February 6, 2020 - The Nevada Legislative Commission today revised a regulation allowing "drug abuse" as grounds for denial of a professional license. Senator Joe Hardy noted that "drug abuse" is not current terminology pressing "substance use disorder" as the proper term. Further, Assembly Bill 367 - passed in 2019 - requires person-first language to be used in all Nevada laws, rules, and regulations. The person-first language is considered to be less stigmatizing. This raw edit clip of the commission shows how a stigmatizing language like "drug abuse", "addict", and the like will be eventually purged from all Nevada laws.
AB 367 was Sponsored by Assemblymembers Steve Yeager (D), Krasner (R), and Munk (D) and Senator Pickard (R), passed unanimously and signed into law by Governor Steve Sisolak (D), effective July 1, 2019.
Group Six supported this legislation, writing about its reasoning here (“Problems with People, People with Problems”). Trey Delap, Director commented:
“AB367 is literally the most sweeping piece of legislation passed in the 80th Session.”
Delap continues, “The law applies to those who actually write it. Through codification, every mention will be replaced with person-first language. Today [‘s commission action] proves the efficacy of this method of advocacy; stigma will be purged from every law and [emphasis added] every reg[ulation].”
Group Six holds the position that the first step in addressing the addiction crisis in Nevada is to call it out for what it is. “Then see if the substance of the law is working against you. We can fix the law easier than we can people’s attitudes.” Delap added. “It’s days like today that will have a lasting impact [on stigma], because we are actively having the conversation each time it comes up, eventually we won’t need to anymore.”, Delap concluded.
You can learn more about AB367 by watching this legislative hearing: Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections.
“AB367 is literally the most sweeping piece of legislation passed in the 80th Session.”