Nevada Legislature: Committee OKs bill changing rules for drivers with epilepsy

A Nevada Assembly committee has approved a bill giving doctors more discretion in reporting patients’ epilepsy to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.

The Assembly Health and Human Services Committee approved AB248 on Friday. It now heads for a vote of the full Assembly.

Existing law requires doctors to tell the state Division of Public Health the name, age and address of anyone diagnosed with epilepsy. The division then notifies the DMV.

The bill instead would require doctors to inform patients if they believe the patient isn’t safe to drive, and the DMV could obtain a record of that notification upon request.

Republican Assemblywoman and bill sponsor Dr. Robin Titus says patients sometimes avoid reporting seizures out of fear they’ll lose their license. She says AB248 would encourage more reporting.