Assembly Bill No. 177-Assemblymen Von Tobel, Segerblom, Hickey, Tiffany, Manendo, Parks, Sandoval, Braunlin, Lambert, Close, Amodei, Nolan, Hettrick, Giunchigliani, Ernaut and Collins
February 18, 1997
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Referred to Committee on Education
SUMMARY--Requires boards of trustees of large school districts to establish toll-free telephone number for reporting waste of school district's resources. (BDR S-856)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: Yes.
Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.
EXPLANATION - Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to public schools; requiring the boards of trustees of large school districts to establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number for members of the general public to report the apparent waste of goods, products or financial resources; making an appropriation; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
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Section 1 On or before September 1, 1997, the board of trustees of a school district in a county whose population is 100,000 or more shall:
1. Establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number for members of the general public to report anonymously any incident or occurrence in the school district involving the apparent waste of goods, products, money or other financial resources of a public school or of the school district, or both;
2. Ensure that all information reported pursuant to subsection 1 is kept confidential;
3. Cause the posting in each public school in the school district of appropriate signs designed to provide continual notice of the availability of the telephone number and its purpose;
4. Cause information regarding the availability of the telephone number and its purpose to be published on or before September 1, 1997, and on or before July 1, 1998, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the school district is located;
5. Provide written notice of the availability of the telephone number and its purpose to the parent or legal guardian of each pupil who is enrolled in a public school in the school district at the beginning of each school year; and
6. At least twice each month, review the number of telephone calls received from members of the general public using the telephone number and evaluate the benefit, if any, of receiving those telephone calls in correcting and reducing waste in the school district.
Sec. 2 On or before December 31, 1998, the board of trustees of each school district that is required to establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number pursuant to section 1 of this act shall submit a written report to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmission to the 70th session of the Nevada Legislature. The written report must include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the telephone calls received from members of the general public using the toll-free telephone number in correcting and reducing waste in the school district.
Sec. 3 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund to the Department of Education the sum of $78,935 for distribution among the boards of trustees of the school districts that are required to establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number pursuant to section 1 of this act. The money must be used by the boards of trustees to carry out the duties prescribed in section 1 of this act.
2. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1 must not be committed for expenditure after December 31, 1998, and reverts to the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have been made.
Sec. 4 This act becomes effective on July 1, 1997, and expires by limitation on December 31, 1998.