Backers of a Nevada bill that would give plaintiffs a 45-day “time cushion” to obtain and file an expert witness affidavit call it an issue of fairness. At a hearing before the state’s Assembly Judiciary Committee, witnesses noted that in some cases, affidavits become separated from lawsuits or cannot be obtained within the 1-year statute of limitations.

Opponents of the bill say that if the time cushion became law, it would erode provisions of a 2004 initiative passed by voters to cap malpractice awards and reduce so-called frivolous litigation.