MINUTES OF MEETING

      ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

      Sixty-seventh Session

      June 29, 1993

 

 

 

The Assembly Committee on Health and Human Services was called to order by Chairman Jan Evans at 2:40 p.m., Tuesday, June 29, 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. Dean A. Heller

      Mr. William A. Petrak

      Mrs. Gene W. Segerblom

      Ms. Stephanie Smith

      Mr. Louis A. Toomin

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT:

 

      Mr. Wendell P. Williams

 

GUEST LEGISLATORS PRESENT:

 

      None

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

      Kerry Carroll Davis, Research Analyst

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

      John Adkins, Treasurer's Office; John Sarb, Division of Child and Family Services; Gary Crews, Legislative Auditor; Charles Gardner and Judith Allen Rodriguez, Attorney General's Office; and May Shelton, Washoe County Social Services.

 

 

Mrs. Evans opened the hearing on Senate Bill 526.

 

SB 526      Revises manner in which interest must be paid to individual accounts in trust fund for child welfare.

 

John Adkins, Deputy Treasurer, apprised the committee this bill provided for the elimination of various bank accounts required for each individual child and allowed the Treasurer's office to compute interest and pay the children what they would have normally received in the bank account.  Court ordered and other support payments were inapplicable and also eliminated.

 

Ms. Smith commented when the accounts were combined the interest rate would be higher and asked what would be done with the difference between what was paid to the individual accounts and the commingled account.  Mr. Adkins responded the additional interest earned on the consolidation would be given back to the program.  Ms. Smith noted as public policy the bill needed to state what would be done with the excess funds.

 

Mr. Adkins said in this case it was a trust fund and all trust funds by law had to have the earnings remain in the fund.

 

John Sarb, Division of Child and Family Services, said the principal and interest was collected and would be credited to the child's cost of care.  The only time a child would receive money was in the event the child had more income than the cost of care.

 

Ms. Smith thought the bill still needed to be clarified.

 

Mr. Petrak asked how many people were in the trust fund and what was the balance.  Mr. Sarb stated currently 458 people and the balance was just under $230,000.

 

Discussion ensued regarding a possible amendment to the bill.  Ms. de Braga thought the bill was specific enough and did not have a problem with the language.  Mr. Adkins remarked there were other laws with respect to the trust fund and suggested the Treasurer's Office could prepare a memorandum stating the policy.

 

Gary Crews, Legislative Auditor, explained the bill was recommended as a result of an audit report and the bill addressed the concerns of the Audit Division.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN HELLER MOVED DO PASS SB 526.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN PETRAK SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      MOTION CARRIED BY THOSE PRESENT (ASSEMBLYMEN WILLIAMS, GIBBONS, AND TOOMIN WERE ABSENT AT THE TIME OF THE VOTE).

 

Mrs. Evans opened the hearing on Senate Bill 471.

 

SB 471      Creates office of advocate for missing or exploited children and makes various changes relating to clearinghouse for information concerning missing or exploited children.

 

Chuck Gardner, Attorney General's Office, indicated the bill cleaned up language pertaining to the missing childrens' clearinghouse, and it created an attorney position to advise the clearinghouse.  Essentially the bill codified what had been the practice in the Attorney General's Office.

 

Mrs. Evans inquired about the fiscal note.  Mr. Gardner explained the clearinghouse position was already funded, two additional positions were new but were included in the Governor's budget.  The fiscal note to this bill asked for computers, space, and other physical items.

 

Judith Allen Rodriguez, Clearinghouse Director, summarized the bill defined in statute what had transpired in the Attorney General's Office and allocated a position for a child advocate.  This was critical because of the increase in international and interstate abductions.

 

May Shelton, Washoe County Social Services, testified in support of SB 471 and discussed Washoe County's multidiscipinary, community-based program which included 15 agencies and individuals (EXHIBIT C).  The group was in the process of developing and implementing an operational strategy to improve community response to missing and exploited children.  From a statewide perspective, this bill would provide for exchange of information and better coordination between the jurisdictions.

 

Mrs. Freeman asked if there was a similar program in Clark County.  Ms. Rodriguez indicated a program had begun in Las Vegas but it was not as far developed as the program in Washoe County.

 

Mr. Gibbons referred to Section 2, subsection 3(c) and asked for a definition of "injurious, immoral or dangerous business."  Ms. Rodriguez noted the language addressed situations of prostitution and pornography.

 

Mrs. Evans asked Ms. Davis, Research Analyst, to contact the Fiscal Division relative to the questions on the budget.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN FREEMAN MOVED DO PASS SB 471.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN SMITH SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      MOTION CARRIED BY THOSE PRESENT (ASSEMBLYMEN WILLIAMS AND PETRAK WERE ABSENT AT THE TIME OF THE VOTE).

 

      * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 47      Encourages Perinatal Substance Abuse Subcommittee to develop long-term plan and policy to prevent maternal drug or alcohol abuse.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN FREEMAN MOVED TO ADOPT SCR 47.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN HELLER SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      MOTION CARRIED BY THOSE PRESENT (ASSEMBLYMEN PETRAK AND WILLIAMS WERE ABSENT AT THE TIME OF THE VOTE).

 

      * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

SENATE BILL 398   Makes various changes to provisions relating to disposition of dead human bodies.

 

Mr. Toomin noted the amendment (EXHIBIT D) was deficient and did not address his concerns.

 

Ms. Augustine said her concerns had been answered sufficiently.  The only problem which remained was with Section 67.

 

Mr. Toomin reiterated he had a concern with the issuance of a license without regard to the physical inspection of the facility.  Of minor concern was what would be done with the ashes of an indigent person after he was cremated.  Mrs. Evans indicated she would like to take action on the bill, and Mr. Toomin's amendment could be taken care of after second reading.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN AUGUSTINE MOVED AMEND AND DO PASS SB 398.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN DE BRAGA SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      THE MOTION CARRIED BY THOSE PRESENT (ASSEMBLYMAN WILLIAMS WAS ABSENT AT THE TIME OF THE VOTE).

 

 

There being no further business to come before committee, the meeting was adjourned at 3:20 p.m.

 

      RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

                             

      CONNIE CAMPBELL

      Committee Secretary

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Assembly Committee on Health and Human Services

June 29, 1993

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