A.B. 246
- *AB246*
ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 246–ASSEMBLYMEMBER CONSIDINE
FEBRUARY 17, 2025
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Referred to Committee on Judiciary
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to offenders.
(BDR 16-686)
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 offenders; requiring the Director of the
Department of Corrections to adopt regulations governing
the diet of offenders in the custody of the Department;
and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law requires the Chief Medical Officer to: (1) examine the nutritional 1
adequacy of the diet of incarcerated offenders; and (2) submit a semiannual report 2
to the Board of State Prison Commissioners concerning the operations of the 3
Department of Corrections related to the dietary needs of incarcerated offenders. 4
(NRS 209.382) Section 1 of this bill requires the Director of the Department of 5
Corrections, with the approval of the Board of State Prison Commissioners, to 6
adopt regulations to be instituted at each institution or facility which govern the 7
food served at institutions or facilities operated by the Department. Under section 8
1, the regulations must: (1) require the Department and each institution or facility 9
operated by the Department to adopt the Good Food Purchasing Program or its 10
successor program; (2) prohibit the Department and any institution or facility 11
operated by the Department from entering into a contract or other agreement with a 12
for-profit food vendor; and (3) require a licensed dietitian or registered dietitian to 13
approve each meal or menu item provided to offenders in accordance with certain 14
dietary guidelines. Section 1 also requires the Director, to the extent money is 15
available, to establish and carry out a prison farm program to be instituted in each 16
institution or facility operated by the Department. 17
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- *AB246*
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 209 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1
thereto a new section to read as follows: 2
1. The Director shall, with the approval of the Board, adopt 3
regulations to be instituted in each institution or facility which 4
govern the food served in institutions or facilities operated by the 5
Department. Such regulations must, without limitation: 6
(a) Require the Department and each institution or facility to 7
adopt the Good Food Purchasing Program or its successor 8
program; 9
(b) Prohibit the Department and any institution or facility 10
from entering into a contract or other agreement with a for-profit 11
food vendor; and 12
(c) Require a licensed dietitian or registered dietitian to 13
approve each meal or menu item provided to offenders in 14
accordance with the guidelines set forth in the most recent version 15
of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans published by the United 16
States Department of Agriculture and the United States 17
Department of Health and Human Services. 18
2. To the extent money is available for this purpose, the 19
Director shall establish and carry out a prison farm program to be 20
instituted in each institution or facility. 21
3. As used in this section: 22
(a) “Licensed dietitian” has the meaning ascribed to it in 23
NRS 640E.040. 24
(b) “Prison farm program” means an agricultural program for 25
the vocational training or employment of offenders in farming or 26
related activities. 27
(c) “Registered dietitian” has the meaning ascribed to it in 28
NRS 640E.080. 29
Sec. 2. The amendatory provisions of section 1 of this act do 30
not apply to a contract entered into before October 1, 2025, but do 31
apply to any renewal or extension of such a contract. 32
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