SB82 - Creates the Office of Early Childhood Services within the Office of the Governor. (BDR 18-527)

S.B. 82 - *SB82* SENATE BILL NO. 82–COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS (ON BEHALF OF THE JOINT INTERIM STANDING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION) PREFILED JANUARY 7, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Government Affairs SUMMARY—Creates the Office of Early Childhood Services within the Office of the Governor. (BDR 18-527) 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 governmental administration; creating the Office of Early Childhood Services within the Office of the Governor; prescribing the duties of the Office of Early Childhood Services and the Director of the Office; requiring the Office to conduct an interim study relating to early childhood services; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law creates various offices within the Office of the Governor, 1 including the Office of Federal Assistance, the Office for New Americans and the 2 Public Health Resource Office. (NRS 223.460-223.950) Section 6 of this bill: (1) 3 creates the Office of Early Childhood Services within the Office of the Governor; 4 (2) requires the Governor to appoint the Director of the Office of Early Childhood 5 Services; and (3) requires the Director to advise the Governor on all matters 6 relating to the formulation and implementation of policies, programs and 7 procedures affecting early childhood services in this State. 8 Section 7 of this bill requires the Office of Early Childhood Services to: (1) 9 analyze whether existing early childhood services meet the needs of children and 10 families in this State; (2) identify and make recommendations to the Governor 11 relating to improving early childhood services in this State; (3) identify the amount 12 of funding necessary to provide an optimal level of early childhood services in this 13 State; and (4) identify opportunities to obtain federal money to support existing and 14 create additional childhood services in this State. 15 Section 8 of this bill requires the Director of the Office of Early Childhood 16 Services to submit an annual report to the Governor and to the Director of the 17 Legislative Counsel Bureau. 18 – 2 – - *SB82* Existing law authorizes the Governor, within the limits of available money, to 19 employ such persons as he or she deems necessary to provide an appropriate staff 20 for the Office of the Governor, including, without limitation, certain other offices 21 that are created within the Office of the Governor. (NRS 223.085) Section 9 of this 22 bill authorizes the Governor, within the limits of available money, to also employ 23 such persons as he or she deems necessary to provide appropriate staff for the 24 Office of Early Childhood Services. 25 Section 10 of this bill requires the Office of Early Childhood Services to 26 conduct a study during the 2025-2026 legislative interim. 27 Section 12 of this bill provides that the Office of Early Childhood Services 28 expires by limitation on June 30, 2027. 29 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Chapter 223 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1 thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 to 8, inclusive, of this 2 act. 3 Sec. 2. As used in sections 2 to 8, inclusive, of this act, unless 4 the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in 5 sections 3, 4 and 5 of this act have the meanings ascribed to them 6 in those sections. 7 Sec. 3. “Director” means the Director of the Office of Early 8 Childhood Services. 9 Sec. 4. “Early childhood services” means programs and 10 services that support the development and education of children 11 from birth to 5 years of age. 12 Sec. 5. “Office” means the Office of Early Childhood 13 Services. 14 Sec. 6. 1. The Office of Early Childhood Services is hereby 15 created in the Office of the Governor. 16 2. The Governor shall appoint a Director of the Office of 17 Early Childhood Services. The Director is in the unclassified 18 service of the State and serves at the pleasure of the Governor. 19 3. The Director shall advise the Governor on all matters 20 relating to the formulation and implementation of policies, 21 programs and procedures affecting early childhood services in this 22 State. 23 4. The Director may apply for any available grants and 24 accept any gifts, grants or donations for the support of the Office 25 and its activities pursuant to sections 2 to 8, inclusive, of this act. 26 5. The Director shall not engage in any other gainful 27 employment or occupation. 28 Sec. 7. 1. The Office of Early Childhood Services shall: 29 (a) Analyze whether the existing early childhood services meet 30 the needs of children and families in this State; 31 – 3 – - *SB82* (b) Identify and make recommendations to the Governor 1 relating to improving early childhood services in this State; 2 (c) Identify the amount of funding necessary to provide an 3 optimal level of early childhood services in this State; and 4 (d) Identify opportunities to obtain federal money to support 5 existing and create additional early childhood services in this 6 State, including, without limitation, funding for workforce 7 development in early childhood services. 8 2. Each agency, board, commission, department, officer, 9 employee or agent of this State or a local government of this State 10 shall provide to the Office or any representative of the Office such 11 assistance as the functions and operations of the Office may 12 require if that assistance is within the scope of duties of the person 13 or entity. 14 Sec. 8. 1. On or before December 1 of each year, the 15 Director of the Office of Early Childhood Services shall submit a 16 report concerning early childhood services to the Governor and to 17 the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmittal to 18 the Legislature or, if the Legislature is not in session, to the 19 Legislative Commission. 20 2. The report required pursuant to subsection 1 must include, 21 without limitation: 22 (a) Any recommendations for improving early childhood 23 services in this State, including, without limitation, 24 recommendations for creating or expanding early child services; 25 (b) The amount of money the State provides for early 26 childhood services and a description of how such state money is 27 used; 28 (c) The amount of federal money that the State receives for 29 early childhood services and a description of how such federal 30 money is used; and 31 (d) A description of any opportunity for obtaining additional 32 federal money for early childhood services in this State, including, 33 without limitation, the amount of matching funds that may be 34 required for obtaining additional federal money. 35 Sec. 9. NRS 223.085 is hereby amended to read as follows: 36 223.085 1. The Governor may, within the limits of available 37 money, employ such persons as he or she deems necessary to 38 provide an appropriate staff for the Office of the Governor, 39 including, without limitation, the Office of Economic Development, 40 the Office of Federal Assistance, the Office of Science, Innovation 41 and Technology, the Public Health Resource Office , the Office of 42 Early Childhood Services and the Governor’s mansion. Except as 43 otherwise provided by specific statute, such employees are not in the 44 classified or unclassified service of the State and, except as 45 – 4 – - *SB82* otherwise provided in NRS 231.043 and 231.047, serve at the 1 pleasure of the Governor. Such staff and employees include, without 2 limitation: 3 (a) Executive staff; 4 (b) Administrative and clerical staff; 5 (c) Outreach and communications staff; 6 (d) Research and analytical staff; and 7 (e) Any other persons the Governor determines are necessary to 8 effectively fulfill the duties, responsibilities and obligations of the 9 Office of the Governor. 10 2. Except as otherwise provided by specific statute, the 11 Governor shall: 12 (a) Determine the salaries and benefits of the persons employed 13 pursuant to subsection 1, within limits of money available for that 14 purpose; and 15 (b) Adopt such rules and policies as he or she deems appropriate 16 to establish the duties and employment rights of the persons 17 employed pursuant to subsection 1. 18 3. The Governor shall appoint a Chief Information Officer of 19 the State who is responsible for: 20 (a) Information technology leadership and accountability; 21 (b) Strategic planning for information technology; 22 (c) Information technology workforce for the State; 23 (d) Budgeting and planning for information technology for the 24 State; 25 (e) Data storage and integrity; 26 (f) Investment management for information technology; 27 (g) Information technology security, cyber security and privacy; 28 and 29 (h) Any other duties or responsibilities prescribed by statute or 30 regulation. 31 4. The Governor shall appoint a Chief Innovation Officer of 32 the State who is responsible for: 33 (a) Providing overall leadership and guidance relating to 34 employee acquisition, career development, succession planning, 35 retention, professional development and training, leadership 36 development, compensation and benefits; 37 (b) Developing human resource plans and strategies 38 prospectively by at least 10 years; 39 (c) Reviewing and monitoring the efficiency of the State 40 Government and providing recommendations on how to reduce 41 costs, improve the delivery of services and ensure the cost- 42 effectiveness of all state governmental programs; 43 – 5 – - *SB82* (d) Evaluating, overseeing and administering the 1 competitiveness, appropriateness and effectiveness of the wages, 2 salaries, benefits and work environment of public employees; 3 (e) Evaluating, overseeing and administering the training and 4 readiness programs for public employees; and 5 (f) Developing comprehensive and strategic recruitment and 6 retention plans to meet the human resource needs of the State. 7 Sec. 10. 1. The Office of Early Childhood Services shall 8 conduct a study concerning early childhood services in this State 9 during the 2025-2026 interim. The study must include, without 10 limitation: 11 (a) Any recommendations for improving early childhood 12 services in this State, including, without limitation, 13 recommendations for creating or expanding early child services; 14 (b) The amount of money the State provides for early childhood 15 services and a description of how such money is used; 16 (c) The amount of federal money that the State receives for early 17 childhood services and a description of how such federal money is 18 used; 19 (d) A description of any opportunity for obtaining additional 20 federal money for early childhood services, including, without 21 limitation, the amount of matching funds that may be required for 22 obtaining additional federal money; and 23 (e) Any recommendation for the development of a 24 comprehensive data system relating to early childhood services in 25 this State. 26 2. In conducting the study required pursuant to subsection 1, 27 the Office may consult with and receive input from state agencies, 28 local governments, nonprofit organizations and stakeholders with 29 expertise in early childhood services. 30 3. On or before January 1, 2027, the Office of Early Childhood 31 Services shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations 32 to the Governor and to the Director of the Legislative Counsel 33 Bureau for transmittal to the 84th Session of the Legislature. 34 Sec. 11. The provisions of subsection 1 of NRS 218D.380 do 35 not apply to any provision of this act which adds or revises a 36 requirement to submit a report to the Legislature. 37 Sec. 12. 1. This section becomes effective upon passage and 38 approval. 39 2. Sections 1 to 9, inclusive, of this act become effective upon 40 passage and approval for the purpose of performing any preparatory 41 administrative tasks that are necessary to carry out the provisions of 42 this act, and on July 1, 2025, for all other purposes, and expire by 43 limitation on June 30, 2027. 44 – 6 – - *SB82* 3. Sections 10 and 11 of this act become effective on July 1, 1 2025. 2 H