Assembly Bill No. 239–Assemblyman Nolan

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AN ACT relating to volunteers; creating a revolving account to pay the costs of the central

repository to process requests from nonprofit agencies to determine whether a

volunteer who works directly with children has committed a sexual offense;

authorizing state and local governmental agencies to establish forms and procedures

for persons to make donations to the account while they are transacting business

with the governmental agency; providing that the decision by a nonprofit agency not

to use the account must not be considered as evidence of negligence or causation in

a civil action brought against the agency; and providing other matters properly

relating thereto.

 

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Chapter 179A of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto

the provisions set forth as sections 2 and 3 of this act.

Sec. 2. 1. The revolving account to investigate the background of

volunteers who work with children is hereby created in the state general

fund.

2. The director of the department shall administer the account to

investigate the background of volunteers who work with children. The

money in the account must be expended only to pay the costs of the

central repository to process requests from nonprofit agencies to

determine whether a volunteer of a nonprofit agency who works directly

with children or a prospective volunteer of the nonprofit agency who will

work directly with children has committed a sexual offense. The

existence of the account to investigate the background of volunteers who

work with children does not create a right in any person to receive money

from the account.

3. The director of the department may apply for and accept any gift,

donation, bequest, grant or other source of money. Any money so

received must be deposited in the account to investigate the background

of volunteers who work with children.

4. The interest and income earned on money in the account from any

gift, donation, or bequest, after deducting any applicable charges, must

be credited to the account. Money from any gift, donation, or bequest

that remains in the account at the end of the fiscal year does not revert to

the state general fund, and the balance in the account must be carried

forward to the next fiscal year.

5. The director of the department shall adopt regulations to carry out

the provisions of this section. The regulations must include, without

limitation:

(a) The procedure by which a person may apply for a grant of money

from the account to investigate the background of volunteers who work

with children;

(b) The criteria that the department will consider in determining

whether to award such a grant of money from the account; and

(c) Procedures to distribute the money in the account in a fair and

equitable manner.

6. The following facts must not be considered as evidence of

negligence or causation in any civil action brought against a nonprofit

agency:

(a) The fact that the nonprofit agency did not apply for a grant of

money from the account.

(b) The fact that the nonprofit agency did not request that the central

repository, through the use of the account, determine whether a

volunteer or prospective volunteer of the nonprofit agency has committed

a sexual offense.

Sec. 3. A state or local governmental agency:

1. May establish forms and procedures for a person to donate money

to the account to investigate the background of volunteers who work with

children while the person is transacting business with the state or local

governmental agency; and

2. Shall deposit any money received for the account to investigate the

background of volunteers who work with children with the state treasurer

for credit to the account.

Sec. 4. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.

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