Nevada SB 504: Revises provisions relating to the Extended Young Adult Support Services Program. (BDR 38-1123)

Bill Text

- 83rd Session (2025)
Senate Bill No. 504–Committee on Finance

CHAPTER..........

AN ACT relating to child welfare; authorizing a court to dismiss
and reassume jurisdiction over a young adult under certain
circumstances for the purpose of obtaining certain federal
funding; revising provisions governing eligibility to
participate in the Extended Young Adult Support Services
Program; revising the manner in which a young adult may
elect not to participate in the Program; revising the duties of
an agency which provides child welfare services with respect
to the Program; revising requirements governing court
hearings concerning a participant in the Program; and
providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law provides that, beginning no later than July 1, 2025, courts retain
jurisdiction over certain young adults who are at least 18 years of age but less than
21 years of age and who have been placed outside the home in child welfare
proceedings. (NRS 432B.5917) Existing law requires the Division of Child and
Family Services of the Department of Health and Human Services to establish the
Extended Young Adult Support Services Program to provide extended youth
support services to such young adults, which must become operational on the
earlier of July 1, 2025, or the date on which there is sufficient money available to
carry out the Program. (NRS 432B.5919) Existing law defines the term “young
adult” for the purposes of the Program to mean a person who is at least 18 years of
age but less than 21 years of age and whose plan for permanent placement, on his
or her 18th birthday, did not provide for reunification with his or her parent. (NRS
432B.5915) Section 1 of this bill revises the definition of the term “young adult” to
instead refer to a person who: (1) on his or her 18th birthday, was subject to a court
order for placement in foster care or proceedings for which a possible outcome is
placement in foster care; or (2) exited the Kinship Guardianship Assistance
Program or an adoption assistance program after attaining 16 years of age and is
not currently receiving care from a guardian or adoptive parent. Section 1 thereby
provides that such a person remains under the jurisdiction of the court and is
eligible to participate in the Program.
Existing law requires a court to retain jurisdiction over a young adult until the
young adult reaches 21 years of age. (NRS 432B.5917) Section 2 of this bill
authorizes an agency which provides child welfare services to, under certain
circumstances, petition the court to dismiss its current jurisdiction over a young
adult and immediately reassume jurisdiction over the young adult to establish the
eligibility of the young adult for certain federal financial participation.
Once the Program becomes operational, existing law requires an agency which
provides child welfare services that has custody of a child to meet with the child at
least 120 days before his or her 18th birthday to determine whether the child wishes
to participate in the Program and, if the child does wish to participate, assist the
child to enroll in the Program. (NRS 432B.593) After the child requests to
participate in the Program, existing law requires the agency to develop and monitor
a written extended youth support services plan to assist the child in transitioning to
self-sufficiency. (NRS 432B.595) Sections 3-6 of this bill require a child who does
not wish to participate in the Program to affirmatively opt out of the Program, while

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- 83rd Session (2025)
maintaining the existing eligibility requirements to participate in the Program.
Sections 5 and 6 revise the duties of an agency which provides child welfare
services with respect to a young adult who participates in the Program.
Existing law requires a court that has jurisdiction over a young adult who is
participating in the Program to hold an annual hearing to: (1) review the extended
youth support services plan developed for the young adult; and (2) determine
whether the agency which provides child welfare services has made reasonable
efforts to assist the young adult in meeting the goals prescribed in the plan. Existing
law authorizes the court to direct that the hearing be conducted by a panel of three
or more persons appointed by mutual consent of the judge or judges of the court.
(NRS 432B.601) Section 7 of this bill requires the court to hold such a hearing
every 6 months instead of annually. If the court directs a panel to conduct such a
hearing, section 7 requires that at least one member of the panel be a person who is
not responsible for the case management of or delivery of services to the young
adult. Section 8 of this bill revises certain terminology and statutory references
related to the Program.

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO E