AB330 - Makes an appropriation for the development and carrying out of a certain internship program in psychology. (BDR S-615)

A.B. 330 - *AB330* ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 330–ASSEMBLYMEMBER GONZÁLEZ MARCH 3, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Ways and Means SUMMARY—Makes an appropriation for the development and carrying out of a certain internship program in psychology. (BDR S-615) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation not included in Executive Budget. ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT making an appropriation to the Partnership for Research, Assessment, Counseling, Therapy and Innovative Clinical Education of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for the development and carrying out of a predoctoral internship program in child and adolescent psychology; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. WHEREAS, According to the Health Resources and Services 1 Administration of the United States Department of Health and 2 Human Services, over 91 percent of Nevadans reside in a mental 3 health professional shortage area with reduced access to mental 4 health care; and 5 WHEREAS, According to a 2024 report by the nonprofit Mental 6 Health America, Nevada ranks 51st among all states and the District 7 of Colombia for having a higher prevalence of mental illness and a 8 lower rate of access to care for children and adolescents; and 9 WHEREAS, In 2018, the American Psychological Association 10 determined that Nevada had 12.2 licensed psychologists per 100,000 11 persons, which is lower compared to the average in the United 12 States in 2018 of 32.8 licensed psychologists for every 100,000 13 persons and made Nevada the state with the 4th lowest 14 concentration of licensed psychologists, and that 20.67 percent of 15 adults in Nevada had a mental illness, which is higher compared to 16 the average in the United States in 2018 of 19 percent; and 17 – 2 – - *AB330* WHEREAS, According to data of the National Center for Health 1 Workforce Analysis of the Health Resources and Services 2 Administration of the United States Department of Health and 3 Human Services, Nevada requires approximately 600 more 4 psychologists than the approximately 640 that are projected to be 5 available in 2025 to meet the demand, and the supply is not 6 projected to meet the demand at any point in the next 10 years; and 7 WHEREAS, As delineated in NRS 641.025, the scope of the 8 practice of psychology is broad and encompasses more unique areas 9 of focus than other mental and behavioral health care fields; and 10 WHEREAS, On August 15, 2024, the Interim Finance Committee 11 approved funding from the Fund for a Resilient Nevada for the 12 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to establish a new doctoral 13 training program in psychology, which is designed to prepare 14 persons to practice psychology and specialize in child and 15 adolescent psychology; and 16 WHEREAS, To be licensed as a psychologist in Nevada, a person 17 must have earned a doctorate in psychology or equivalent doctorate- 18 level education and at least 2 years of supervised and documented 19 training experience, 1 year of which must be a predoctoral 20 internship; and 21 WHEREAS, Nevada lacks accredited predoctoral internships 22 providing supervised experience in specialty mental and behavioral 23 health areas such as child and adolescent psychology, which forces 24 persons seeking such training to leave this State to obtain the 25 training; and 26 WHEREAS, The development of new training programs located 27 in Nevada that provide supervised experiences requires substantial 28 resources for recruitment, training and supervision to meet 29 accreditation standards; and 30 WHEREAS, The Partnership for Research, Assessment, 31 Counseling, Therapy and Innovative Clinical Education of the 32 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, serves as a teaching, training and 33 researching clinic with documented success and the foundational 34 infrastructure required to develop expeditiously an accredited 35 predoctoral internship program in child and adolescent psychology; 36 now, therefore, 37 38 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN 39 SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 40 41 Section 1. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the State 42 General Fund to the Partnership for Research, Assessment, 43 Counseling, Therapy and Innovative Clinical Education of the 44 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for the development and carrying 45 – 3 – - *AB330* out of an internship program in child and adolescent psychology for 1 persons who are enrolled in a doctoral training program in 2 psychology the following sums: 3 For the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 .................................. $206,000 4 For the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 .................................. $787,100 5 2. Money appropriated by subsection 1 must be used only for: 6 (a) Personnel, operating, travel, professional development and 7 equipment costs related to the development and carrying out of the 8 internship program, including, without limitation, the costs 9 associated with supervision of the interns, training materials and 10 clinical supplies; 11 (b) Stipends for the interns; 12 (c) The expenses associated with obtaining membership to the 13 Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers; and 14 (d) The expenses associated with obtaining the accreditation of 15 the American Psychological Association for the internship program. 16 3. The sums appropriated by subsection 1 are available for 17 either fiscal year. Any remaining balance of those sums must not be 18 committed for expenditure after June 30, 2027, by the entity to 19 which the appropriation is made or any entity to which money from 20 the appropriation is granted or otherwise transferred in any manner, 21 and any portion of the appropriated money remaining must not be 22 spent for any purpose after September 17, 2027, by either the entity 23 to which the money was appropriated or the entity to which the 24 money was subsequently granted or transferred, and must be 25 reverted to the State General Fund on or before September 17, 2027. 26 Sec. 2. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 27 H