D.250, 360.240, 360.247, 360.255, 360.755, 360.889, 360.890, 35 360.945, 360.950, 361.044, 361.2242, 361.610, 365.138, 366.160, 36 368A.180, 370.257, 370.327, 372A.080, 378.290, 378.300, 37 379.0075, 379.008, 379.1495, 385A.830, 385B.100, 387.626, 38 387.631, 388.1455, 388.259, 388.501, 388.503, 388.513, 388.750, 39 388A.247, 388A.249, 391.033, 391.035, 391.0365, 391.120, 40 391.925, 392.029, 392.147, 392.264, 392.271, 392.315, 392.317, 41 392.325, 392.327, 392.335, 392.850, 393.045, 394.167, 394.16975, 42 394.1698, 394.447, 394.460, 394.465, 396.1415, 396.1425, 396.143, 43 396.159, 396.3295, 396.405, 396.525, 396.535, 396.9685, 398.310, 44 398A.115, 408.3885, 408.3886, 408.3888, 408.5484, 412.153, 45 – 3 – - *AB17* 414.280, 416.070, 422.2749, 422.305, 422A.342, 422A.350, 1 422A.6772, 422A.609, 425.400, 427A.1236, 427A.872, 427A.940, 2 432.028, 432.205, 432B.175, 432B.280, 432B.290, 432B.4018, 3 432B.407, 432B.430, 432B.560, 432B.5902, 432C.140, 432C.150, 4 433.534, 433A.360, 439.4941, 439.4988, 439.5108, 439.5282, 5 439.840, 439.914, 439A.116, 439A.124, 439B.2839, 439B.420, 6 439B.754, 439B.760, 439B.845, 440.170, 441A.195, 441A.220, 7 441A.230, 442.330, 442.395, 442.735, 442.774, 445A.665, 8 445B.570, 445B.7773, 449.209, 449.245, 449A.112, 449B.180, 9 449B.480, 449B.580, 450.140, 450B.188, 450B.805, 453.164, 10 453.720, 458.055, 458.280, 459.050, 459.3866, 459.555, 459.7056, 11 459.846, 463.120, 463.15993, 463.240, 463.3403, 463.3407, 12 463.790, 467.1005, 480.535, 480.545, 481.063, 481.091, 481.093, 13 482.170, 482.368, 482.5536, 483.340, 483.363, 483.575, 483.659, 14 483.800, 484A.469, 484B.830, 484B.833, 484E.070, 485.316, 15 489.431, 501.344, 503.452, 522.040, 534A.031, 561.285, 571.160, 16 584.655, 587.877, 598.0964, 598.098, 598A.110, 598A.420, 17 599B.090, 603.070, 603A.210, 604A.303, 604A.710, 604D.500, 18 604D.600, 612.265, 616B.012, 616B.015, 616B.315, 616B.350, 19 618.341, 618.425, 622.238, 622.310, 623.131, 623A.137, 624.110, 20 624.265, 624.327, 625.425, 625A.185, 628.418, 628B.230, 21 628B.760, 629.043, 629.047, 629.069, 630.133, 630.2671, 22 630.2672, 630.2673, 630.2687, 630.30665, 630.336, 630A.327, 23 630A.555, 631.332, 631.368, 632.121, 632.125, 632.3415, 24 632.3423, 632.405, 633.283, 633.301, 633.427, 633.4715, 633.4716, 25 633.4717, 633.524, 634.055, 634.1303, 634.214, 634A.169, 26 634A.185, 634B.730, 635.111, 635.158, 636.262, 636.342, 637.085, 27 637.145, 637B.192, 637B.248, 637B.288, 638.087, 638.089, 28 639.183, 639.2485, 639.570, 640.075, 640.152, 640.154, 640A.185, 29 640A.220, 640B.405, 640B.730, 640C.580, 640C.600, 640C.620, 30 640C.745, 640C.760, 640D.135, 640D.190, 640E.225, 640E.340, 31 641.090, 641.221, 641.2215, 641A.191, 641A.217, 641A.262, 32 641A.305, 641B.170, 641B.281, 641B.282, 641C.455, 641C.760, 33 641D.260, 641D.320, 642.524, 643.189, 644A.870, 645.180, 34 645.625, 645A.050, 645A.082, 645B.060, 645B.092, 645C.220, 35 645C.225, 645D.130, 645D.135, 645G.510, 645H.320, 645H.330, 36 647.0945, 647.0947, 648.033, 648.197, 649.065, 649.067, 652.126, 37 652.228, 653.900, 654.110, 656.105, 657A.510, 661.115, 665.130, 38 665.133, 669.275, 669.285, 669A.310, 670B.680, 671.365, 671.415, 39 673.450, 673.480, 675.380, 676A.340, 676A.370, 677.243, 40 678A.470, 678C.800, 679B.122, 679B.124, 679B.152, 679B.159, 41 679B.190, 679B.285, 679B.480, 679B.690, 680A.270, 681A.440, 42 681B.260, 681B.410, 681B.540, 683A.0873, 685A.077, 686A.289, 43 686B.170, 686C.306, 687A.060, 687A.115, 687B.404, 687C.010, 44 688C.230, 688C.480, 688C.490, 689A.696, 692A.117, 692C.190, 45 – 4 – - *AB17* 692C.3507, 692C.3536, 692C.3538, 692C.354, 692C.420, 1 693A.480, 693A.615, 696B.550, 696C.120, 703.196, 704B.325, 2 706.1725, 706A.230, 710.159, 711.600, sections 35, 38 and 41 of 3 chapter 478, Statutes of Nevada 2011 and section 2 of chapter 391, 4 Statutes of Nevada 2013 and unless otherwise declared by law to be 5 confidential, all public books and public records of a governmental 6 entity must be open at all times during office hours to inspection by 7 any person, and may be fully copied or an abstract or memorandum 8 may be prepared from those public books and public records. Any 9 such copies, abstracts or memoranda may be used to supply the 10 general public with copies, abstracts or memoranda of the records or 11 may be used in any other way to the advantage of the governmental 12 entity or of the general public. This section does not supersede or in 13 any manner affect the federal laws governing copyrights or enlarge, 14 diminish or affect in any other manner the rights of a person in any 15 written book or record which is copyrighted pursuant to federal law. 16 2. A governmental entity may not reject a book or record 17 which is copyrighted solely because it is copyrighted. 18 3. A governmental entity that has legal custody or control of a 19 public book or record shall not deny a request made pursuant to 20 subsection 1 to inspect or copy or receive a copy of a public book or 21 record on the basis that the requested public book or record contains 22 information that is confidential if the governmental entity can 23 redact, delete, conceal or separate, including, without limitation, 24 electronically, the confidential information from the information 25 included in the public book or record that is not otherwise 26 confidential. 27 4. If requested, a governmental entity shall provide a copy of a 28 public record in an electronic format by means of an electronic 29 medium. Nothing in this subsection requires a governmental entity 30 to provide a copy of a public record in an electronic format or by 31 means of an electronic medium if: 32 (a) The public record: 33 (1) Was not created or prepared in an electronic format; and 34 (2) Is not available in an electronic format; or 35 (b) Providing the public record in an electronic format or by 36 means of an electronic medium would: 37 (1) Give access to proprietary software; or 38 (2) Require the production of information that is confidential 39 and that cannot be redacted, deleted, concealed or separated from 40 information that is not otherwise confidential. 41 5. An officer, employee or agent of a governmental entity who 42 has legal custody or control of a public record: 43 (a) Shall not refuse to provide a copy of that public record in the 44 medium that is requested because the officer, employee or agent has 45 – 5 – - *AB17* already prepared or would prefer to provide the copy in a different 1 medium. 2 (b) Except as otherwise provided in NRS 239.030, shall, upon 3 request, prepare the copy of the public record and shall not require 4 the person who has requested the copy to prepare the copy himself 5 or herself. 6 Sec. 2. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2027. 7 H