2001 REGULAR SESSION (71st)                                                                             A SB539 536

Amendment No. 536

 

 

 

     Amend sec. 2, page 1, by deleting line 4 and inserting:

“of the department pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection 5 of NRS 439.620, the division shall, except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, award”.

     Amend sec. 2, page 1, line 14, by deleting “shall:” and inserting:

“shall, except as otherwise provided in subsection 3:”.

     Amend sec. 2, page 2, line 6, by deleting “3j” and inserting “4j”.

     Amend sec. 2, page 2, line 12, after “3.” by inserting:

“The aging services division of the department shall not expend or transfer any money allocated to the aging services division pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection 5 of NRS 439.620 to subsidize any portion of the cost of policies of health insurance that provide coverage to senior citizens for prescription drugs and pharmaceutical services pursuant to NRS 439.635 to 439.690, inclusive, and section 3 of this act.

     4.”.

     Amend sec. 3, page 2, line 18, by deleting “4.” and inserting “5.”.

     Amend sec. 3, page 2, by deleting lines 22 and 23 and inserting:

“paragraph (b) of subsection 5 of NRS 439.620, the department shall subsidize all or a portion of the cost”.

     Amend sec. 4, page 3, by deleting lines 7 through 14 and inserting:

     “4.  The interim finance committee may allocate for expenditure:

     (a) Not more than 2 percent of the money in the fund [may be used] , as calculated pursuant to this subsection, each year to pay the costs [of administering] incurred by the state treasurer to administer the fund[.] ; and

     (b) Not more than 3 percent of the money in the fund, as calculated pursuant to this subsection, each year to pay the costs incurred by the department, including, without limitation, the aging services division of the department, to carry out its duties set forth in NRS 439.625 to 439.690, inclusive, and sections 2 and 3 of this act.

FLUSH

The amount of money available for allocation to pay for such costs”.

     Amend the bill as a whole by renumbering sections 5 through 8 as sections 6 through 9 and adding a new section designated sec. 5, following sec. 4, to read as follows:

     “Sec. 5. NRS 439.625 is hereby amended to read as follows:

     439.625  1.  The task force for the fund for a healthy Nevada is hereby created. The membership of the task force consists of:

     (a) Three members appointed by the majority leader of the senate, one of whom must be a senator and one of whom must be a member of a nonprofit organization dedicated to health issues in this state; [and]

     (b) Three members appointed by the speaker of the assembly, one of whom must be an assemblyman and one of whom must be a member of a nonprofit organization dedicated to health issues in this state; and

     (c) Three members appointed by the governor, one of whom must have experience with and knowledge of matters relating to health care.

FLUSH

Each member appointed pursuant to this subsection must be a resident of this state and must not be employed in the executive or judicial branch of state government.

     [2.] Each person who appoints members pursuant to this subsection [1] shall ensure that insofar as practicable, the members whom he appoints reflect the ethnic and geographical diversity of this state.

     2.  At its first meeting on or after July 1 of each odd-numbered year, the task force shall select the chairman and vice chairman of the task force from among the legislative members of the task force. Each such officer shall hold office for a term of 2 years or until his successor is selected. The chairmanship of the task force must alternate each biennium between the houses of the legislature.

     3.  For each day or portion of a day during which a member of the task force who is a legislator attends a meeting of the task force or is otherwise engaged in the work of the task force, except during a regular or special session of the legislature, he is entitled to receive the:

     (a) Compensation provided for a majority of the members of the legislature during the first 60 days of the preceding session;

     (b) Per diem allowance provided for state officers and employees generally; and

     (c) Travel expenses provided pursuant to NRS 218.2207.

FLUSH

The compensation, per diem allowances and travel expenses of the legislative members of the task force must be paid from the legislative fund.

     4.  Members of the task force who are not legislators serve without salary, except that they are entitled to receive travel expenses provided for state officers and employees generally. The travel expenses of:

     (a) A member of the task force who is an officer or employee of a local government thereof must be paid by the local government that employs him.

     (b) Each remaining member of the task force must be paid from the legislative fund.

     5.  Each member of the task force who is an officer or employee of a local government must be relieved from his duties without loss of his regular compensation so that he may perform his duties relating to the task force in the most timely manner practicable. A local government shall not require an officer or employee who is a member of the task force to:

     (a) Make up the time he is absent from work to fulfill his obligations as a member of the task force; or

     (b) Take annual leave or compensatory time for the absence.

     6.  The department shall provide such administrative support to the task force as is required to carry out the duties of the task force. The state health officer shall provide such technical advice and assistance to the task force as is requested by the task force.”.

     Amend sec. 5, page 4, line 41, before “NRS” by inserting:

“paragraph (c) of subsection 5 of”.

     Amend sec. 5, page 4, line 46, before “NRS” by inserting:

“paragraph (d) of subsection 5 of”.

     Amend sec. 7, pages 6 and 7, by deleting lines 10 through 47 on page 6 and lines 1 through 26 on page 7, and inserting:

     “439.665  1.  The department shall enter into contracts with private insurers who transact health insurance in this state to arrange for the availability, at a reasonable cost, of policies of health insurance that provide coverage to senior citizens for prescription drugs and pharmaceutical services.

     2.  Within the limits of the money available for this purpose in the fund for a healthy Nevada, a senior citizen who is not eligible for Medicaid and who purchases a policy of health insurance that is made available pursuant to subsection 1 is entitled to an annual grant from the trust fund to subsidize all or a portion of the cost of that insurance if he has been domiciled in this state for at least 1 year immediately preceding the date of his application and his household income is within one of the income ranges for which grants are provided pursuant to this [subsection] section.

     3.  A senior citizen described in subsection 2 who purchases a policy of health insurance that is made available pursuant to subsection 1 is entitled to an annual grant to the extent determined by the percentage shown opposite his household income on the following schedule:

 

                                                                                                                                  Percent of

              Amount of Household                                                                      Cost of Insurance Allowable

                  Income Is Over                             But Not Over                                     as a Subsidy

                            $0                    —                  [$12,700                                                90

                         12,700                —]                   14,800                                             [80] 100

                         14,800                 —                    17,000                                              [50] 80

                         17,000                 —                    19,100                                              [25] 50

                         19,100                 —                    21,500                                              [10] 25

 

     [3.] 4.  The amount of any subsidy granted pursuant to this section must not exceed the annual cost of insurance that provides coverage for prescription drugs and pharmaceutical services . [or $480 per year, whichever is less.]”.

     Amend the bill as a whole by renumbering sec. 9 as sec. 11 and adding a new section designated sec. 10, following sec. 8, to read as follows:

     “Sec. 10. 1.  As soon as practicable after the effective date of this section, the task force for the fund for a healthy Nevada shall select:

     (a) The chairman of the task force from among the members of the task force who are members of the senate; and

     (b) The vice chairman of the task force from among the remaining legislative members of the task force.

     2.  Each officer selected pursuant to subsection 1 shall hold office for a term of 2 years or until his successor is selected.”.

     Amend the title of the bill to read as follows:

“AN ACT relating to the fund for a healthy Nevada; revising the procedures for allocating money in the fund; providing that a portion of the money in the fund may be used to pay certain administrative costs incurred by the state treasurer and the department of human resources; providing for the appointment and terms of office of certain officers of the task force for the fund; increasing the maximum allowable subsidies under the program of subsidies for the provision of prescription drugs and pharmaceutical services to senior citizens; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.”.