[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6653009,"mediaKeyId","2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666","parentId",2486872,"title","Public commenters urge focus on rural treatment access and outreach to people with disabilities","audioSeconds",228,"startMs",9165000,"endMs",9393000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666&start=9165&end=9393","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666/thumbnail_9165000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6653009/Nevada/Public-commenters-urge-focus-on-rural-treatment-access-and-outreach-to-people-with-disabilities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653009-f37badebb9f912989ab0431fb5de5799/orig.mp4?Expires=1775350867&Signature=SsI~M8gb-u5PLaeViAvm5-QLz99lcCtF9N5Mae15kGfH93XlReSXh3MAyczZ1FQUVc5o4k1RsQYpUvUQW7Sy72fEcrVqE2dgFsmvxrRqosKVAuMMfenXh7g0TiBRLABl42oBhnZgjFnuv5ox2ITrx6cmkQl1fnZMJD5QZ2CN4siTar8R6etvZSebdHUwzCKZ7UYR8-xDCi54qPak2-gm8GV~ORiYmdEGFqjI4jfmTVVPQP~fbFW97-mzuTEaRvunCiYWDKs3O6-nHw8exy2U7eHrMz~2CXmWNWUfJMgVmDkMhW6gk12OYe-1~eNwem5IP0LD~-tGi2rXOKlKW7qtcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nevada State Legislature","date","2025-03-04T18:22:52.337Z","article","Two members of the public addressed the subcommittee during the meeting’s public-comment period, urging continued funding and attention to treatment access and service capacity.

Alan Feldman, director of strategic initiatives at UNLV’s International Gaming Institute and chair of the governor’s advisory committee on problem gambling, updated the subcommittee on activities funded last year for problem-gambling awareness. Feldman said the committee held meetings in Reno, Elko and Las Vegas, engaged a range of stakeholders — including treatment providers and people with lived experience — and that treatment volume has increased by 19 percent. He told legislators that the system needs more workforce capacity in rural communities and Spanish-language treatment resources. “The number of people who are going for treatment is up 19 percent,” he said, and he noted rural workforce and language gaps in treatment supply.

Dora Martinez, representing the Nevada Disability Action Coalition, said her advocacy had led to a reopened vocational-rehabilitation case and praised Assemblymember Brown-May and DETR staff for responsive follow-up. Martinez said many students and people with disabilities do not know VR services are available beginning at age 14 and urged the agency to expand outreach and culturally appropriate services. Martinez said in part that she has seen improved email responsiveness after copying legislative staff on correspondence.

Ending: Both commenters urged continued attention to workforce capacity and outreach so that increased demand for treatment and vocational services can be met across Nevada, including in rural areas and for non-English-speaking residents.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","3/4/2025 - Assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance Subcommittee on Human Services","oneSentenceSummary","Speakers during public comment highlighted problem gambling awareness efforts funded last year and urged more workforce and Spanish-language treatment capacity; disability advocates reported improved responsiveness from vocational rehabilitation after outreach to legislators.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature NV, Nevada","taxId",78440,"location","Nevada","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6653014,"Nevada’s Employment Security Division defends UI modernization, ID verification and fraud prevention spending",3765,5377000,9142000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666&start=5377&end=9142","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666/thumbnail_5377000.jpg","/articles/6653014/Nevada/Nevadas-Employment-Security-Division-defends-UI-modernization-ID-verification-and-fraud-prevention-spending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653014-bfce47335b8bfc77881f43903a408a2d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775350867&Signature=T~dgI~LF9bmZRAFvX2voLdW0Wmtj0GyTRSykOURnh4W~nfk4Q5TL1N6dC~0uuuqc~9j91hxq8To6TnNRgpWAuI6mtwuYn6LMChF~OJsaCifoyAJw~G~RLbDI7raFrifI6ILTiAns6N9ukGBXhBwKPeiqFlQXYJ-kmvIueqkxGJynBMX5ruZ~nqUXIV914ZgM81u4ijy-A8u~-KOvKKSkS38eB9Di4CTwiE4CfjQpRDANjs8yAdeKn199WgW32v37gRZqMla8zJZ21VJ5Kp9nX06JnRuogXoEkz6q4JF-YqauDPug6r1JlFDo6bV5pMyNZA0-LhYkkbip7P2l9LQyjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nevada’s Employment Security Division (ESD) presented multiple, interconnected budget items and operational updates to the Joint Subcommittee on Human Services, defending a long-running unemployment insurance (UI) modernization contract, explaining identity-verification investments, and asking to convert dozens of intermittent staff to permanent positions at local career hubs.

What agencies presented. DETR and ESD officials described a roughly $72 million, 10-year UI modernization contract that they say remains on budget and on schedule. They told the committee that approximately $54 million of the contract was tied to ARPA funding and that about $33 million of that ARPA allocation had been expended to date. Officials said rollout of the benefits side (phase 2) of the modernization is targeted for a summer go-live window and that the department plans a demonstration for legislators before launch.

Identity verification and fraud prevention. ESD described ID.me virtual identity-proofing and ID.me kiosks deployed in 46 statewide career hubs to reduce identity fraud. Officials said the ID.me approach is both a frontline defense (virtual identity proofing for online claims) and an in-person option for rural clients. Deputy director Troy Jordan and others said DETR is coordinating with federal and local law enforcement, the attorney general’s office and other partners to pursue pandemic-era fraud and other fraudulent claims. Staff described pandemic-era identity fraud as substantial and said recovery and investigative efforts are ongoing.

Funding shifts and ongoing costs. Agency leaders asked to shift certain positions and expense authority to special funds (penalties and interest), arguing that the federal administrative grant for UI fluctuates and historically has not covered administrative costs. One enhancement (E125) would transfer special fund dollars into the UI account — about $6.5 million over the biennium, according to the department — to fill an administrative shortfall. Department officials said their plan for ongoing maintenance costs of the modernized system (estimated at $4–5 million annually after implementation) includes using penalties-and-interest revenue to support recurring costs rather than relying entirely on federal administrative grants.

Workforce and hub staffing. The Employment Security Division requested conversion of long-standing intermittent positions used at statewide “employNV” career hubs to permanent status (E310). Officials said 31 intermittent PCNs have served in expanded hub operations and that the conversion would secure permanent status for staff who have provided long-term services statewide, plus three new permanent FTEs to support hub expansion. The department also proposed hub expansions in growing communities such as Fernley and a relocation/expansion in Elko to better accommodate workforce partners and growing employer needs.

Contract and project status. Agency leaders told legislators that the tax-side rollout of the new system had proceeded successfully and that the benefits rollout (phase 2) is moving toward a summer target. ESD officials said the vendor implementation is on schedule, with a planned member demonstration before going live. They reported an anticipated annual platform maintenance cost for one new system at about $32,000 (for the BEN platform discussed earlier) and that the UI modernization’s ongoing support cost would be materially higher — in the low millions annually — and planned to be funded by program revenues and penalties/interest.

Lawmakers’ concerns and agency responses. Committee members asked how long ARPA integrity and other federal carve-out funds would remain available and whether alternative federal grants had been sought; officials said they had not applied for new Department of Labor modernization grants but did plan to use remaining CARES Act/ARPA carve-outs and penalties-and-interest to meet near-term obligations. Senator Dondero Loop and others pressed for clarity, and agency officials said they are working with the Governor’s Finance Office and LCB analysts on budget amendments and technical adjustments.

Fraud investigations and coordination. Deputy director Jordan said the department is “actively working on that every day” with federal partners including the FBI and local prosecutors to recover pandemic-era fraud. The department signaled that additional detection tools and staff resources are part of its strategy to reduce fraud when the new benefits system goes live.

Ending: Department leaders asked the subcommittee to approve the requested reclassifications and transfers to ensure continuity of customer service and to support fraud-prevention, identity verification and hub services while continuing to report back on contract costs and project milestones.","State employment officials told lawmakers their $72 million modernization contract and ID.me-based identity verification efforts are on track; leaders proposed using penalties-and-interest funds to cover ongoing administration shortfalls and described expanding permanent staffing at local career hubs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6653019,"Blind services and blind-enterprise program ask for staff and new platform to support operators",401,4494000,4895000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666&start=4494&end=4895","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666/thumbnail_4494000.jpg","/articles/6653019/Nevada/Blind-services-and-blind-enterprise-program-ask-for-staff-and-new-platform-to-support-operators","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653019-847df0275bc6ae19aa0a71815eb1a52c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775350867&Signature=hQLXCbKniPcFEPIPm4w2g58WSfuIBqfxTZAODmwe2gXl023WTWVToEyhK8welvYYa0XA467QFkg-fiL9pZGCuOIe7IWxRJO1Ke1NUT2SO~6KMgeLSLBdNogkTAydKDOaZkZQRic05dyVu9Cw~QKc0mz6rh3MMX4IrVhAZseh3yfbVX8bUdaHWcYMAhhSIll45w9CTSxk8Tcu1GpKtCG~ZXZu9CK3-rG0GlncjBMApmm1exH5pKVtIdaeAYQHpiKqrzwHeegZ-aun3~q3C28Py0rowTqK-xInIYXvS78WjmkcOHRyr~on7VGHNj2Pw84JeysoUyBM6p5gai1bcG5x-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Officials for Nevada's Bureau of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired (BSBVI) and the Blind Business Enterprise in Nevada (BEN) presented separate but related budget requests asking for staff and technology to support growing caseloads and operator sites.

BSBVI: The bureau asked for three new positions in enhancement unit E301 — a rehabilitation manager, a vocational rehabilitation counselor and a rehabilitation technician — to respond to an increased number of applicants and rising caseloads. Presenters said BSBVI's total biennial request was roughly $10 million, with about 82% federal funds and 18% state appropriations. BSBVI also requested additional client service expenditure authority (E324) to meet increasing demand; the bureau reported that client service authority had more than doubled since 2021 and that a budget amendment to GFO is expected to reduce the general fund request by roughly $67,000 in year one and $71,000 in year two.

BEN: The Blind Business Enterprise program, which operates vending, cafeterias and retail locations in public facilities, requested one maintenance repair specialist (E300) to reduce reliance on outside vendors and speed on-site repairs. BEN also requested an online platform (E551) — presented as a roughly $255,000 biennium request — to post available sites, accept and review applications, collect financial reports, generate invoices and create and manage work orders. Agency staff said operators would benefit by being able to upload documents, submit applications and track work orders through the system. The program estimated ongoing annual maintenance for the platform would be about $32,000 after an initial implementation expense.

Why it matters: BSBVI serves people who are blind, deafblind or severely visually impaired and operates training and business licensing programs under the Randolph-Shepherd Act; BEN places trained operators at priority sites in public buildings. Officials said demand and spending for client services have grown significantly and that internal efficiencies through staff and systems will improve responsiveness.

Lawmakers’ questions focused on maintenance impacts at key sites (for example, repair needs at Hoover Dam locations), whether operations have required occasional site closures, and the efficiency gains expected from a centralized case-management and operator platform. Agency witnesses said closures are infrequent but that responsiveness and repair times have been an issue at some high-traffic sites, and that in-house maintenance would reduce vendor response delays.

Ending: Lawmakers were shown cost and workload projections and asked to weigh the benefits of in-house repair capability and a vendor-facing platform against the requested biennial costs. Agency representatives said the platform and maintenance position would improve service levels for operators and customers and would reduce contract spending over time.","The Bureau of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired requested additional positions and expanded client-service authority; the Blind Business Enterprise program sought a maintenance specialist and a new online platform for operators and site management.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6653023,"Vocational rehabilitation seeks staff, client-service authority and new payment card to meet surging demand",1339,2884000,4223000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666&start=2884&end=4223","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666/thumbnail_2884000.jpg","/articles/6653023/Nevada/Vocational-rehabilitation-seeks-staff-client-service-authority-and-new-payment-card-to-meet-surging-demand","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653023-6b409dccb4261d9ed4627afc25a0b497/orig.mp4?Expires=1775350867&Signature=eImkTbrmXg84Rj1ouKAFlhe7RlhCoTbENcJbUk3OxNoBPwEuu0Rk7kCxGa~3CFkNJx5pfcfjU9Us23EGcDWWzhitaEarU9bmw007jlnujOFhZ6bPnfdUWTY2~YZhAkHZwLTuF0wxRfpf4HkP~Vs6jqlUf8TpRFMcJRI-jgD~iS18KSRPfQATC4E2UTWlVHmJ5GRqD5yOxl7CMaxohjsbkPrromomyA4duRwY2R-H5lTi9gPU7lgBVvvSIuLyi7k4Qz4jV0G9SCSoNTVRwe35wmCK87U7jHKsYR8LOgYu7dXerpquaY5c96nRMCP7GIhr1TmKnHE1Nz3uRa25nQvQXA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation told Nevada lawmakers that demand for services has risen sharply and requested new staff and expanded client-service authority — including a new client payment card system — to speed service delivery to students and adults with disabilities.

Presenters said the combined BVR and Blind Services programs rely primarily on federal grants and that the major federal award (federal section 110, the general VR grant) requires a state match. BVR's total biennial request was presented at roughly $76 million, with about 80% federal funding, 18% state appropriations and 2% other funds.

Why it matters: BVR provides employment-focused services to eligible individuals with disabilities, including counseling, training and transition services for students. Committee members were shown internal workload data: applications have increased, the number of open cases has grown and average caseloads per counselor have risen above the bureau's target.

Key requests and rationale. Decision unit E303 requests 10 new positions — one bureau chief, a supervisor, six vocational rehabilitation counselors, a program officer and one rehabilitation technician — with an approximate biennium cost of $3.2 million (about $777,000 funded with state appropriations). Officials said applications rose from 428 in one quarter in fiscal 2021 to 1,025 in the most recent quarter (a roughly 40% increase), and that open cases increased from about 3,200 in fiscal 2021 to over 5,200. The bureau said the current counselor caseload average is 102 and could rise to 120-plus without additional staff; staff and presenters described an “ideal” caseload around 75 to 85 clients per counselor to allow quality work and sustained client relationships.

Pre-employment transition services and client-service authority. BVR said it has seen large increases in non-pre-ETS client service expenditures since 2021 and obtained additional client-service authority through the Interagency Fiscal Committee (IFC) last December. Decision unit E226 asked for an expansion of pre-ETS (pre-employment transition services) authority; the bureau noted federal rules require reserving at least 15% of the section 110 grant for pre-ETS.

Client payment card program. The bureau and the Employment Security Division described a new client payment card program (E551) to replace a paper-authorization and check-based system. Agency witnesses said the new electronic card would allow funds to be loaded almost instantly, enable purchases at any vendor that accepts credit cards, preserve client confidentiality by removing program-identifying paper authorizations, and reduce delays in service delivery. The agencies said that ESD has agreed to transfer SEP (career enhancement program) funds and that the total transfer discussed was $800,000, of which approximately $180,000 would support the client payment card implementation and $620,000 would be available as the match to generate additional federal section 110 grant funds.

Budget adjustments and risk. Presenters also told lawmakers there is concern about federal hiring authority and federal fiscal uncertainties. Officials said they would adjust hiring if available federal hiring allocations are smaller than requested. They noted an administrative budget amendment submitted to the Governor’s Finance Office that is expected to reduce general fund requests by approximately $350,000 in the first year and $180,000 in the second year.

Lawmakers’ questions focused on caseload metrics, average timeframes and causes of growth. Agency staff attributed growth to improvements in outreach, a new online application that made applying easier, an active social media campaign, and robust student outreach — including pre-ETS programming that increases the pipeline of students entering the adult VR caseload.

Ending: Officials told the committee that without additional staff and client-service authority the bureau risks longer eligibility timelines and more frequent eligibility extensions; with the requested resources they expect reduced extensions and faster entry into training and employment services.","The Rehabilitation Division's vocational rehabilitation bureau told lawmakers it needs new counselors, increased client-service spending and a payment card program to manage rising applications and serve more students with disabilities.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6653027,"Nevada disability adjudication office seeks federal-funded staff to reduce backlog",1501,1371000,2872000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666&start=1371&end=2872","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2486872-4ca500b86ef566a47b981db6bc1f3666/thumbnail_1371000.jpg","/articles/6653027/Nevada/Nevada-disability-adjudication-office-seeks-federal-funded-staff-to-reduce-backlog","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653027-946af2cac714509b21e27f0e210b795b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775350867&Signature=AjyZoHz6lUBd6BSV9Gln2f63kk7x2NR2WRVDlQ5YhL0Jg9d66iAb4s1MWxdG7Dy0R9auIbqkubi-JYhsLa2erGIJ0KRM4Cg7lhTOZI5nj92oSjBrb5YUUysMGMfLxLvXvMAJGdUVR~jNZGZG~kJbLdWHdq72FYHwOlN0lWGHsVsbSt6wvpC8oQnMg6G7nqIl-ijxokiYDomgAultN7YL0OPK1oc-0R0DeoN0lwPh6C8kwdzYSmolUDHm9TZL4Zk0TipLCKhPeLEn-ExDLVX8b~Z216Ii5MJsAiOOV6UF1LygG1qYJh1TvgqdPp18p6XbCLZjymXyCK0tOrdgNb5UTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bureau of Disability Adjudication, part of Nevada's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, requested additional federally funded staff Thursday as officials said the unit needs more adjudicators and support personnel to maintain improved processing times and respond to potential surges in claims.

The bureau asked the Joint Subcommittee on Human Services for decision units that together would add front-line adjudicators, supervisors and support staff. For the biennium officials said the bureau's total request for its account is roughly $60 million and that the agency currently counts about 145 full-time equivalent positions in its base budget. The bureau described a package of enhancement decision units that includes E305 — about $2.4 million for 15 positions including 10 disability adjudicators and 2 supervisors — and related support positions in other decision units that together are intended to handle increased volumes and reduce aged claims.

Why it matters: Nevada's disability adjudication unit makes medical-administrative determinations for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income. Officials told lawmakers that long processing times and a national backlog at the Social Security Administration (SSA) have driven requests for staffing increases; adding adjudicators and support staff is the bureau’s principal strategy to keep Nevada’s processing times below national averages and to be ready when federal hiring authority is available.

Officials gave details and constraints. Jana Vaughn, deputy administrator for the Bureau of Disability Adjudication, said the unit is “about 91% fully staffed at this time” but that hiring depends on periodic “hiring authority” from the SSA. Drosnal (identified in the transcript as Drosnal) explained that even after the Legislature authorizes positions the bureau cannot immediately hire until SSA grants hiring authority; that authority has varied year to year and has been unavailable in the most recent federal fiscal year. Jocelyn Ellis, administrator of the Rehabilitation Division, said SSA provided a letter of support for the staffing request but has not issued an unconditional instruction to Nevada to add the positions.

Lawmakers pressed for specifics on how requested staffing would affect backlog and processing time. Vaughn said BDA’s historical backlog has fluctuated — at times up to 4,000 pending claimants — and that the bureau is currently “about 1,200” pending. She said an adjudicator typically takes about 70 to 80 days on average to reach a decision once a claim is assigned to an adjudicator. Committee members cited national processing benchmarks shown on the bureau’s slides: the nation's average processing time was about 232 days for the cited period while Nevada’s was about 166 days.

On contractor use and medical staff: the bureau proposed eliminating five existing state FTEs (two licensed psychologists and three senior physicians) in enhanced unit E600, citing that Nevada has not received hiring authority from SSA in recent years and instead uses contracted medical consultants. Vaughn said contractors are used to perform medical and psychological examinations while the hiring authority situation remains uncertain.

Training and support functions: officials said they also are seeking two training officers (E308) to provide dedicated initial and continuing training for adjudicators, and additional administrative, IT and call-center support positions tied to the 10 adjudicators requested in E305. Vaughn explained that adjudication training is complex and that supervisors currently provide training in addition to managing caseloads.

What legislators asked: members sought assurance the positions are federally funded and asked whether SSA’s recent reorganization and layoffs will affect Nevada’s program. Vaughn said recent SSA reorganization did not, at the time of the hearing, change the bureau’s staffing approvals. Senators also asked whether Nevada had relied on out-of-state help; Vaughn said Nevada previously received assistance but had not needed it for the current federal fiscal year because Nevada’s productivity had improved.

Data and numbers cited at the hearing include: a roughly $60 million biennial request for BDA, about 145 FTE in the base, E305 ~ $2.4 million for 15 FTE (including 10 adjudicators), E307 roughly $1.5 million for 11 FTE (support positions), E308 roughly $350,000 for 2 training officers, and an enhanced unit E600 showing an approximate saving of $2.5 million from eliminating five medical FTE and continuing use of contractors (all figures as presented by the bureau). The office emphasized that all requested positions tied to adjudication are 100% federally funded by the Social Security Administration.

Ending: Bureau leaders said the requested staffing would position the office to keep reducing aged claims and to be ready to hire quickly when SSA authorizes hiring. They also cautioned that timing depends on federal hiring allocations and that, until Nevada receives authorization, contracted medical consultants will continue to perform examinations and evaluations.","The Bureau of Disability Adjudication requested dozens of federally funded positions to handle rising workloads and shrink a backlog of disability benefit claims; legislators pressed officials about hiring authority from the Social Security Administration and reliance on contractors for medical exams.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters urge focus on rural treatment access and outreach to people with disabilities

Nevada’s Employment Security Division defends UI modernization, ID verification and fraud prevention spending

Blind services and blind-enterprise program ask for staff and new platform to support operators

Vocational rehabilitation seeks staff, client-service authority and new payment card to meet surging demand

Nevada disability adjudication office seeks federal-funded staff to reduce backlog