Senate Bill No. 301–Senator Townsend

 

March 17, 2003

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Referred to Committee on Finance

 

SUMMARY—Creates Nevada Mental Health Plan Implementation Commission. (BDR S‑969)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                           Effect on the State: Yes.

 

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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 mental health; creating the Nevada Mental Health Plan Implementation Commission to develop an action plan for implementing the recommendations of the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health in this state; 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. 1.  The Nevada Mental Health Plan

1-2  Implementation Commission is hereby created.

1-3  2.  The Commission consists of:

1-4  (a) Three members of the Senate who are appointed by the

1-5  Majority Leader of the Senate;

1-6  (b) Three members of the Assembly who are appointed by the

1-7  Speaker of the Assembly;

1-8  (c) The Administrator of the Division of Mental Health and

1-9  Developmental Services of the Department of Human Resources, or

1-10  his designee;

1-11      (d) The Chief of the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse within

1-12  the Health Division of the Department of Human Resources, or his

1-13  designee;

1-14      (e) The Administrator of the Division of Health Care Financing

1-15  and Policy of the Department of Human Resources, or his designee;

1-16  and

2-1  (f) The Administrator of the Division of Child and Family

2-2  Services of the Department of Human Resources, or his designee.

2-3  3.  At its first meeting, the members of the Commission shall

2-4  elect a chair from among its members.

2-5  Sec. 2.  1.  The members of the Nevada Mental Health Plan

2-6  Implementation Commission serve on the Commission until

2-7  January 1, 2004.

2-8  2.  A vacancy occurring in the membership of the Commission

2-9  must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

2-10      3.  The Commission shall meet at the times and places specified

2-11  by a call of the Chair of the Commission.

2-12      4.  A majority of the members of the Commission constitutes a

2-13  quorum for the transaction of business, and a majority of a quorum

2-14  present at any meeting is sufficient for any official action taken by

2-15  the Commission.

2-16      Sec. 3.  1.  Except during a regular or special session of the

2-17  Legislature, for each day or portion of a day during which a member

2-18  of the Commission who is a Legislator attends a meeting of the

2-19  Commission or is otherwise engaged in the work of the

2-20  Commission, he is entitled to receive the:

2-21      (a) Compensation provided for a majority of the members of the

2-22  Legislature during the first 60 days of the preceding session;

2-23      (b) Per diem allowance provided for state officers and

2-24  employees generally; and

2-25      (c) Travel expenses provided pursuant to NRS 218.2207.

2-26  The compensation, per diem allowances and travel expenses of the

2-27  legislative members of the Commission must be paid from the

2-28  Legislative Fund.

2-29      2.  Members of the Nevada Mental Health Plan Implementation

2-30  Commission who are not Legislators serve without compensation,

2-31  except that a member of the Commission is entitled, while engaged

2-32  in the business of the Commission, to receive the per diem

2-33  allowance and travel expenses provided for state officers and

2-34  employees generally.

2-35      3.  Each member of the Commission who is an officer or

2-36  employee of the State of Nevada or a local government must be

2-37  relieved from his duties without loss of his regular compensation so

2-38  that he may prepare for and attend meetings of the Commission and

2-39  perform any work necessary to carry out the duties of the

2-40  Commission in the most timely manner practicable. A state agency

2-41  or local governmental entity shall not require an officer or employee

2-42  who is a member of the Commission to make up the time that he is

2-43  absent from work to carry out his duties as a member of the

2-44  Commission or to use annual vacation or compensatory time for the

2-45  absence.

3-1  Sec. 4.  1.  The Nevada Mental Health Plan Implementation

3-2  Commission shall:

3-3  (a) Determine how Nevada will implement the

3-4  recommendations of the President’s New Freedom Commission on

3-5  Mental Health to enable adults with serious mental illnesses and

3-6  children with serious emotional disturbances to live, work, learn and

3-7  participate fully in their communities; and

3-8  (b) Develop an action plan for implementing the

3-9  recommendations in this state.

3-10      2.  The Commission shall submit a report setting forth the

3-11  action plan developed pursuant to this section to the Interim Finance

3-12  Committee, the Subcommittee to Study Mental Health Issues of the

3-13  Legislative Committee on Health Care and the Governor on or

3-14  before January 1, 2004.

3-15      Sec. 5.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2003, and expires

3-16  by limitation on January 1, 2004.

 

3-17  H