SB247 - Provides for health notes to be requested and prepared for certain legislative measures by the Research Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau. (BDR 17-512)

S.B. 247 - *SB247* SENATE BILL NO. 247–COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE OPERATIONS AND ELECTIONS (ON BEHALF OF THE JOINT INTERIM STANDING COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND LABOR) FEBRUARY 26, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections SUMMARY—Provides for health notes to be requested and prepared for certain legislative measures by the Research Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau. (BDR 17-512) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal Impact. Effect on the State: Yes. CONTAINS UNFUNDED MANDATE (§ 6) (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 governmental administration; requiring, under certain circumstances, the Research Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau to prepare health notes for bills and joint resolutions; requiring that certain governmental entities and officers provide the Research Division with assistance in preparing health notes; providing that information obtained by the Research Division relating to the preparation of health notes is confidential and privileged and is not subject to discovery or subpoena; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law requires the Research Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau 1 to provide the Legislature and its members and committees with research, 2 information and assistance concerning public policy. (NRS 218F.810) Section 5 of 3 this bill requires the Research Division, upon the request of any legislator, to 4 prepare a health note for a bill or joint resolution that determines whether the bill or 5 joint resolution is likely to disproportionately impact the social determinants of 6 – 2 – - *SB247* health of: (1) members of any racial or ethnic minority; (2) members of a low- 7 income or underserved community; (3) senior citizens; or (4) children. Sections 3 8 and 4 of this bill, respectively, define the terms “health note” and “social 9 determinants of health.” Section 2 of this bill applies these definitions to the 10 provisions of sections 5 and 6 of this bill. 11 Section 6 requires each agency, board, commission, department, officer, 12 employee or agent of this State or a local government to provide the Research 13 Division such assistance as is necessary for the Research Division to prepare a 14 health note. Section 7 of this bill provides that any information obtained by the 15 Research Division for the preparation of a health note is confidential and privileged 16 and is not subject to discovery or subpoena. 17 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Chapter 218D of NRS is hereby amended by 1 adding thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 to 6, inclusive, 2 of this act. 3 Sec. 2. As used in sections 2 to 6, inclusive, of this act, unless 4 the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in 5 sections 3 and 4 of this act have the meanings ascribed to them in 6 those sections. 7 Sec. 3. “Health note” means a nonpartisan policy brief 8 prepared by the Research Division that analyzes how a bill or joint 9 resolution may impact the social determinants of health. 10 Sec. 4. “Social determinants of health” means the 11 nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes, including, 12 without limitation, education, environment, employment, housing, 13 food security and access to health care. 14 Sec. 5. 1. After a bill or joint resolution is prefiled or 15 introduced, any legislator may request that the Research Division 16 prepare a health note for the bill or joint resolution that 17 determines whether the bill or joint resolution is likely to 18 disproportionately impact the social determinants of health of any 19 of the following persons in this State: 20 (a) Members of any racial or ethnic minority; 21 (b) Members of a low-income or underserved community; 22 (c) Senior citizens; or 23 (d) Children. 24 2. Upon receipt of a request pursuant to subsection 1, the 25 Research Division shall prepare a health note for the bill or joint 26 resolution. A health note shall not contain any information that is 27 confidential pursuant to federal or state law. 28 3. Any health note prepared by the Research Division 29 pursuant to this section shall be posted on the Internet website of 30 the Legislature. 31 – 3 – - *SB247* 4. Nothing in this section prohibits the Legislature or a 1 committee thereof from taking action on a bill or joint resolution 2 before the Research Division completes a health note for a bill or 3 joint resolution. 4 Sec. 6. Every agency, board, commission, department, 5 officer, employee or agent of this State or a political subdivision of 6 this State shall provide the Research Division such assistance as is 7 necessary for the Research Division to prepare a health note 8 required pursuant to section 5 of this act. 9 Sec. 7. NRS 218F.150 is hereby amended to read as follows: 10 218F.150 1. The Director and other officers and employees 11 of the Legislative Counsel Bureau shall not: 12 (a) Oppose or urge legislation, except as the duties of the 13 Director, the Legislative Auditor, the Legislative Counsel, the 14 General Counsel, the Research Director and the Fiscal Analysts 15 require them to make recommendations to the Legislature. 16 (b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, NRS 218D.130, 17 218D.135, 218D.250 and 353.211, disclose to any person outside 18 the Legislative Counsel Bureau the nature or content of any matter 19 entrusted to the Legislative Counsel Bureau, and such matter is 20 confidential and privileged and is not subject to discovery or 21 subpoena, unless the person entrusting the matter to the Legislative 22 Counsel Bureau requests or consents to the disclosure. 23 2. [The] Except as otherwise provided in this section, the 24 nature or content of any work produced by the officers and 25 employees of the Research Division may be disclosed if or to the 26 extent that the disclosure does not reveal the identity of the person 27 who requested it or include any matter submitted by the requester 28 which has not been published or publicly disclosed. Any 29 information obtained by the Research Division for purposes of 30 preparing a health note pursuant to section 5 of this act is 31 confidential and privileged and is not subject to discovery or 32 subpoena. 33 3. The nature and content of any work produced by the officers 34 and employees of the Legal Division and the Fiscal Analysis 35 Division and any matter entrusted to those officers and employees to 36 produce such work are confidential and privileged and are not 37 subject to discovery or subpoena. 38 4. The provisions of subsections 1, 2 and 3 apply to any matter 39 or work in any form, including, without limitation, in any oral, 40 written, audio, visual, digital or electronic form, and such matter or 41 work includes, without limitation, any communications, 42 information, answers, advice, opinions, recommendations, drafts, 43 documents, records, questions, inquiries or requests in any such 44 form. 45 – 4 – - *SB247* 5. When a statute has been enacted or a resolution adopted, the 1 Legislative Counsel shall upon request disclose to any person the 2 state or other jurisdiction from whose law it appears to have been 3 adopted. 4 6. The records of the travel expenses of Legislators and officers 5 and employees of the Legislature and the Legislative Counsel 6 Bureau are available for public inspection at such reasonable hours 7 and under such other conditions as the Legislative Commission 8 prescribes. 9 Sec. 8. The provisions of NRS 354.599 do not apply to any 10 additional expenses of a local government that are related to the 11 provisions of this act. 12 H