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Bill would require child‑abuse‑registry checks for staff at youth facilities after audits find screening gaps
Summary
Assembly Bill 521 would require facilities licensed by HCQC to perform initial and periodic child abuse and neglect screenings by submitting employee names to the statewide central registry; the sponsor cited repeated legislative audit recommendations and attendees from child‑welfare and advocacy groups testified in support.
Assembly Bill 521, presented April 4 by Assemblymember Nathan Anderson, would require facilities licensed by the Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC) to perform initial and periodic child abuse and neglect screenings by submitting employee names to the statewide central registry before hire and periodically thereafter.
Anderson said the bill responds to repeated recommendations from legislative auditor reports, noting the audits found many facilities were not checking the statewide registry. "Having no requirement to perform these screenings actually introduced the potential for people who are known to have neglected or abused children to work in an environment with direct contact with our kids," Anderson said.
Anderson summarized findings his office discussed from audits of facilities inspected in 2023: of 15 facilities reviewed, nine did not perform the voluntary screening and six did. The bill would require facilities licensed by HCQC to conduct initial and periodic screenings, and it would require transitional service organizations to terminate an employee who has a confirmed report of child abuse or neglect if that employee provides services to persons with a disability or a child.
Committee members asked why not all audit recommendations were included in the bill; Anderson said some recommendations—such as posting complaint procedures and additional training—may be handled at the county level or could be considered as amendments later. He also said the five‑year residence lookback included in several screening provisions was intended to mirror other statutes but he was open to expanding it for consistency.
Supporters who testified included Jonathan Norman of the Nevada Coalition of Legal Service Providers; Reagan Comas (testifying for a partner organization); Serena Evans of the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence; Madison Proctor of the Nevada Women’s Lobby; Tim Provost of Raise the Future; and Carissa Pierce of the Children's Advocacy Alliance (remote). Testimony emphasized that children in these facilities are among the most vulnerable and that predators sometimes seek positions that provide access and trust.
No callers or witnesses testified in opposition during the hearing, and committee members did not take a formal vote on April 4.
