Senate Bill No. 403–Senators Rawson, Amodei, James,
McGinness, Neal, Porter, Shaffer and Washington

 

March 19, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Finance

 

SUMMARY—Enacts Frontier and Rural Health Care Improvement Act of 2001. (BDR S‑942)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: No.

                                    Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation not included in Executive Budget.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to health care; enacting the Frontier and Rural Health Care Improvement Act of 2001; making appropriations for certain medical services, training and equipment; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. This act may be cited as the Frontier and Rural Health Care

1-2  Improvement Act of 2001.

1-3    Sec. 2.  The legislature hereby finds and declares that the Frontier and

1-4  Rural Health Care Improvement Act of 2001 is intended to address

1-5  important issues and concerns affecting the health care needs of rural

1-6  Nevadans by supporting the education and training of health care

1-7  providers, and focusing upon special population needs and the delivery of

1-8  health care services.

1-9    Sec. 3.  1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund

1-10  to the Northeastern Nevada Area Health Education Center for expenses

1-11  related to the establishment of an Emergency Medical Services Training

1-12  Academy through the Northeastern Nevada Area Health Education Center

1-13  and the Great Basin Community College to address on-site, distance

1-14  education and Internet-based programming for continuous education and

1-15  training for all levels of emergency medical services personnel, including

1-16  emergency medical services management and administration:

1-17  For the fiscal year 2001-2002............. $169,960

1-18  For the fiscal year 2002-2003............. $265,107

1-19    2.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund to the

1-20  Northeastern Nevada Area Health Education Center for the purchase and

2-1  distribution throughout the state of automatic external defibrillators

2-2  through the Emergency Medical Services Training Academy:

2-3  For the fiscal year 2001-2002.............. $150,000

2-4  For the fiscal year 2002-2003.............. $150,000

2-5    3.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund to the

2-6  University and Community College System of Nevada for costs relating to

2-7  the establishment of a Physician Assistant Training Program through the

2-8  University of Nevada School of Medicine with 50 percent of the training

2-9  positions providing clinical services to medically underserved areas for a 2-

2-10  year period:

2-11  For the fiscal year 2001-2002............. $152,315

2-12  For the fiscal year 2002-2003............. $282,477

2-13    4.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund to the

2-14  Rural Clinics Administration Office of the Division of Mental Health and

2-15  Developmental Services of the Department of Human Resources for the

2-16  establishment of a rural mental health telemedicine network within the

2-17  State of Nevada rural mental health centers to provide continuity and

2-18  emergency access to mental health services:

2-19  For the fiscal year 2001-2002............. $114,750

2-20  For the fiscal year 2002-2003............... $91,590

2-21    5.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund to the

2-22  Health Division of the Department of Human Resources for the

2-23  enhancement of the delivery of perinatal health care services with the

2-24  support of obstetrical nurse practitioners linked to a developed network of

2-25  rural and urban physicians and facilities to address routine and emergency

2-26  patient care needs:

2-27  For the fiscal year 2001-2002............. $111,480

2-28  For the fiscal year 2002-2003............. $201,740

2-29    6.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund to the

2-30  University and Community College System of Nevada for the University

2-31  of Nevada School of Medicine to expand the Nevada Health Service Corps

2-32  loan repayment program to target health care professionals of which there

2-33  is a critical shortage, including emergency medical services personnel,

2-34  dentists, dental hygienists and nurses:

2-35  For the fiscal year 2001-2002............... $70,000

2-36  For the fiscal year 2002-2003............. $140,000

2-37    7.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund to the

2-38  University and Community College System of Nevada for the Office of

2-39  Rural Health of the University of Nevada School of Medicine the sum of

2-40  $500,000 for the establishment of a Capital Loan Pool to provide financial

2-41  access to rural health care facilities and practitioners for durable medical

2-42  equipment, facility renovation costs and other equipment to address health

2-43  care service needs.

2-44    8.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund to the

2-45  Division of Health Care Financing and Policy of the Department of Human

2-46  Resources to pay the costs of an incremental adjustment in Medicaid

2-47  reimbursement for rural primary health care practitioners in general

2-48  practice, family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and

2-49  gynecology and for rural dentists, physician assistants and advanced

3-1  practical nurses to address reasonable costs and access to health care for

3-2  medically underserved rural populations:

3-3  For the fiscal year 2001-2002.............. $250,000

3-4  For the fiscal year 2002-2003.............. $500,000

3-5    Sec. 4.  Any remaining balance of the appropriations made by section

3-6  3 of this act must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003,

3-7  and reverts to the state general fund as soon as all payments of money

3-8  committed have been made.

3-9    Sec. 5.  This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.

 

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