Nevada AB 330: Makes an appropriation for the development and carrying out of a certain internship program in psychology. (BDR S-615)

Bill Text

A.B. 330
- *AB330*

ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 330–ASSEMBLYMEMBER GONZÁLEZ

MARCH 3, 2025
____________

Referred to Committee on Ways and Means

SUMMARY—Makes an appropriation for the development and
carrying out of a certain internship program in
psychology. (BDR S-615)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation not included
in Executive Budget.

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

AN ACT making an appropriation to the Partnership for Research,
Assessment, Counseling, Therapy and Innovative Clinical
Education of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for the
development and carrying out of a predoctoral internship
program in child and adolescent psychology; and
providing other matters properly relating thereto.
WHEREAS, According to the Health Resources and Services 1
Administration of the United States Department of Health and 2
Human Services, over 91 percent of Nevadans reside in a mental 3
health professional shortage area with reduced access to mental 4
health care; and 5
WHEREAS, According to a 2024 report by the nonprofit Mental 6
Health America, Nevada ranks 51st among all states and the District 7
of Colombia for having a higher prevalence of mental illness and a 8
lower rate of access to care for children and adolescents; and 9
WHEREAS, In 2018, the American Psychological Association 10
determined that Nevada had 12.2 licensed psychologists per 100,000 11
persons, which is lower compared to the average in the United 12
States in 2018 of 32.8 licensed psychologists for every 100,000 13
persons and made Nevada the state with the 4th lowest 14
concentration of licensed psychologists, and that 20.67 percent of 15
adults in Nevada had a mental illness, which is higher compared to 16
the average in the United States in 2018 of 19 percent; and 17

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- *AB330*
WHEREAS, According to data of the National Center for Health 1
Workforce Analysis of the Health Resources and Services 2
Administration of the United States Department of Health and 3
Human Services, Nevada requires approximately 600 more 4
psychologists than the approximately 640 that are projected to be 5
available in 2025 to meet the demand, and the supply is not 6
projected to meet the demand at any point in the next 10 years; and 7
WHEREAS, As delineated in NRS 641.025, the scope of the 8
practice of psychology is broad and encompasses more unique areas 9
of focus than other mental and behavioral health care fields; and 10
WHEREAS, On August 15, 2024, the Interim Finance Committee 11
approved funding from the Fund for a Resilient Nevada for the 12
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to establish a new doctoral 13
training program in psychology, which is designed to prepare 14
persons to practice psychology and specialize in child and 15
adolescent psychology; and 16
WHEREAS, To be licensed as a psychologist in Nevada, a person 17
must have earned a doctorate in psychology or equivalent doctorate-18
level education and at least 2 years of supervised and documented 19
training experience, 1 year of which must be a predoctoral 20
internship; and 21
WHEREAS, Nevada lacks accredited predoctoral internships 22
providing supervised experience in specialty mental and behavioral 23
health areas such as child and adolescent psychology, which forces 24
persons seeking such training to leave this State to obtain the 25
training; and 26
WHEREAS, The development of new training programs located 27
in Nevada that provide supervised experiences requires substantial 28
resources for recruitment, training and supervision to meet 29
accreditation standards; and 30
WHEREAS, The Partnership for Research, Assessment, 31
Counseling, Therapy and Innovative Clinical Education of the 32
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, serves as a teaching, training and 33
researching clinic with documented success and the foundational 34
infrastructure required to develop expeditiously an accredited 35
predoctoral internship program in child and adolescent psychology; 36
now, therefore, 37
38
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN 39
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 40
41
Section 1. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the State 42
General Fund to the Partnership for Research, Assessment, 43
Counseling, Therapy and Innovative Clinical Education of the 44
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for the development and carrying 45

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- *AB330*
out of an internship program in child and adolescent psychology for 1
persons who are enrolled in a doctoral training program in 2
psychology the following sums: 3
For the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 .................................. $206,000 4
For the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 .................................. $787,100 5
2. Money appropriated by subsection 1 must be used only for: 6
(a) Personnel, operating, travel, professional development and 7
equipment costs related to the development and carrying out of the 8
i