Senate Bill No. 32—Committee on Human
Resources and Facilities

 

(On Behalf of the Task Force for the Fund for
a Healthy Nevada (AB 474, NRS 439.625))

 

Prefiled January 30, 2003

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

SUMMARY—Makes various changes regarding Task Force for the Fund for a Healthy Nevada. (BDR 40‑258)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                           Effect on the State: No.

 

~

 

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

 

AN ACT relating to the Fund for a Healthy Nevada; providing that allocations by the Task Force for the Fund for a Healthy Nevada of money from the Fund may be done by contract or grant; requiring at least one competitive round of requests for proposals each biennium for the distribution of certain money from the Fund; 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. NRS 439.630 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2  439.630  1.  The Task Force for the Fund for a Healthy

1-3  Nevada shall:

1-4  (a) Conduct public hearings to accept public testimony from a

1-5  wide variety of sources and perspectives regarding existing or

1-6  proposed programs that:

1-7       (1) Promote public health;

1-8       (2) Improve health services for children, senior citizens and

1-9  persons with disabilities;

1-10          (3) Reduce or prevent the use of tobacco;

2-1       (4) Reduce or prevent the abuse of and addiction to alcohol

2-2  and drugs; and

2-3       (5) Offer other general or specific information on health care

2-4  in this state.

2-5  (b) Establish a process to evaluate the health and health needs of

2-6  the residents of this state and a system to rank the health problems

2-7  of the residents of this state, including, without limitation, the

2-8  specific health problems that are endemic to urban and rural

2-9  communities.

2-10      (c) Reserve not more than 30 percent of all revenues deposited

2-11  in the Fund for a Healthy Nevada each year for direct expenditure

2-12  by the Department to pay for prescription drugs and pharmaceutical

2-13  services for senior citizens pursuant to NRS 439.635 to 439.690,

2-14  inclusive. From the money reserved to the Department pursuant to

2-15  this paragraph, the Department shall subsidize all of the cost of

2-16  policies of health insurance that provide coverage to senior citizens

2-17  for prescription drugs and pharmaceutical services pursuant to NRS

2-18  439.635 to 439.690, inclusive. The Department shall consider

2-19  recommendations from the Task Force for the Fund for a Healthy

2-20  Nevada in carrying out the provisions of NRS 439.635 to 439.690,

2-21  inclusive. The Department shall submit a quarterly report to the

2-22  Governor, the Task Force for the Fund for a Healthy Nevada and the

2-23  Interim Finance Committee regarding the general manner in which

2-24  expenditures have been made pursuant to this paragraph and the

2-25  status of the program.

2-26      (d) Reserve not more than 30 percent of all revenues deposited

2-27  in the Fund for a Healthy Nevada each year for allocation by the

2-28  Aging Services Division of the Department in the form of grants for

2-29  existing or new programs that assist senior citizens with independent

2-30  living, including, without limitation, programs that provide:

2-31          (1) Respite care or relief of family caretakers;

2-32          (2) Transportation to new or existing services to assist senior

2-33  citizens in living independently; and

2-34          (3) Care in the home which allows senior citizens to remain

2-35  at home instead of in institutional care.

2-36  The Aging Services Division of the Department shall consider

2-37  recommendations from the Task Force for the Fund for a Healthy

2-38  Nevada concerning the independent living needs of senior citizens.

2-39      (e) Allocate , by contract or grant, for expenditure not more

2-40  than 20 percent of all revenues deposited in the Fund for a Healthy

2-41  Nevada each year for programs that prevent, reduce or treat the use

2-42  of tobacco and the consequences of the use of tobacco.

2-43      (f) Allocate , by contract or grant, for expenditure not more

2-44  than 20 percent of all revenues deposited in the Fund for a Healthy

3-1  Nevada each year for programs that improve health services for

3-2  children and the health and well-being of persons with disabilities.

3-3  (g) Maximize expenditures through local, federal and private

3-4  matching contributions.

3-5  (h) Ensure that any money expended from the Fund for a

3-6  Healthy Nevada will not be used to supplant existing methods of

3-7  funding that are available to public agencies.

3-8  (i) Develop policies and procedures for the administration and

3-9  distribution of contracts, grants and other expenditures to state

3-10  agencies, political subdivisions of this state, nonprofit organizations,

3-11  universities and community colleges. A condition of any such

3-12  contract or grant must be that not more than 8 percent of the

3-13  contract or grant may be used for administrative expenses or other

3-14  indirect costs. The procedures must require at least one competitive

3-15  round of requests for proposals per [fiscal year.] biennium.

3-16      (j) To make the allocations required by paragraphs (e) and (f):

3-17          (1) Prioritize and quantify the needs for these programs;

3-18          (2) Develop, solicit and accept [grant] applications for

3-19  allocations;

3-20          (3) Conduct annual evaluations of programs to which

3-21  allocations have been awarded; and

3-22          (4) Submit annual reports concerning the programs to the

3-23  Governor and the Interim Finance Committee.

3-24      (k) Transmit a report of all findings, recommendations and

3-25  expenditures to the Governor and each regular session of the

3-26  Legislature.

3-27      2.  The Task Force may take such other actions as are necessary

3-28  to carry out its duties.

3-29      3.  The Department shall take all actions necessary to ensure

3-30  that all allocations for expenditures made by the Task Force are

3-31  carried out as directed by the Task Force.

3-32      4.  To make the allocations required by paragraph (d) of

3-33  subsection 1, the Aging Services Division of the Department shall:

3-34      (a) Prioritize and quantify the needs of senior citizens for these

3-35  programs;

3-36      (b) Develop, solicit and accept grant applications for allocations;

3-37      (c) As appropriate, expand or augment existing state programs

3-38  for senior citizens upon approval of the Interim Finance Committee;

3-39      (d) Award grants or other allocations;

3-40      (e) Conduct annual evaluations of programs to which grants or

3-41  other allocations have been awarded; and

3-42      (f) Submit annual reports concerning the grant program to the

3-43  Governor and the Interim Finance Committee.

3-44      5.  The Aging Services Division of the Department shall submit

3-45  each proposed grant which would be used to expand or augment an

4-1  existing state program to the Interim Finance Committee for

4-2  approval before the grant is awarded. The request for approval must

4-3  include a description of the proposed use of the money and the

4-4  person or entity that would be authorized to expend the money. The

4-5  Aging Services Division of the Department shall not expend or

4-6  transfer any money allocated to the Aging Services Division

4-7  pursuant to this section to subsidize any portion of the cost of

4-8  policies of health insurance that provide coverage to senior citizens

4-9  for prescription drugs and pharmaceutical services pursuant to NRS

4-10  439.635 to 439.690, inclusive.

4-11      6.  The Department, on behalf of the Task Force, shall submit

4-12  each allocation proposed pursuant to paragraph (e) or (f) of

4-13  subsection 1 which would be used to expand or augment an existing

4-14  state program to the Interim Finance Committee for approval before

4-15  the contract or grant is awarded. The request for approval must

4-16  include a description of the proposed use of the money and the

4-17  person or entity that would be authorized to expend the money.

4-18      Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2003.

 

4-19  H