Senate Bill No. 367–Senators Wiener, Rawson, Care, Titus, Washington, Amodei, Carlton, Mathews, McGinness, Neal, Schneider and Townsend

 

CHAPTER..........

 

AN ACT relating to pregnancy; providing for the administration of certain activities to prevent or delay early sexual activity and reduce the rate of pregnancies among unmarried teenage girls in Nevada; 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. 1.  There is hereby created a state partnership to carry out

 activities throughout the state designed to raise public awareness regarding

 early sexual activity and pregnancies among unmarried teenage girls in

 Nevada.

   2.  The state partnership consists of:

   (a) The administrator of the health division of the department of human

 resources or a person designated by the administrator; and

   (b) The following persons appointed by the administrator:

     (1) One representative of the department of education;

     (2) One person who is employed as a teacher or school counselor in a

 public school in this state;

     (3) One social worker licensed pursuant to chapter 641B of NRS;

     (4) One representative of an agency of juvenile justice in this state;

     (5) One representative of a family court in this state;

     (6) One provider of health care authorized to practice in this state;

     (7) One representative of a faith-based organization;

     (8) One parent who resides in this state, is not employed by the state

 or a local government and is not qualified to be appointed to the state

 partnership pursuant to subparagraphs (1) to (6), inclusive, or (9) of this

 paragraph;

     (9) One person who represents a child-placing agency licensed

 pursuant to NRS 127.250;

     (10) Two persons who represent different populations with high rates

 of teen pregnancy, as determined by the administrator; and

     (11) Not more than two additional persons who possess such

 qualifications as are suitable to carry out the duties of the state partnership.

   3.  The administrator shall appoint the members of the state partnership

 to ensure, as nearly as practicable, that the northern, southern and rural

 areas of the state are equally represented.

   4.  Before appointing the members of the state partnership, the

 administrator shall prepare and cause to be issued notice of the formation

 of the state partnership and solicit the participation of persons who are

 qualified for appointment to the state partnership.

   5.  Any vacancy occurring in the office of a member of the state

 partnership who is appointed pursuant to subparagraphs (1) to (10),

 inclusive, of paragraph (b) of subsection 2 must be filled by the

 administrator by the appointment of a member whose qualifications are

 the same as those of his predecessor in office.

   6.  The members of the state partnership serve without salary, but are

entitled to receive the per diem allowance and travel expenses provided for

 state officers and employees generally. The per diem allowance and travel

 expenses of a member of the state partnership who is an officer or

 employee of a state agency or a local government must be paid by the state

 agency or local government that employs him.

   Sec. 2.  The state partnership shall, when necessary, obtain assistance

 in carrying out its duties from:

   1.  The appropriate divisions of the department of human resources;

 and

   2.  Appropriate advisory groups, including, without limitation:

   (a) The advisory board on maternal and child health; and

   (b) The governor’s youth advisory council.

   Sec. 3.  1.  The administrator of the health division of the department

 of human resources or a person designated by the administrator shall serve

 as chairman of the state partnership.

   2.  The state partnership:

   (a) Shall meet regularly at the call of the chairman, but not more than

 six times during the biennium beginning on July 1, 2001, and six times

 during the biennium beginning on July 1, 2003.

   (b) Shall meet at least once before each report is submitted to the

 Nevada Legislature pursuant to section 7 of this act, in order to review the

 grants awarded by the state partnership pursuant to section 6 of this act

 and the contents of the reports.

   Sec. 4.  1.  The health division of the department of human resources

 may apply for and receive gifts, grants and donations from any public or

 private source to assist the state partnership in carrying out its duties.

   2.  Any money received by the health division pursuant to this section:

   (a) Must be accounted for separately.

   (b) Must be used, subject to any limitations contained in the gift, grant

 or donation, to carry out the provisions of sections 5 and 6 of this act.

   3.  Any federal money received by the health division pursuant to the

 program to provide temporary assistance for needy families that is

 administered under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

 Reconciliation Act of 1996 must be expended:

   (a) In accordance with the requirements of that program; and

   (b) For the purposes for which it was received.

   Sec. 5.  The state partnership shall:

   1.  Promote efforts to prevent or delay early sexual activity and reduce

 the rate of pregnancies among unmarried teenage girls in Nevada.

   2.  Cause to be established and promote the recognition of “Teen

 Pregnancy Prevention Month” in Nevada.

   3.  Develop and carry out:

   (a) A social marketing campaign that is designed to prevent or delay

 early sexual activity or reduce the rate of pregnancies among unmarried

 teenage girls in Nevada, or both, and targets populations with the highest

 rates of teen pregnancy.

   (b) A social marketing campaign that is designed to prevent or delay

 early sexual activity or reduce the rate of pregnancies among unmarried

 teenage girls in Nevada, or both, and targets adult and adolescent males.

   Sec. 6.  1.  In addition to carrying out the duties set forth in section 5

of this act, the state partnership shall develop and carry out a program to

 award grants for the implementation and evaluation of local projects in

 this state. The program must facilitate collaborations between eligible

 entities, and encourage joint applications by eligible entities for the receipt

 of grants. In carrying out the program, the state partnership shall:

   (a) Prepare and issue a request for proposals by eligible entities for the

 implementation and evaluation of local projects.

   (b) Award grants to conduct at least one local project in:

     (1) Clark County;

     (2) Washoe County; and

     (3) Any other county of this state.

   (c) Provide each recipient of a grant with:

     (1) Appropriate technical assistance to facilitate the implementation

 and evaluation of the local project.

     (2) Instruction on the laws of this state that are applicable to the local

 project, including, without limitation, the provisions of NRS 389.065.

   2.  The state partnership shall, as a condition of each grant awarded

 pursuant to this section, require the recipient of the grant to submit to the

 state partnership such reports regarding the use of the money awarded as

 are necessary to ensure that the money is being used for the purposes for

 which it was awarded.

   3.  As used in this section:

   (a) “Eligible entity” means a community-based agency or organization

 in this state involved with youth, the development of youth or the

 prevention of pregnancies among unmarried teenage girls in Nevada.

   (b) “Local project” means a community-based project designed to

 prevent or delay early sexual activity or reduce the rate of pregnancies

 among unmarried teenage girls in Nevada, or both, which:

     (1) Is based upon one or more model programs that have, after

 extensive evaluation, proven to be successful in preventing or delaying

 early sexual activity or reducing the rate of pregnancies among unmarried

 teenage girls in Nevada, or both; or

     (2) Utilizes such innovative techniques and strategies as the state

 partnership determines, upon a showing of sufficient evidence, are likely

 to reduce the rate of pregnancies among unmarried teenage girls in

 Nevada.

   Sec. 7.  The administrator of the health division of the department of

 human resources shall prepare and submit to the 72nd and 73rd sessions of

 the Nevada Legislature a report on the status of the respective activities

 conducted by the state partnership pursuant to sections 5 and 6 of this act.

 The reports must include, without limitation, an estimate of the number of

 people reached by each activity and the effectiveness of each activity in

 reducing the rate of pregnancies among unmarried teenage girls in

 Nevada.

   Sec. 8.  1.  The administrator of the health division of the department

 of human resources and the administrator of the welfare division of the

 department of human resources shall, as soon as practicable after the

 effective date of this act, enter into an agreement to transfer to the health

 division money that is available during the biennium beginning on July 1,

 2001, from the program to provide temporary assistance for needy families

administered under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

Reconciliation Act of 1996, to carry out the provisions of this act.

   2.  The agreement must set forth:

   (a) The amount of money from the program that may be expended by

 the health division to carry out the provisions of this act;

   (b) The purposes for which that money may be expended; and

   (c) Any other conditions imposed upon the expenditure of the money.

   Sec. 9.  The administrator of the health division of the department of

 human resources shall, as soon as practicable after the effective date of

 this act, but not later than September 30, 2001, appoint the members of the

 state partnership created pursuant to section 1 of this act.

   Sec. 10.  1.  This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.

   2.  Sections 1 to 6, inclusive, of this act expire by limitation on July 1,

 2005.

 

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