Existing law requires the Department of Health and Human Services, or divisions thereof, to conduct various programs for the improvement of public health and health care in this State. (NRS 433.702-433.744, 439.4921-439.525, 439.529-439.5297, 439.600-439.690, 439A.111-439A.185, 439A.200-439A.290, 442.710-442.745, 457.230-457.280, 458.025, 458A.090, 458A.100, 458A.110) This bill establishes the Statewide Health Care Access and Recruitment Grant Program, which is a competitive grant program managed by the Department of Health and Human Services to support projects to address critical shortages of providers of health care in this State. Sections 3-7 of this bill define certain terms, and section 2 of this bill establishes the applicability of those definitions. Section 8 of this bill establishes the Statewide Health Care Access and Recruitment Program Account to hold money to fund the Program. Section 21 of this bill appropriates money into the Account for the purposes of the Program. Section 8 authorizes the Director of the Department, with the approval of the Interim Finance Committee, to transfer money from the Account to another account for the purpose of obtaining additional federal financial participation under Medicaid. Section 19 of this bill authorizes the Interim Finance Committee to issue such approval during a legislative session. Existing law: (1) creates the Account to Stabilize the Operation of State Government, also known as the Rainy Day Fund, in the State General Fund; and (2) prescribes a procedure for the transfer of money from that Account to the State General Fund during certain periods of low revenue or fiscal emergency. Existing law requires certain transfers of money to be made from the State General Fund to the Rainy Day Fund, including, without limitation, an annual transfer of 1 percent of the anticipated revenue for the State during the current fiscal year into the Rainy Day Fund. (NRS 353.288) Beginning on July 1, 2027, section 8 requires the State Controller to annually transfer 0.5 percent of the anticipated revenue for the State during the current fiscal year into the Statewide Health Care Access and Recruitment Program Account. However, section 8 prohibits such a transfer if the balance of the Account increases to an amount greater than $60,000,000 and prohibits subsequent transfers until the balance in that Account drops below $30,000,000. Section 20 of this bill reduces the amount that the State Controller is required to transfer to the Rainy Day Fund in fiscal years when the State Controller transfers money to the Statewide Health Care Access and Recruitment Program Account to 0.5 percent of the anticipated revenue for the State during the next fiscal year. Section 9 of this bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a biennial assessment of the health care needs of this State, which must identify health care professions and specialties and geographic areas experiencing critical shortages of providers of health care. Section 10 authorizes certain entities involved in the provision of health care, governmental entities and certain nonprofit organizations to apply for a grant of money from the Account to support a project to address those critical shortages. Section 10 imposes certain additional requirements for a project to be eligible to receive such funding, including a requirement that the applicant has secured matching financial or in-kind contributions valued at an amount at least equal to the amount of the grant being sought. Section 11 of this bill prescribes the required contents of an application for such a grant. Sections 12 and 13 of the bill prescribe the process for the Department to review applications and, with the approval of the Interim Finance Committee, award grants. Section 19 authorizes the Interim Finance Committee to issue such approval during a legislative session. After a grant is awarded, section 14 of this bill requires the Department to enter into a funding agreement with the grantee that outlines the terms and conditions of the grant and the responsibilities of the grantee. Section 15 of this bill requires a grantee to notify and submit a revised plan to the Department if: (1) the grantee significantly modifies a funded project; (2) the amount of money available for a funded project changes; (3) a funded project becomes inactive for at least 12 months; or (4) a funded project is terminated. Section 15 authorizes the Department to take certain actions in response to such notice. Section 16 of this bill authorizes the Department and the Office of Finance to provide certain oversight of a funded project. Section 17 of this bill authorizes the Department to suspend or terminate a grant or take certain other actions if it determines that the grantee has failed to comply with a funding agreement. Section 17 also requires the Department to suspend or terminate a grant if it determines that the grantee has violated applicable law, misused funds or submitted fraudulent information to the Department. Upon the completion of a funded project and again 10 years after the completion of a funded project, section 18 of this bill requires the grantee to submit a report to the Department concerning the project.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 218E.405, 353.288
BDR: 218E.405, 353.288