Bill to form mental health district revised to study issue

A bill that would allow two or more of Nevada's smaller counties to band together to form a health district survived the Senate a meer ghost of itself.

Senate Bill 278 would have allowed counties with fewer than 100,000 people to form a health district and establish a tax to support it. Until its revsion the bill would allow two or more counties could join forces to spread out the costs.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, who also represents Douglas and parts of other rural counties.

The state provides health department services to all counties except Clark and Washoe. That means when the state makes budget cuts, health services to rural counties are often cut as well. A proposal to close several rural mental health clinics in the state and fire all but one psychologist is an example.

According to lobbyist Mary Walker, smaller counties who formed health districts could provide services that rely on state funding without worrying about the state budget.

In its original form, the district would be supported by a sales tax of not more than a quarter of a percent and raise property tax by 15 cents per $100 assessed valuation.

During a Feb. 19 presentation to commissioners, Walker said no services could be transferred from the state to the counties without approval of the governor and the district board of health, which would also be formed.

Dr. Luana Ritch of the Nevada State Health Division/Health and Human Services, told commissioners that the majority of health services are funded with federal dollars and not state dollars. Shares of those federal dollars are apportioned to the local health districts through sub-granting, she said.

Both Carson City supervisors and Douglas County commissioners endorsed the original proposal, but senators revised the bill substantially, removing any of the provisions. The bill now calls for the Legislative Committe on Health Care to study the issue. The rewritten bill was passed by the senate on April 17 and is now in the Assembly, where it was referred to the committee on health and human services on Monday.