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Assembly hears bill to adopt revised Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children; measure waits on 35‑state threshold
Summary
AB 518 would replace Nevada’s current interstate placement compact with a modernized version that sets deadlines for home studies, creates administrative review and centralizes compact administration; it takes effect only after 35 states adopt the revised compact.
Assembly Bill 518 would replace Nevada’s existing Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) with a revised compact drafted by the association of compact administrators. The bill was presented in committee as a modernization: it sets deadlines for interstate home studies, standardizes information sharing and establishes administrative review for placement denials.
"One of the big things is that there are not any deadlines on the home study," Assemblymember Heather Goulding said during the Health and Human Services Committee presentation, explaining that absent deadlines a timely suitable relative placement in a receiving state can be delayed while a child remains in foster care in the sending state.
Marla McDade Williams, Administrator of the Division of Child and Family Services, told members the revised ICPC is intended to increase timeliness and clarify responsibilities between sending and receiving states. She noted the compact is state law — not federal law — but has been adopted by all 50 states historically in its older form. The revised compact must be adopted in 35 states before it becomes effective; the presenters said 18 states had adopted the revision at the time of the hearing.
The revised compact also transfers some duties to a central state compact office and requires the governor to appoint an executive head for that office. Sponsors said those structural changes will create fiscal impacts once the 35‑state threshold is met; any fiscal implications for Nevada would come to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee when that occurs.
Committee members asked how the revised compact affects private adoptions; Williams said it “primarily applies to the child welfare agencies” and contains a small component relevant to private adoptions but does not compel all private adoptions to follow the same procedures.
Members also asked about timeline and participation: Goulding and McDade Williams said Nevada adopted the current revised language in a prior session but the modernized compact will not replace the existing compact until at least 35 states ratify the revision and the associated regulations are completed. Goulding urged attention to the upcoming rulemaking process so Nevada can participate in regulation development once the compact reaches the activation threshold.
No callers or in‑room opponents appeared. The committee closed the AB 518 hearing without a vote; sponsors said additional technical questions would be handled by administration staff and compact experts.
