MINUTES OF THE

SENATE Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

Seventy-First Session

February 12, 2001

 

 

The Senate Committee on Human Resources and Facilitieswas called to order by Chairman Raymond D. Rawson, at 1:30 p.m., on Monday, February 12, 2001, in Room 2135 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Agenda.  Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster.  All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Senator Raymond D. Rawson, Chairman

Senator Maurice Washington, Vice Chairman

Senator Randolph J. Townsend

Senator Mark Amodei

Senator Bernice Mathews

Senator Michael Schneider

Senator Valerie Wiener

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

H. Pepper Sturm, Committee Policy Analyst

Cynthia Cook, Committee Secretary

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

      Ron W. Sparks II, Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, University and Community College System of Nevada

 

Chairman Rawson opened the meeting with the presentation of various bill draft requests (BDRs).

 

BILL DRAFT REQUEST 57-812:  Requires health insurance coverage for general            anesthesia and associated dental care for children under certain         circumstances.  (Later introduced as Senate Bill 111.)

 

SENATOR TOWNSEND MOVED TO INTRODUCE BDR 57-812.

 

SENATOR MATHEWS SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

            THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS AMODEI AND SCHNEIDER WERE            ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)

 

*****

 

BILL DRAFT REQUEST 38-535: Revises certain provisions concerning amelioration of causes of poverty to conform to changes in federal law.  (Later introduced as Senate Bill 112.)

 

SENATOR WIENER MOVED TO INTRODUCE BDR 38-535.

 

SENATOR MATHEWS SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

            THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS TOWNSEND, AMODEI AND           SCHNEIDER WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)

 

*****

 

 

BILL DRAFT REQUEST 38-623: Repeals certain provisions relating to assistance of homeless persons.  (Later introduced as Senate Bill 110.)

 

SENATOR WIENER MOVED TO INTRODUCE BDR 38-623.

 

SENATOR MATHEWS SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

            THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS AMODEI AND SCHNEIDER WERE            ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)

 

*****

 

BILL DRAFT REQUEST 34-433:  Increases the amount of millennium scholarship for upper division courses at community colleges and authorizes award of millennium scholarship to student enrolled in state college established by University and Community College System of Nevada.  (Later introduced as Senate Bill 113.)

 

SENATOR MATHEWS MOVED TO INTRODUCE BDR 34-433.

 

SENATOR WASHINGTON SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

            THE MOTION CARRIED.  (SENATORS AMODEI AND SCHNEIDER WERE            ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)

 

*****

 

BILL DRAFT REQUEST 34-399:  Revises provisions governing bonding requirements of certain postsecondary educational institutions.  (Later introduced as Senate Bill 114.)

 

SENATOR MATHEWS MOVED TO INTRODUCE BDR 34-399.

 

SENATOR TOWNSEND SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

            THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS AMODEI AND SCHNEIDER WERE            ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)

 

*****

 

BILL DRAFT REQUEST 34-381:  Provides exception under certain circumstances to requirement that certain pupils be suspended or expelled.  (Later introduced as Senate Bill 115.)

 

SENATOR TOWNSEND MOVED TO INTRODUCE BDR 34-381.

 

SENATOR MATHEWS SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

            THE MOTION CARRIED.  (SENATOR SCHNEIDER WAS ABSENT FOR THE    VOTE.)

 

*****

 

BILL DRAFT REQUEST 39-346:  Clarifies and revises certain provisions governing use of restraints and interventions by facilities for mental health.  (Later introduced as Senate Bill 116.)

 

SENATOR TOWNSEND MOVED TO INTRODUCE BDR 39-346.

 

SENATOR MATHEWS SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

            THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATOR SCHNEIDER WAS ABSENT FOR THE    VOTE.)

 

*****

 

Chairman Rawson opened the hearing on Senate Bill (S. B.) 17.

 

SENATE BILL 17:  Repeals duplicative provision that prohibits unlicensed driver from operating vehicle for transporting children. (BDR 34-923)

 

Senator Wiener testified in support of S.B. 17.  She emphasized her goal to reduce the volume of laws on the books by sponsoring bills to repeal certain sections of state law that are no longer necessary.  Senator Wiener read from prepared text (Exhibit C).  She pointed out that the exhibit clarifies duplicate provisions as they currently exist. 

 

Chairman Rawson closed the hearing on S.B. 17, and opened the hearing on Senate Bill (S.B.) 55.

 

SENATE BILL 55:  Makes various changes to provisions regarding Western    Interstate Commission for Higher Education. (BDR 34-814)

 

Ron Sparks II, Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), University and Community College System of Nevada, testified S.B. 55 addresses four areas.  The bill will require an application fee of $50 for the consideration of each applicant; eliminate the limitation on a student loan which currently may not exceed 50 percent of the student fees for any academic year; expand the definition of a medically underserved area to include a facility of the University and Community College System of Nevada as a condition to receiving a support fee; and allow the three commissioners, acting jointly, to use money in the WICHE fund for student loans to meet necessary administrative expenses, with the approval of the Interim Finance Committee or the Legislature. 

 

Senator Wiener asked Mr. Sparks the reason for repealing a section of the statute.

Mr. Sparks clarified that the section being proposed for repeal was put into place for physician assistants only. However, physician assistants are now under the Health Care Access Program (HCAP), a program that includes dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy and physician assistant.

 

Mr. Sparks continued, the three WICHE commissioners from the state of Nevada currently assess a default charge in an amount not less than three times the portion of the support fee designated as the loan to the recipient, plus interest.  The commission would like to have the wording changed from “shall” to “may,” so that discretion can be used to deal with some hardship situations.

 

Chairman Rawson added that the requirement was originally enacted in order to recover from students who “thumb noses at Nevada,” that is, they do not return to fulfill the requirement to practice in a medically underserved region or with a medically underserved population for 2 years. The commission did not envision tragic circumstances.

 

Senator Wiener inquired how the 8 percent per annum interest rate was determined.

 

Mr. Sparks replied the rate was rather standard and added it accrues from the first day of the term for which the student received the loan.

 

Chairman Rawson closed the hearing on S.B. 55, and opened the work session on S.B.17.

 

            SENATOR SCHNEIDER MOVED TO DO PASS AND PLACE S.B.17 ON   THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

 

SENATOR MATHEWS SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

******

 

Chairman Rawson reopened the hearing on S.B. 55.

 

SENATOR AMODEI MOVED TO AMEND AND DO PASS S.B. 55.

 

SENATOR WIENER SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

*****

 

Chairman Rawson adjourned the meeting at 2:03 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

                

Cynthia Cook,

Committee Secretary

 

 

APPROVED BY:

 

 

 

                                                                                         

Senator Raymond D. Rawson, Chairman

 

 

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