AB337 - Creates programs related to dementia. (BDR 38-456)

EXEMPT (Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 15, 2025) FIRST REPRINT A.B. 337 - *AB337_R1* ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 337–COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (ON BEHALF OF THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON SENIOR CITIZENS, VETERANS AND ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS) MARCH 3, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services SUMMARY—Creates programs related to dementia. (BDR 38-456) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State: Yes. ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to dementia; requiring the Aging and Disability Services Division of the Department of Health and Human Services to establish and administer a dementia care specialist program; setting forth certain requirements for the program; providing for the establishment of the Nevada Memory Network for the diagnosis of dementia and the care of patients with dementia; setting forth certain requirements for the Nevada Memory Network; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law requires the Aging and Disability Services Division of the 1 Department of Health and Human Services to establish and administer a program to 2 provide the community-based services necessary to enable a frail elderly person to 3 remain in his or her home and avoid being placed in a facility for long-term care. 4 (NRS 427A.250) Existing law also authorizes the Division to establish and 5 administer a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly. (NRS 427A.255) 6 Section 1 of this bill requires the Division to establish and administer a 7 program for dementia care specialists in this State. Section 1 requires the goals of 8 the program to include: (1) developing and providing certain crisis intervention 9 services for persons with dementia and their families and caregivers; (2) proactively 10 supporting persons with dementia and their families and caregivers; and (3) 11 providing access to the program through translation and interpretation services for 12 persons with dementia and their families and caregivers where such persons have 13 limited English proficiency. Within the limits of legislative appropriations and any 14 – 2 – - *AB337_R1* other money available for this purpose, section 1 requires the Division to: (1) 15 prepare requests for proposals for the provision of services by dementia care 16 specialists employed by local governmental agencies or nonprofit organizations to 17 carry out the program; and (2) partner or contract with an appropriate educational 18 organization to provide training to dementia care specialists and evaluate the 19 program. 20 Existing law creates the Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease within the 21 Department of Health and Human Services and requires the Task Force to develop 22 a state plan to address Alzheimer’s disease. (NRS 439.508-439.5085) Section 2 of 23 this bill authorizes the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Medicine and 24 the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine, in collaboration with the 25 Department, to establish the Nevada Memory Network as a system for the early 26 detection and diagnosis of dementia and the ongoing management of care for 27 patients with dementia. If the Network is established, section 2 requires the 28 Universities and the Department to establish clinics, or contract with clinics who 29 meet certain criteria, in order to: (1) train providers of primary care in screening for 30 and treating dementia; (2) diagnose dementia in patients referred to such clinics; 31 and (3) create plans of care for patients with dementia, using telehealth when 32 appropriate, in order to provide such services. Section 2 requires the Network, if 33 established, to: (1) employ or contract with community health workers who 34 specialize in dementia care for the provision of certain services; and (2) contract 35 with community-based organizations for the provision of certain other services, 36 including crisis intervention and support services for persons diagnosed with 37 dementia and their families and caregivers. 38 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Chapter 427A of NRS is hereby amended by 1 adding thereto a new section to read as follows: 2 1. The Division shall establish and administer a program for 3 dementia care specialists in this State. 4 2. The program established pursuant to this section must 5 have as its goals, without limitation: 6 (a) To develop and provide crisis intervention services for 7 persons with dementia and their families and caregivers, 8 including, without limitation, services that provide an initial crisis 9 response, crisis stabilization and long-term care for persons with 10 dementia who exhibit behavioral problems. 11 (b) To proactively support persons with dementia and their 12 families and caregivers to ensure the highest quality of life 13 possible and to enable persons with dementia to remain in their 14 own homes or with family and avoid placement in a facility for 15 long-term care by, without limitation: 16 (1) Providing information, assistance, education and 17 support to persons with dementia and their families and 18 caregivers; 19 (2) Facilitating the development of communities in this 20 State where persons with dementia may remain safe and active; 21 – 3 – - *AB337_R1* (3) Providing training to governmental agencies and 1 nonprofit organizations that provide services to persons with 2 dementia; and 3 (4) Raising awareness of and developing community 4 support for persons with dementia and their families and 5 caregivers. 6 (c) To assist persons with dementia and their families and 7 caregivers with limited English proficiency by providing access to 8 the program through, without limitation, translation and 9 interpretation services. 10 3. Within the limits of legislative appropriations and any 11 other money available for this purpose, the Division shall: 12 (a) Prepare requests for proposals for the provision of services 13 by dementia care specialists employed by local governmental 14 agencies or nonprofit organizations to carry out the program 15 established pursuant to this section. The Division shall establish 16 such requirements for the requests for proposals as it determines 17 necessary. 18 (b) Partner or contract with an appropriate educational 19 organization to: 20 (1) Provide training to dementia care specialists. 21 (2) Evaluate the program established pursuant to this 22 section. 23 4. The Division may adopt regulations necessary to establish 24 and administer the program established pursuant to this section. 25 5. As used in this section, “limited English proficiency” 26 means a person who reads, writes or speaks a language other than 27 English and who cannot readily understand or communicate in 28 the English language in written or spoken form, as applicable, 29 based on the manner in which information is being 30 communicated. 31 Sec. 2. Chapter 439 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 32 thereto a new section to read as follows: 33 1. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Medicine 34 and the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine, in 35 collaboration with the Department, may establish the Nevada 36 Memory Network in accordance with this section. If the Nevada 37 Memory Network is established, the University of Nevada, Las 38 Vegas, School of Medicine, the University of Nevada, Reno, 39 School of Medicine and the Department shall: 40 (a) Establish or contract with clinics that employ or contract 41 with physicians who specialize in neurology, neuropsychology and 42 geriatrics to: 43 (1) Train providers of primary care in screening for and 44 treating dementia; 45 – 4 – - *AB337_R1* (2) Diagnose dementia in patients referred to the clinics by 1 providers of primary care; 2 (3) Create plans of care for patients with dementia; and 3 (4) Use telehealth where necessary or convenient to carry 4 out the duties prescribed in subparagraphs (1), (2) and (3). 5 (b) Employ or contract with community health workers who 6 specialize in dementia care. The community health workers shall: 7 (1) Coordinate care and provide referrals to community- 8 based services and in-home care for patients diagnosed with 9 dementia pursuant to subparagraph (2) of paragraph (a); and 10 (2) Monitor the well-being of and provide support to 11 persons who provide care to patients diagnosed with dementia 12 pursuant to subparagraph (2) of paragraph (a), including, without 13 limitation, providers of respite care to such patients. 14 (c) Contract with community-based organizations to: 15 (1) Develop and provide crisis intervention services for 16 persons diagnosed with dementia and their families and 17 caregivers, including, without limitation, providing initial crisis 18 response and crisis stabilization services; 19 (2) Provide long-term care for persons diagnosed with 20 dementia who exhibit behavioral problems; and 21 (3) Proactively support persons diagnosed with dementia 22 and their families and caregivers to ensure the highest quality of 23 life possible and to enable persons diagnosed with dementia to 24 remain in their own homes or with family and avoid placement in 25 a facility for long-term care by, without limitation: 26 (I) Providing information, assistance, education and 27 support to persons diagnosed with dementia and their families and 28 caregivers; 29 (II) Facilitating the development of communities in this 30 State where persons diagnosed with dementia may remain safe 31 and active; 32 (III) Providing training to governmental agencies and 33 nonprofit organizations that provide services to persons diagnosed 34 with dementia; and 35 (IV) Raising awareness of and developing community 36 support for persons diagnosed with dementia and their families 37 and caregivers. 38 2. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Medicine, 39 the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine and the 40 Department may collaborate or contract with any additional 41 persons or entities as necessary to carry out the provisions of this 42 section. 43 3. As used in this section: 44 – 5 – - *AB337_R1* (a) “Community health worker” has the meaning ascribed to it 1 in NRS 449.0027. 2 (b) “Telehealth” has the meaning ascribed to it in 3 NRS 629.515. 4 Sec. 3. 1. This section becomes effective upon passage and 5 approval. 6 2. Sections 1 and 2 of this act become effective: 7 (a) Upon passage and approval for the purpose of adopting any 8 regulations and performing any other preparatory administrative 9 tasks that are necessary to carry out the provisions of this act; and 10 (b) On July 1, 2025, for all other purposes. 11 H