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3.18.2024

How Our Kids Fared in the Legislative Session

In Nevada, our legislators meet once every two years for 120 days to make critical decisions on funding, programs, and other policies that impact children and families throughout the state. The Children’s Advocacy Alliance serves as an independent voice for Nevada’s children and families, advocating for positive changes that will support children and families. In 2023, the Children’s Advocacy Alliance monitored 214 bills and worked closely with lawmakers to pass proactive legislative priorities. We also opposed legislation that would put Nevada’s children and families on the wrong track. 

So how did our children and families fare through this past legislative session? Below are a few highlights from our 2023 Legislative Report on key pieces of legislation, some that passed and others that failed, impacting Nevada’s early childhood population.

Maternal and Child Health

Nevada’s majority-women legislature continued to make strides for new parents and babies this legislative session. In a state where nearly 60% of all births in Nevada are Medicaid covered, it is crucial to fund programs that support new parents and babies.

• Senate Bill 232 extending postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months passed. This life-saving legislation will serve more than 18,000 new parents and went into effect on January 1, 2024. The bill, sponsored by Majority Leader Nicole Cannizaro and Assemblywoman Michelle Gorelow, received nearly unanimous support in both houses of the legislature.
• Assembly Bill 283 increased the Medicaid fee for service rate for Doula services to $1,200 per birth to encourage doulas in rural communities to enroll as Medicaid providers.
• Budget Account 3222 was passed to increase funding to expand access to home-visiting programs.
• Senate Bill 117 was passed to increase access to community health workers by expanding the ability of some community health workers to bill services under Medicaid.

Disability, Mental, and Behavioral Health

In October of 2022, the Department of Justice issued their legal findings regarding the inadequacy of Nevada’s community-based behavioral health supports for children. In response, the State invested $43 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to support these services. Unfortunately, those funds were not sustained at the same levels in the State budget approved by the Legislature. 

• Senate Bill 435 passed to impose a provider tax on private hospitals. A portion of those funds will be set aside for administering the tax and any unused portion of the administrative fund, estimated to be $15 million, will be allocated to children’s mental health services.
• Assembly Bill 37 passed to authorize the establishment of the Behavioral Health Workforce Development Center of Nevada. The state hopes it will be a helpful tool for recruitment and retention of providers.
• Assembly Bill 265 would have established a Statewide Children’s Mental Consortium to foster more communication and collaboration between rural and urban providers. Although this bill was passed by the legislature, it was vetoed by the Governor.
• Assembly Bill 137 changes the name of “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome” to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), which is the first step in expanding the range of services available for children and families.
• Assembly Bill 422 creates a pilot program to serve children with FASD and will facilitate better service coordination.
• Assembly Bill 116 requires health care providers to provide evidence-based information to a person pregnant with or who has delivered a child with Down Syndrome. This bill will give much needed support to families who struggle to find resources and navigate Nevada’s complex system of care.

Nutrition

Approximately 281,000 Nevada families with children are experiencing food insecurity. Food insecurity can lead to poor health and quality of life outcomes including chronic diseases and mental health challenges. Hunger in Nevada was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Assembly Bill 319 would have provided funds to continue Nevada’s Universal School Meals Program, providing free breakfast and lunch to every child in Nevada’s public schools, but the bill was vetoed by the Governor.
• Senate Bill 341 provided funds to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and Three Square to continue providing food to families, but more investment is needed to fight hunger in Nevada.

School Readiness and Early Childhood Systems

School readiness begins during the prenatal period. Aligning Nevada’s early childhood systems, improving access to quality child care and education programs, encouraging the use of family supports and home visiting programs, investing in healthcare, and providing economic support for families will ensure that children are prepared to learn and will avoid behavioral and learning issues in the future. Lawmakers considered several bills aimed at creating a strong start for Nevada’s children

• Assembly Bill 113 would have established the Office of Early Childhood Systems within the Office of the Governor. This is part of national best practices to elevate the importance of early childhood programs and services to the state executive director level. This governance structure can enhance program delivery, data collection and data sharing. The bill passed its first committee nearly unanimously, but unfortunately died in the Ways and Means Committee.
• Assembly Bill 114 was passed to expand and diversify the membership of the Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council by adding several new representatives, including at least one parent or guardian of a young child.
• Budget Account 3267 included a transfer of $10 million from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families account to the Child Care and Development Program. While this change allows more families to access funds than what was previously available, it does not represent new funding for child care programs.
• Assembly Bill 400 included $70 million for the Early Childhood Innovative Literacy Program to support the Nevada Ready PreK Program or to “innovative new program[s]” that support children under 6 years old. 

These are only a few of the bills that were heard in the 2023 Legislative Session impacting children and families. The full 2023 Legislative Report from the Children’s Advocacy Alliance and a video recording of our 2023 CAA Legislative Debrief Webinar is available on our website at caanv.org or by clicking here.

Although the next legislative session will not begin until February 2025, the Children’s Advocacy Alliance is actively working to identify policy solutions that work for our children and families. 

To learn more or get involved, please contact us at [email protected] or call 702-228-1869.