SB307 - Revises provisions relating to the Office of Minority Health and Equity of the Department of Health and Human Services. (BDR 18-510)

S.B. 307 - *SB307* SENATE BILL NO. 307–COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND LABOR (ON BEHALF OF THE JOINT INTERIM STANDING COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND LABOR) MARCH 10, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to the Office of Minority Health and Equity of the Department of Health and Human Services. (BDR 18-510) 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 health and human services; requiring the Office of Minority Health and Equity of the Department of Health and Human Services to analyze and identify gaps in health and human services delivered to minority groups in this State; requiring governmental agencies that receive information related to a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression to annually submit a summary of the information to the Office of Minority Health and Equity; requiring the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department to annually submit various reports to the Office of Minority Health and Equity; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law creates the Office of Minority Health and Equity of the 1 Department of Health and Human Services and sets forth its duties, which include 2 taking certain actions relating to improving health care services to members of 3 minority groups and other underserved communities in this State. (NRS 232.475) 4 Section 1 of this bill additionally requires the Office of Minority Health and Equity 5 to analyze and identify gaps in health and human services delivered to members of 6 minority groups in this State. 7 Existing law requires a government agency that receives information related to 8 a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression to submit a summary 9 – 2 – - *SB307* of the information, reported in the aggregate, to the Director of the Legislative 10 Counsel Bureau for transmittal to either the Legislature or the Legislative 11 Commission. (NRS 239B.026) Section 2 of this bill requires a government agency 12 that receives information related to a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity 13 or expression to also submit a summary of the information, reported in the 14 aggregate, to the Office of Minority Health and Equity. 15 Existing law requires the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the 16 Department of Health and Human Services to annually compile various reports on 17 items relating to money allocated, services provided, numbers of persons served 18 and community-based organizations collaborated with in regards to addressing: (1) 19 disparities in behavioral health care and outcomes; (2) disparities in health care and 20 health outcomes based on certain categories of persons; and (3) race-based health 21 disparities relating to kidney disease and submit these reports to the Director of the 22 Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmittal to either the Legislature or the 23 Legislative Commission. (NRS 433.359, 439.259, 439.261) Sections 3-5 of this bill 24 require the Division of Public and Behavioral Health to also annually submit these 25 reports to the Office of Minority Health and Equity. 26 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. NRS 232.475 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1 232.475 1. In accomplishing its purposes, the Office shall: 2 (a) Provide a central source of information for the use of the 3 public concerning health care services for members of minority 4 groups and health care issues of interest to those members; 5 (b) Identify and use any available resources for the improvement 6 of the quality of health care services for members of minority 7 groups and for increased access to health care services for those 8 members; 9 (c) Develop and coordinate plans and programs to improve the 10 quality of health care services for members of minority groups and 11 to increase access to health care services for those members, 12 including, without limitation, plans and programs that primarily 13 serve local communities; 14 (d) Research and make recommendations to the Public Health 15 Resource Officer appointed pursuant to NRS 223.950 concerning 16 strategies to address disparate health outcomes in: 17 (1) Communities of Black persons, Indigenous persons and 18 persons of color resulting from systemic racism and structures of 19 racial discrimination; and 20 (2) Rural communities and other underserved communities; 21 (e) Hold conferences and provide training concerning cultural 22 diversity in the workplace for public and private entities that offer 23 services in the field of health care, including, without limitation, 24 providing recommendations and opportunities for training for such 25 – 3 – - *SB307* public and private entities to improve recruitment of members of 1 minority groups; 2 (f) Whenever possible, incorporate the use of bilingual 3 communication in its programs and activities; 4 (g) Identify and analyze gaps in health and human services 5 delivered to members of minority groups in this State; 6 (h) Publicize health care issues of interest to members of 7 minority groups; and 8 [(h)] (i) Develop and carry out such other programs and 9 activities as the Office deems appropriate. 10 2. In carrying out the duties set forth in subsection 1, the Office 11 may seek assistance from and cooperate with a public or private 12 entity. 13 Sec. 2. NRS 239B.026 is hereby amended to read as follows: 14 239B.026 1. A governmental agency that requests from a 15 person information related to the person’s race or ethnicity shall also 16 request information related to the person’s sexual orientation and 17 gender identity or expression. Except as otherwise provided in this 18 section, all information related to a person’s sexual orientation or 19 gender identity or expression that is received by a governmental 20 agency is confidential. 21 2. No person shall be: 22 (a) Required to provide to a governmental agency any 23 information related to the person’s sexual orientation or gender 24 identity or expression; or 25 (b) Denied services or assistance from a governmental agency 26 for failure to provide to the governmental agency any information 27 related to the person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or 28 expression. 29 3. A governmental agency that receives information related to 30 a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression may 31 only use such information for carrying out the duties of the 32 governmental agency, demographic analysis, coordination of care 33 and services, improvement of care and services, conducting 34 research, fulfilling a reporting requirement pursuant to federal or 35 state law or informing policy or funding decisions. 36 4. On or before December 31 of each year, a governmental 37 agency shall submit [to the Director of the Legislative Counsel 38 Bureau for transmittal to the Legislature or, if the Legislature is not 39 in session, to the Legislative Commission,] a summary of the 40 information received by the governmental agency related to sexual 41 orientation or gender identity or expression, including, without 42 limitation, the number of people who identify as lesbian, gay, 43 bisexual or transgender, according to race and gender [.] , to: 44 – 4 – - *SB307* (a) The Office of Minority Health and Equity of the 1 Department of Health and Human Services; and 2 (b) The Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for 3 transmittal to the Legislature or, if the Legislature is not in 4 session, to the Legislative Commission. 5 5. All information submitted pursuant to subsection 4 must be 6 reported in the aggregate and must not include any personally 7 identifiable information. 8 Sec. 3. NRS 433.359 is hereby amended to read as follows: 9 433.359 1. The Division may apply for grants available from 10 the Federal Government and other sources which have the express 11 purpose of addressing disparities in behavioral health care and 12 behavioral health outcomes based on race, color, ancestry, national 13 origin, disability, familial status, sex, sexual orientation, gender 14 identity or expression, immigration status, primary language or 15 income level. 16 2. To the extent authorized by the terms of a grant obtained 17 pursuant to subsection 1, the Division may: 18 (a) Use a competitive process to select and award a grant of 19 money to a nonprofit organization to serve as a lead partner to 20 ensure that services supported by a grant obtained pursuant to 21 subsection 1 are funded and allocated in an equitable manner. The 22 lead partner must: 23 (1) Be based in the community to which the services are to 24 be provided; and 25 (2) Have demonstrated experience serving that community. 26 (b) Establish and consult with an advisory committee to ensure 27 that services supported by a grant obtained pursuant to subsection 1 28 are provided in a culturally competent manner. The advisory 29 committee must be composed of representatives of nonprofit 30 organizations that have demonstrated experience serving the 31 community to which the services are to be provided. 32 3. On or before February 1 of each year, the Department shall: 33 (a) Compile a report that includes, without limitation: 34 (1) The amount of money allocated by the Department 35 during the immediately preceding calendar year to support the 36 provision of behavioral health services or other services to promote 37 emotional well-being in communities with higher risk of behavioral 38 health problems, decreased access to or usage of behavioral health 39 services or worse behavioral health outcomes or emotional well- 40 being than the general population based on race, color, ancestry, 41 national origin, disability, familial status, sex, sexual orientation, 42 gender identity or expression, immigration status, primary language 43 or income level; 44 – 5 – - *SB307* (2) A description of the services described in subparagraph 1 (1) that were provided during the immediately preceding calendar 2 year and the efforts made by the Department during the immediately 3 preceding calendar year to locate persons in need of such services 4 and provide such services to those persons; 5 (3) The number of persons who received the services 6 described in subparagraph (1) and, to the extent available, 7 information regarding the income level, age, race and ethnicity of 8 those persons; and 9 (4) Any community-based organizations with which the 10 Department collaborated to provide those services; [and] 11 (b) Submit the report to the Director of the Legislative Counsel 12 Bureau for transmittal to: 13 (1) In even-numbered years, the Legislative Commission and 14 the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Health and Human 15 Services; and 16 (2) In odd-numbered years, the next regular session of the 17 Legislature [.] ; and 18 (c) Submit the report to the Office of Minority Health and 19 Equity of the Department. 20 Sec. 4. NRS 439.259 is hereby amended to read as follows: 21 439.259 1. The Division may apply for grants available from 22 the Federal Government and other sources which have the express 23 purpose of addressing disparities in health care and health outcomes 24 based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, disability, familial 25 status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, 26 immigration status, primary language or income level. 27 2. To the extent authorized by the terms of a grant obtained 28 pursuant to subsection 1, the Division may: 29 (a) Use a competitive process to select and award a grant of 30 money to a nonprofit organization to serve as a lead partner to 31 ensure that health care services supported by a grant obtained 32 pursuant to subsection 1 are funded and allocated in an equitable 33 manner. The lead partner must: 34 (1) Be based in the community to which the health care 35 services are to be provided; and 36 (2) Have demonstrated experience serving that community. 37 (b) Establish and consult with an advisory committee to ensure 38 that health care services supported by a grant obtained pursuant to 39 subsection 1 are provided in a culturally competent manner. The 40 advisory committee must be composed of representatives of 41 nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated experience serving 42 the community to which the health care services are to be provided. 43 3. On or before February 1 of each year, the Department shall: 44 (a) Compile a report that includes, without limitation: 45 – 6 – - *SB307* (1) The amount of money allocated by the Department 1 during the immediately preceding calendar year to support the 2 provision of health care services or other services to promote 3 physical well-being in communities with higher risk of health 4 problems, decreased access to or usage of health care services or 5 worse health outcomes or physical well-being than the general 6 population based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, disability, 7 familial status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, 8 immigration status, primary language or income level; 9 (2) A description of the services described in subparagraph 10 (1) that were provided during the immediately preceding calendar 11 year and the efforts made by the Department during the immediately 12 preceding calendar year to locate persons in need of such services 13 and provide such services to those persons; 14 (3) The number of persons who received the services 15 described in subparagraph (1) and, to the extent available, 16 information regarding the income level, age, race and ethnicity of 17 those persons; and 18 (4) Any community-based organizations with which the 19 Department collaborated to provide those services; [and] 20 (b) Submit the report to the Director of the Legislative Counsel 21 Bureau for transmittal to: 22 (1) In even-numbered years, the Legislative Commission and 23 the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Health and Human 24 Services; and 25 (2) In odd-numbered years, the next regular session of the 26 Legislature [.] ; and 27 (c) [Text truncated for display. 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