SB176 - Revises provisions relating to education. (BDR S-45)

EXEMPT (Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 21, 2025) FIRST REPRINT S.B. 176 - *SB176_R1* SENATE BILL NO. 176–SENATOR DOÑATE PREFILED FEBRUARY 3, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Education SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to education. (BDR S-45) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal Impact. Effect on the State: Yes. CONTAINS UNFUNDED MANDATE (§ 11.3) (NOT REQUESTED BY AFFECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT) ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to education; requiring certain school districts that offer a program of career and technical education for certified nursing assistants to establish a pilot program to cover the costs of examinations for certain pupils enrolled in the program to obtain an industry-recognized credential as a certified nursing assistant; making appropriations; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law requires the board of trustees of a school district in a county 1 whose population is 100,000 or more (currently Clark and Washoe Counties) and 2 authorizes any other board of trustees of a school district to establish a program of 3 career and technical education. (NRS 388.380) Existing law additionally authorizes 4 the State Board of Education to administer career and technical education in this 5 State and establish certain policies governing career and technical education. (NRS 6 388.360) Under existing regulations, the board of trustees of a school district is 7 authorized to offer a program of career and technical education with a course of 8 study designed to allow a pupil to pursue an industry-recognized credential as a 9 certified nursing assistant. (NAC 389.800, 389.803) As part of such a course of 10 study, a pupil enrolled in the program is required to either: (1) take an end-of- 11 program assessment prescribed by the Department of Education to measure the 12 proficiency of the pupil in the course of study; or (2) obtain an industry-recognized 13 credential in the program area. (NAC 389.800, as amended by LCB File No. 14 R019-24) 15 Section 11.3 of this bill requires the boards of trustees of the Clark County 16 School District, Elko County School District, Lyon County School District and 17 White Pine County School District, in coordination with the State Board of 18 Nursing, to establish a pilot program for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years 19 – 2 – - *SB176_R1* to cover the costs for pupils enrolled in a program of career and technical education 20 to be a certified nursing assistant to register for an examination to obtain an 21 industry-recognized credential as a certified nursing assistant. Under the pilot 22 program, a pupil is eligible for the school district to cover the cost of registering for 23 such an examination, in an amount not to exceed $300, if the pupil: (1) completes 24 the final course of instruction in a course of study to be a certified nursing assistant; 25 (2) elects to participate in the pilot program by opting to take an examination to 26 obtain an industry-recognized credential as a certified nursing assistant instead of 27 an end-of-program assessment prescribed by the Department; (3) satisfies all 28 prerequisites to take the examination; and (4) registers for and completes the 29 examination. Section 11.3 requires each school district required to establish the 30 pilot program to coordinate with the State Board of Nursing to: (1) establish a 31 process to allocate and distribute funding to eligible pupils; (2) facilitate the 32 scheduling and administration of examinations at sites approved by the State Board 33 of Nursing; (3) inform pupils concerning eligibility for the pilot program; (4) 34 monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot program to ensure 35 equitable access to opportunities for certification as a certified nursing assistant for 36 all pupils; and (5) track and compile certain information concerning the pilot 37 program. Section 11.7 appropriates money to the Department of Education for 38 distribution to the school districts required to establish the pilot program for the 39 purpose of covering the costs for eligible pupils to take the examination for an 40 industry-recognized credential as a certified nursing assistant. 41 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. (Deleted by amendment.) 1 Sec. 2. (Deleted by amendment.) 2 Sec. 3. (Deleted by amendment.) 3 Sec. 4. (Deleted by amendment.) 4 Sec. 5. (Deleted by amendment.) 5 Sec. 6. (Deleted by amendment.) 6 Sec. 7. (Deleted by amendment.) 7 Sec. 8. (Deleted by amendment.) 8 Sec. 9. (Deleted by amendment.) 9 Sec. 10. (Deleted by amendment.) 10 Sec. 11. (Deleted by amendment.) 11 Sec. 11.3. 1. The boards of trustees of the Clark County 12 School District, the Elko County School District, the Lyon County 13 School District and the White Pine County School District shall, in 14 coordination with the State Board of Nursing, establish and carry 15 out a pilot program during the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school 16 years to cover the costs of registering for examinations to obtain an 17 industry-recognized credential for pupils enrolled in a program of 18 career and technical education with a course of study designed to 19 allow the pupil to obtain an industry-recognized credential as a 20 certified nursing assistant. 21 – 3 – - *SB176_R1* 2. Pursuant to a pilot program established pursuant this section, 1 the Clark County School District, Elko County School District, 2 Lyon County School District and White Pine County School 3 District, as applicable, shall cover the cost for a pupil enrolled in the 4 school district to register for an examination to obtain an industry- 5 recognized credential, in an amount not to exceed $300 per pupil, if 6 the pupil: 7 (a) Is enrolled in a program of career and technical education 8 with a course of study designed to allow the pupil to obtain an 9 industry-recognized credential as a certified nursing assistant and 10 completes the final course of instruction for that particular course of 11 study; 12 (b) Elects to participate in the pilot program by opting to take an 13 examination to obtain an industry-recognized credential as a 14 certified nursing assistant in lieu of taking an end-of-program 15 assessment prescribed by the Department of Education for the 16 course of study; 17 (c) Satisfies all prerequisites to take the examination to obtain an 18 industry-recognized credential as a certified nursing assistant that 19 are established by the entity administering the examination; and 20 (d) Registers for and completes the examination to obtain an 21 industry-recognized credential as a certified nursing assistant. 22 3. A pupil who elects to participate in the pilot program 23 established pursuant to this section by opting to take an examination 24 to obtain an industry-recognized credential as a certified nursing 25 assistant in lieu of taking an end-of-program assessment prescribed 26 by the Department for the course of study and who obtains such an 27 industry-recognized credential must not be required to take an end- 28 of-program assessment prescribed by the Department in order to 29 obtain a certificate indicating completion of the program of career 30 and technical education. 31 4. The Clark County School District, Elko County School 32 District, Lyon County School District and White Pine County 33 School District shall coordinate with the State Board of Nursing and 34 any other relevant licensing or certification entity to: 35 (a) Establish a process for allocating and distributing funding 36 pursuant to subsection 2; 37 (b) Facilitate the scheduling and administration of examinations 38 described in subsection 2 at testing sites approved by the State 39 Board of Nursing; 40 (c) Inform pupils concerning eligibility to participate in the pilot 41 program established pursuant to this section; 42 (d) Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot 43 program established pursuant to this section to ensure equitable 44 – 4 – - *SB176_R1* access to opportunities to obtain an industry-recognized credential 1 as a certified nursing assistant through the pilot program; and 2 (e) Track and compile information concerning the number of 3 pupils who: 4 (1) Elect to participate in the pilot program by opting to take 5 an examination to obtain an industry-recognized credential as a 6 certified nursing assistant in lieu of taking an end-of-program 7 assessment prescribed by the Department for the course of study; 8 and 9 (2) Obtain such an industry-recognized credential through 10 participation in the pilot program. 11 Sec. 11.7. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the State 12 General Fund to the Department of Education the sum of $148,800 13 for the purpose of making distributions to the Clark County School 14 District, Elko County School District, Lyon County School District 15 and White Pine County School District to enable those school 16 districts to carry out the provisions of section 11.3 of this act. The 17 Department shall distribute the money appropriated pursuant to this 18 subsection as follows: 19 (a) To the Clark County School District, $60,000 for the 2026- 20 2027 school year and $60,000 for the 2027-2028 school year. 21 (b) To the Elko County School District, $3,000 for the 2026- 22 2027 school year and $3,000 for the 2027-2028 school year. 23 (c) To the Lyon County School District, $9,000 for the 2026- 24 2027 school year and $9,000 for the 2027-2028 school year. 25 (d) To the White Pine County School District, $2,400 for the 26 2026-2027 school year and $2,400 for the 2027-2028 school year. 27 2. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by 28 subsection 1 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 29 2028, by the entity to which the appropriation is made or any entity 30 to which money from the appropriation is granted or otherwise 31 transferred in any manner, and any portion of the appropriated 32 money remaining must not be spent for any purpose after 33 September 22, 2028, by either the entity to which the money was 34 appropriated or the entity to which the money was subsequently 35 granted or transferred, and must be reverted to the State General 36 Fund on or before September 22, 2028. 37 Sec. 12. (Deleted by amendment.) 38 Sec. 13. (Deleted by amendment.) 39 Sec. 14. (Deleted by amendment.) 40 Sec. 15. 1. This section becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 41 2. Sections 1 to 14, inclusive, of this act become effective: 42 (a) On July 1, 2025, for the purpose of adopting any regulations 43 and performing any other preparatory administrative tasks that are 44 necessary to carry out the provisions of this act; and 45 – 5 – - *SB176_R1* (b) On January 1, 2026, for all other purposes. 1 H