MINUTES OF MEETING

      ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

      Sixty-seventh Session

      June 17, 1993

 

 

 

 

 

The Assembly Committee on Health and Human Services was called to order by Chairman Jan Evans at 1:45 p.m., June 17, 1993, in Room 330 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Meeting Agenda, Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

      Mrs. Jan Evans, Chairman

      Mrs. Vivian L. Freeman, Vice Chairman

      Ms. Kathy M. Augustine

      Ms. Marcia de Braga

      Mr. James A. Gibbons

      Mr. William A. Petrak

      Mrs. Gene W. Segerblom

      Ms. Stephanie Smith

      Mr. Louis A. Toomin

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT:

 

      Mr. Dean A. Heller

      Mr. Wendell P. Williams

 

GUEST LEGISLATORS PRESENT:

 

      None

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

      Kerry Carroll Davis, Research analyst

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

      Ms. Kathleen Shane, Director/Children's Services Division

       Washoe County Dept. of Social Services

      Mary Lynne Evans, Narcotics Control Assistance                    Administrator

      Dr. Donald Kwalick, State Health Officer

      John Sarb, Division of Child and Family Services

 

 

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 63:      Urges owners of private swimming pools to provide fences or other barriers to entry.

 

Referencing the amendment (Exhibit C), Mr. Toomin reported it was hoped the media would pay attention to the issue and provide some public service announcements. He noted it was also recognized in the amendment there were local entities having  ordinances in place.

 

      MR. TOOMIN MOVED TO AMEND AND ADOPT ACR 63.

 

      MR. PETRAK SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      MOTION CARRIED WITH ASSEMBLYMEN DE BRAGA, HELLER, WILLIAMS,       GIBBONS AND SMITH ABSENT AT THE TIME OF THE VOTE.

 

      ********

 

ASSEMBLY BILL 556:      Authorizes formation of multidisciplinary teams to investigate deaths of children. 

 

Two proposed amendments were distributed to the committee: Mr. Scherer's amendment (Exhibit D) and that of the Department of Social Services (Exhibit E). Ms. Kathleen Shane, representing Washoe County Social Services, indicated the proposed amendments suggested earlier in the session were to allow a clear definition that any agency participating on a child death review team had the right to review their own confidential information. That was consistently a question being raised. It was then felt there had to be some standards whereby each agency must have a written protocol for how they would establish their child death review team. 

 

Ms. Shane reviewed the amendment (Exhibit E) and indicated paragraph four would be excluded.

 

Mr. Toomin stated he did not care for the arbitrary selection of which deaths were reviewed, and emphasized he would like to see all childrens' deaths be reviewed at some point in time in the near future.

 

Agreed upon amendments were as follows: Paragraphs two and three of Exhibit E (with the elimination of paragraph four), followed by Mr. Scherer's amendment (Exhibit D).

 

      MRS. SEGERBLOM MOVED AMEND AND DO PASS AB 556.

 

      MR. PETRAK SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      MOTION CARRIED WITH ASSEMBLYMEN DE BRAGA, HELLER, WILLIAMS       AND SMITH ABSENT AT THE TIME OF THE VOTE.

 

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SENATE BILL 60:   Expands requirement for testing persons arrested for certain sexual offenses for exposure to sexually transmitted diseases.

 

Mary Lynne Evans, Narcotics Control Assistance Administrator, referencing line five in the amendment (Exhibit F), indicated verbiage that had been agreed upon, offered by Dr. Donald Kwalick and approved by the Clark County Health District, had not been included and had been replaced. The "arrested person suspects" took the place of "and other sexually transmitted diseases identified by the State Board of Health."

 

Dr. Donald Kwalick, State Health Officer, commented, "The wording may not be right but somehow it has to be where the health authority should be testing based upon what the incidence of the disease is in the community, or the area where the attack was performed, and where the perpetrator is from, rather than have to test for nine or 10 different diseases."

 

Mary Lynne Evans indicated Congress had passed a law requiring all states have a law saying victims of sexual assault had the right to know whether the perpetrator had HIV. She reminded the committee should SB 60 not pass, the Office of Narcotics Control Assistance would lose l0 percent of its funding which was approximately $300,000 per year.

 

Referencing Page 2, item 5, Dr. Kwalick stressed the importance of the "examination" not being repealed.

 

Mrs. Evans expressed disappointment since the suggested language for the amendment had gone directly to bill draft rather than through Ms. de Braga and her subcommittee. She suggested additional work needed to be done with the bill drafter.

 

      ********

 

SENATE BILL 411:  Allows use of certain benefits paid to child to pay portion of cost of care and support of children in Nevada children's homes.

 

John Sarb, Division of Child and Family Services, had just begun his testimony when session reconvened and the committee had to end its proceedings.

 

There being no further business to come before committee, the meeting was adjourned at 2:10 p.m.

 

      RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

                             

      CHRISTINE SHAW

      Committee Secretary

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Assembly Committee on Health and Human Services

June 17, 1993

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