EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

1-1 Whereas, The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

1-2 Reconciliation Act of 1996, known as the Welfare Reform Act, has

1-3 substantially changed the federal requirements concerning the eligibility of

1-4 persons for Medicaid and the responsibilities of the Department of Human

1-5 Resources concerning Medicaid; and

1-6 Whereas, As a result of the new federal requirements, some persons

1-7 who previously qualified for Medicaid will no longer qualify and others

1-8 will be required to requalify to continue receiving benefits under Medicaid;

1-9 and

1-10 Whereas, The Welfare Reform Act established a special fund to

1-11 provide enhanced federal matching money to help states pay for the

1-12 additional administrative costs incurred in complying with the Act; and

1-13 Whereas, The Federal Government has appropriated approximately

1-14 3.2 million dollars from that special fund to the State of Nevada to pay for

2-1 the additional administrative costs related to making eligibility

2-2 determinations for Medicaid as a result of the Welfare Reform Act; and

2-3 Whereas, The money appropriated by the Federal Government is

2-4 available only for a limited time and may be accessed if the State of

2-5 Nevada provides 10 percent matching funds; and

2-6 Whereas, Community-based organizations are willing to assist the

2-7 Department of Human Resources in complying with the Welfare Reform

2-8 Act and are able to reach out directly to the affected persons, but they

2-9 require additional funding to provide such assistance; and

2-10 Whereas, The Department of Human Resources could allocate some

2-11 of the money appropriated to this state by the Federal Government to be

2-12 used as grants to community-based organizations that assist the

2-13 Department in making eligibility determinations and that reach out to

2-14 persons affected by the Welfare Reform Act to ensure that such persons

2-15 who are eligible are enrolled in Medicaid; now, therefore, be it

2-16 Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

2-17 Concurring, That the Nevada Legislature hereby urges the Department

2-18 of Human Resources to access the maximum appropriation available from

2-19 the Federal Government for expenditures that are attributable to the

2-20 administrative costs of making eligibility determinations for Medicaid as a

2-21 result of the Welfare Reform Act; and be it further

2-22 Resolved, That the Department of Human Resources is hereby urged

2-23 to allocate part of the money received from the federal appropriation to

2-24 provide grants to community-based organizations that submit detailed

2-25 plans for providing assistance to the Department of Human Resources in

2-26 making eligibility determinations and for reaching out to persons affected

2-27 by the Welfare Reform Act; and be it further

2-28 Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and transmit

2-29 a copy of this resolution to the Director of the Department of Human

2-30 Resources.