A.B. 19
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ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 19–COMMITTEE ON
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
(ON BEHALF OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL)
PREFILED NOVEMBER 6, 2024
____________
Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to the Statewide
Substance Use Response Working Group.
(BDR 40-442)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: No.
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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 substance use disorders; adding members to the
Statewide Substance Use Response Working Group; and
providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law creates the Statewide Substance Use Response Working Group in 1
the Office of the Attorney General to leverage and expand efforts by state and local 2
governmental entities to reduce the use of substances which are associated with 3
substance use disorders. (NRS 458.460, 458.480) Existing law further provides that 4
the membership of the Working Group consists of 18 members, 12 of whom are 5
appointed by the Attorney General. (NRS 458.460) This bill adds to the 6
membership of the Working Group: (1) the Executive Director of the Department 7
of Indigent Defense Services, or his or her designee; and (2) four members 8
appointed by the Attorney General. 9
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 458.460 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
458.460 1. The Statewide Substance Use Response Working 2
Group is hereby created in the Office of the Attorney General. 3
2. The Working Group consists of the following members: 4
(a) The Attorney General or his or her designee; 5
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(b) The Director of the Department of Health and Human 1
Services, or his or her designee; 2
(c) The Executive Director of the Department of Indigent 3
Defense Services, or his or her designee; 4
(d) One member of the Senate who is appointed by the Senate 5
Majority Leader; 6
[(d)] (e) One member of the Senate who is appointed by the 7
Senate Minority Leader; 8
[(e)] (f) One member of the Assembly who is appointed by the 9
Speaker of the Assembly; 10
[(f)] (g) One member of the Assembly who is appointed by the 11
Assembly Minority Leader; and 12
[(g)] (h) The following members, appointed by the Attorney 13
General: 14
(1) One representative of a local governmental entity that 15
provides or oversees the provision of human services in a county 16
whose population is 700,000 or more; 17
(2) One representative of a local governmental entity that 18
provides or oversees the provision of human services in a county 19
whose population is 100,000 or more but less than 700,000; 20
(3) One representative of a local governmental entity that 21
provides or oversees the provision of human services in a county 22
whose population is less than 100,000; 23
(4) One provider of health care with expertise in medicine 24
for the treatment of substance use disorders; 25
(5) One representative of the Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ 26
Association, or its successor organization; 27
(6) One advocate for persons who have substance use 28
disorders and family members of such persons; 29
(7) One person who is in recovery from a substance use 30
disorder; 31
(8) One person who provides services relating to the 32
treatment of substance use disorders; 33
(9) One representative of a substance use disorder prevention 34
coalition; 35
(10) One representative of a program to reduce the harm 36
caused by substance misuse; 37
(11) One representative of a hospital; [and] 38
(12) One representative of a school district [.] ; 39
(13) One member of the general public; 40
(14) One person who is an emergency response employee; 41
(15) One representative of the Division of Child and Family 42
Services of the Department of Health and Human Services; and 43
(16) One representative of the Nevada District Attorneys 44
Association, or its successor organization. 45
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3. After the initial terms, members of the Working Group serve 1
terms of 2 years and serve at the pleasure of the appointing 2
authority. Members may be reappointed for additional terms of 2 3
years in the same manner as the original appointments. 4
4. If a vacancy occurs during a member’s term, the appointing 5
authority shall appoint a replacement for the remainder of the 6
unexpired term. A vacancy must be filled in the same manner as the 7
original appointment. 8
5. Members of the Working Group serve without compensation 9
and are not entitled to receive the per diem allowance and travel 10
expenses provided for state officers and employees generally. 11
6. A member of the Working Group who is an officer or 12
employee of this State or a political subdivision of this State must be 13
relieved from his or her duties without loss of regular compensation 14
to prepare for and attend meetings of the Working Group and 15
perform any work necessary to carry out the duties of the Working 16
Group in the most timely manner practicable. A state agency or 17
political subdivision of this State shall not require an officer or 18
employee who is a member of the Working Group to: 19
(a) Make up the time he or she is absent from work to carry out 20
his or her duties as a member of the Working Group; or 21
(b) Take annual leave or compensatory time for the absence. 22
7. As used in this section [, “substance] : 23
(a) “Attendant” has the meaning ascribed to it in 24
NRS 450B.050. 25
(b) “Emergency response employee” means a firefighter, 26
attendant, volunteer attendant, emergency medical technician, 27
advanced emergency medical technician, emergency medical 28
dispatcher, paramedic, law enforcement officer, correctional 29
officer, other peace officer or person who is employed by an 30
agency of criminal justice, including, without limitation, a law 31
enforcement dispatcher, county coroner or medical examiner or 32
any of their employees, or any other person who, in the course of 33
his or her professional duties, responds to emergencies in this 34
State. 35
(c) “Substance use disorder prevention coalition” means a 36
coalition of persons and entities who possess knowledge and 37
experience related to the prevention of substance misuse and 38
substance use disorders in a region of this State. 39
Sec. 2. As soon as practicable after October 1, 2025, the 40
Attorney General shall appoint to the Statewide Substance Use 41
Response Working Group: 42
1. The members described in subparagraphs (13) and (14) of 43
paragraph (h) of subsection 2 of NRS 458.460, as amended by 44
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section 1 of this act, to initial terms that expire on January 1, 2027; 1
and 2
2. The members described in subparagraphs (15) and (16) of 3
paragraph (h) of subsection 2 of NRS 458.460, as amended by 4
section 1 of this act, to initial terms that expire on January 1, 2028. 5
H