NRS427A.040. Powers and duties.

      1.  The Division shall, consistent with the priorities established by the Commission pursuant to NRS 427A.038:

      (a) Serve as a clearinghouse for information related to problems of the aged and aging.

      (b) Assist the Director in all matters pertaining to problems of the aged and aging.

      (c) Develop plans, conduct and arrange for research and demonstration programs in the field of aging.

      (d) Provide technical assistance and consultation to political subdivisions with respect to programs for the aged and aging.

      (e) Prepare, publish and disseminate educational materials dealing with the welfare of older persons.

      (f) Gather statistics in the field of aging which other federal and state agencies are not collecting.

      (g) Stimulate more effective use of existing resources and available services for the aged and aging.

      (h) Develop and coordinate efforts to carry out a comprehensive State Plan for Providing Services to Meet the Needs of Older Persons. In developing and revising the State Plan, the Division shall consider, among other things, the amount of money available from the Federal Government for services to aging persons and the conditions attached to the acceptance of such money, and the limitations of legislative appropriations for services to aging persons.

      (i) Coordinate all state and federal funding of service programs to the aging in the State.

      2.  The Division shall:

      (a) Provide access to information about services or programs for persons with disabilities that are available in this State.

      (b) Work with persons with disabilities, persons interested in matters relating to persons with disabilities and state and local governmental agencies in:

             (1) Developing and improving policies of this State concerning programs or services for persons with disabilities, including, without limitation, policies concerning the manner in which complaints relating to services provided pursuant to specific programs should be addressed; and

             (2) Making recommendations concerning new policies or services that may benefit persons with disabilities.

      (c) Serve as a liaison between state governmental agencies that provide services or programs to persons with disabilities to facilitate communication and the coordination of information and any other matters relating to services or programs for persons with disabilities.

      (d) Serve as a liaison between local governmental agencies in this State that provide services or programs to persons with disabilities to facilitate communication and the coordination of information and any other matters relating to services or programs for persons with disabilities. To inform local governmental agencies in this State of services and programs of other local governmental agencies in this State for persons with disabilities pursuant to this subsection, the Division shall:

             (1) Provide technical assistance to local governmental agencies, including, without limitation, assistance in establishing an electronic network that connects the Division to each of the local governmental agencies that provides services or programs to persons with disabilities;

             (2) Work with counties and other local governmental entities in this State that do not provide services or programs to persons with disabilities to establish such services or programs; and

             (3) Assist local governmental agencies in this State to locate sources of funding from the Federal Government and other private and public sources to establish or enhance services or programs for persons with disabilities.

      (e) Administer the following programs in this State that provide services for persons with disabilities:

             (1) The program established pursuant to NRS 427A.791, 427A.793 and 427A.795 to provide services for persons with physical disabilities;

             (2) The programs established pursuant to NRS 427A.800, 427A.850 and 427A.860 to provide services to persons with traumatic brain injuries;

             (3) The program established pursuant to NRS 427A.797 to provide devices for telecommunication to persons who are deaf and persons with impaired speech or hearing;

             (4) Any state program for independent living established pursuant to 29 U.S.C. §§ 796 et seq., with the Rehabilitation Division of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation acting as the designated state unit, as that term is defined in 34 C.F.R. § 364.4; and

             (5) Any state program established pursuant to the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, 29 U.S.C. §§ 3001 et seq.

      (f) Provide information to persons with disabilities on matters relating to the availability of housing for persons with disabilities and identify sources of funding for new housing opportunities for persons with disabilities.

      (g) Before establishing policies or making decisions that will affect the lives of persons with disabilities, consult with persons with disabilities and members of the public in this State through the use of surveys, focus groups, hearings or councils of persons with disabilities to receive:

             (1) Meaningful input from persons with disabilities regarding the extent to which such persons are receiving services, including, without limitation, services described in their individual service plans, and their satisfaction with those services; and

             (2) Public input regarding the development, implementation and review of any programs or services for persons with disabilities.

      (h) Publish and make available to governmental entities and the general public a biennial report which:

             (1) Provides a strategy for the expanding or restructuring of services in the community for persons with disabilities that is consistent with the need for such expansion or restructuring;

             (2) Reports the progress of the Division in carrying out the strategic planning goals for persons with disabilities identified pursuant to chapter 541, Statutes of Nevada 2001;

             (3) Documents significant problems affecting persons with disabilities when accessing public services, if the Division is aware of any such problems;

             (4) Provides a summary and analysis of the status of the practice of interpreting and the practice of realtime captioning, including, without limitation, the number of persons engaged in the practice of interpreting in an educational setting in each professional classification established pursuant to NRS 656A.100 and the number of persons engaged in the practice of realtime captioning in an educational setting; and

             (5) Recommends strategies and, if determined necessary by the Division, legislation for improving the ability of the State to provide services to persons with disabilities and advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities.

      3.  The Division shall confer with the Department as the sole state agency in the State responsible for administering the provisions of this chapter and chapter 435 of NRS.

      4.  The Division shall administer the provisions of chapters 435 and 656A of NRS.

      5.  The Division may contract with any appropriate public or private agency, organization or institution, in order to carry out the provisions of this chapter and chapter 435 of NRS.

      (Added to NRS by 1971, 376; A 1973, 1396; 1981, 1904; 1983, 545; 2009, 2396; 2011, 2463; 2013, 213, 2998)