Senate Concurrent Resolution
No. 36–Committee on
Human Resources and Facilities
Senate Concurrent RESOLUTION—Expressing the support of the Nevada Legislature for the four long-term strategic plans developed by the Department of Human Resources concerning the health care needs of the residents of Nevada.
Whereas, On June 13, 2001, the Governor signed into law
Assembly Bill No. 513 which provided funding for the development
of four long-term strategic plans concerning the health care needs of
the residents of Nevada; and
Whereas, The strategic plans to be developed were to address
the basic needs of Nevada’s senior residents, health care services in
rural areas of Nevada, services to meet the needs of persons with
disabilities, and rates paid by the State to contracted providers of
health care services; and
Whereas, The Department of Human Resources established a
task force to facilitate the development of each of the four strategic
plans and a steering committee to provide guidance and coordinate
the overall efforts of each task force; and
Whereas, Each task force conducted public hearings in many
locations in this state to ensure information was received from all
interested persons, including, without limitation, senior residents,
rural Nevadans, persons with disabilities and their representatives,
governmental representatives and representatives of persons who
provide institutional and community-based services to persons with
disabilities, and developed each long-term strategic plan only after
testimony and information presented by the interested parties had
been fully considered; and
Whereas, The diligent work of the Senior Services Task Force
in gathering comments and information from over 2,000 Nevada
seniors, service providers and caregivers resulted in a
comprehensive strategic plan for this state’s senior residents which
focuses on goals relating to independent living, engagement in the
occupation of life, improvement of health, accessibility and
affordability of housing, availability of transportation services, and
receipt of needed benefits, services and support; and
Whereas, The perseverance of the Nevada Rural Health Care
Task Force in holding stakeholder meetings with approximately 200
persons, conducting interviews with those persons having a
particular interest in rural health care and analyzing the data from
over 250 surveys received from rural residents resulted in a long-
range strategic plan to address health care services in the rural areas
of Nevada, which focuses on goals relating to planning and
coordination of rural health care, delivery of services to rural areas,
sustainable financing of insurance coverage and development of
adequate funding, and utilization and expansion of resources in rural
communities; and
Whereas, The assiduous work of the Task Force on Disability
and its subcommittees and the technical advisory group created to
address issues relating to the Olmstead decision, Olmstead v. L.C. ex
rel. Zimring, 119 S. Ct. 2176 (1999), resulted in a comprehensive
strategic plan for persons with disabilities which focuses on goals to
ensure the availability and accessibility of services for persons with
disabilities, to support the ability of persons with disabilities to lead
independent and active lives within their communities, to continue
the efforts of this state to provide appropriate community-based
services for persons with disabilities, and to ensure that persons with
disabilities receive the services they are legally entitled to receive;
and
Whereas, In addition to the goals identified by the Task Force
on Disability to enable persons with disabilities to achieve
maximum mainstream personal and economic independence,
testimony from various advocates, agencies, organizations and
persons with diverse interests, perspectives and expertise concerning
the provision of services to persons with disabilities indicated that
the allocation of 10 percent of the tobacco settlement funds that are
designated to be used to address the needs of persons with
disabilities should continue to be made available in the Fund for a
Healthy Nevada without interruption to focus on:
1. Providing home and environmental modifications and
technology to allow community access, independent living or return
from institutional care;
2. Providing permanent funding for the State’s Positive
Behavioral Support Program; and
3. Ensuring that families providing primary care to a severely
disabled family member receive respite; and
Whereas, The arduous work of the Provider Rates Task Force
in gathering information from representatives of county agencies,
providers of certain health care services, persons who access the
services and their families, as well as state personnel, resulted in the
development of standardized rates for a variety of services,
including, without limitation, community support services for
persons with a disability or a mental illness, the elderly, community
triage centers, supported living arrangements, targeted case
management, personal assistance services, fiscal intermediary
services, children and adult mental health rehabilitative services and
therapies; and
Whereas, Based upon testimony presented from those persons
who participated in providing input concerning the four areas of
health care services on which the long-term strategic plans focused,
permanent long-term funding is critically needed for the continued
establishment and development of mental health services, including,
without limitation, services for persons who are mentally ill and
mentally retarded, and services for the prevention of alcohol abuse
and alcoholism; and
Whereas, Each of the four long-term strategic health care plans
identified goals and objectives or recommendations relating to the
area studied and outlined strategies to carry out the goals, objectives
and recommendations; and
Whereas, The Nevada Legislature recognizes the importance
of these long-term strategic plans in serving as invaluable guides in
addressing the health care needs of the residents of this state; and
Whereas, The Nevada Legislature further recognizes that each
strategic plan is a blueprint to use in budgeting for health care
services in this state; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the
Assembly Concurring, That the members of the Nevada
Legislature express their support for the four long-term strategic
plans developed by the Department of Human Resources concerning
senior services, rural health care, persons with disabilities and
provider rates; and be it further
Resolved, That the members of the Legislature acknowledge
the recommendations provided in these long-term strategic plans
concerning the health care needs of the residents of this state, as
well as the recommendations concerning funding that were provided
as a result of testimony presented during the preparation of these
plans; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and
transmit a copy of this resolution to the Director of the Department
of Human Resources.
20~~~~~03