Sometimes the most valuable support
is helping a person with a disability advocate for herself [or himself].*Nevada is one of 8 states & the District of Columbia that has a
Supported Decision Making Law
Nevada has a new Supported Decision Making law, NRS 162C, which confirms that persons with disabilities are the best persons to make decisions about their lives.
The new law also provides that needing assistance in aspects of daily life should not be a barrier to a person being the ultimate decision-maker in one’s life.
Supported Decision Making (SDM) is a series of practices, relationships, arrangements and agreements designed to assist an individual with a disability to make and communicate to others decisions about their life, while avoiding restrictive and unnecessary guardianships.
After advocacy efforts led by Judge Frances Doherty of the Second Judicial District Court, Deputy Attorney General Homa Woodrum of the Nevada Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, Assemblywoman Lesley Cohen and self-advocates and their families, AB 480 was signed by Governor Steve Sisolak on May 16, 2019. The law, NRS 162C went into effect in Nevada on July 1, 2019.
Watch the Legislative Hearing on AB 480, (NRS 162C) on April 8, 2019. See these Nevada advocates testify at the hearing; Santa Perez, Kailin Kelderman, Travis Mills, Mary Bryant, Nicole Schomberg, Eric Jimenez, Ian Zehner, Marcia O’Malley, Dick Mills, Jack Rovetti, David Rovetti, Logan Mason, and Sherry Mason.
Advocates and legislators celebrate Nevada’s new Supported Decision Making law with Governor Steve Sisolak.
The Self-Determination Law Project
This website is a community education project brought to you by the Self-Determination Law Project.
The Self-Determination Law Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that was formed for the sole purpose of providing community education and outreach to inform the public about Nevada’s Supported Decision Making law.
*Quote in photo at top is from “A Users Guide for People with Disabilities and their Supporters,” Supported Decision Making, Disability Rights Maine p.15 (Rev. 7/2019).
VIDEO
Supported Decision Making: What is it?
Acknowledgements
The Self-Determination Law Project thanks Disability Rights Maine and the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities for their generosity in allowing us to utilize their ideas and materials in presenting this information to Nevadans.
This material is presented for educational purposes only. You are strongly encouraged to seek the advice of an attorney in any legal matter. The information contained herein does not take the place of legal advice nor is it offered as such by the Self Determination Law Project or the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. The information contained herein is based on the law at the time this website was produced. If you have questions about your legal rights, please consult an attorney.
This website is supported by the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities through grant funds from the Federal Department of Health & Human Services; Administration on Community Living grant #1901NVSCDD-01 and 25% matching funds appropriated by the Nevada State Legislature under NRS 232.320, administered through the State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors & do not necessarily represent the official views of the NGCDD or any other associated or supporting agency.