2022 Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 439 - Administration of Public Health
NRS 439.3675 - Duties of district health department to ensure access for persons with limited English proficiency to certain services related to COVID-19; collaboration with community-based organizations; gifts, grants, donations and other funding.
1. To the extent that money is available for these purposes, a district health department shall:
(a) Take reasonable steps to ensure that persons with limited English proficiency who are eligible to receive services from the district health department that are intended to help restrain the spread of COVID-19 have meaningful and timely access to those services. Such steps must include, without limitation:
(1) Maintaining a record of the preferred language of each person who receives any service from the district health department that is intended to help restrain the spread of COVID-19, including, without limitation, guidance, testing, contact tracing and immunization;
(2) Identifying the languages preferred by such recipients;
(3) Taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful and timely access to oral language services to recipients of services described in subparagraph (1); and
(4) Providing notice of the availability of such services, to the extent practicable, in the languages identified and at a literacy level and in a format that is likely to be understood by such recipients.
(b) Take reasonable steps to ensure that persons with limited English proficiency have meaningful and timely access in their preferred language to:
(1) Vital information and documents relating to COVID-19. Such information and documents include, without limitation, those necessary to access or participate in the services, programs and activities of the district health department related to COVID-19, including, without limitation, applications, instructions for completing applications, contracts, stipulations, outreach materials, written notices or letters that affect the legal rights or benefits of a person and any communications of the district health department relating to COVID-19.
(2) Any governmental order issued to restrain the spread of COVID-19 and any information relating to a state of emergency or declaration of disaster for COVID-19 proclaimed pursuant to NRS 414.070.
(c) Collaborate with community-based organizations that serve persons with limited English proficiency to prioritize the provision of services, information and documents in languages other than English as described in paragraphs (a) and (b).
2. When determining whether steps to provide meaningful and timely access to a service described in subsection 1 are reasonable, a district health department shall consider:
(a) The number of persons with limited English proficiency who are eligible for the service and have a particular preferred language and the proportion of such persons to the total number of persons eligible for the service;
(b) The frequency with which persons with limited English proficiency who are eligible for the service have contact with the district health department for purposes relating to the service;
(c) The nature and importance of the service; and
(d) Available resources.
3. A district health department may:
(a) Accept gifts, grants and donations for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section; and
(b) Research and apply for any available federal or private funding that may be used to carry out the provisions of this section.
4. As used in this section:
(a) "Contact tracing" has the meaning ascribed to it in paragraph (a) of subsection 6 of NRS 439.235.
(b) "COVID-19" has the meaning ascribed to it in paragraph (b) of subsection 6 of NRS 439.235.
(c) "Oral language services" has the meaning ascribed to it in paragraph (d) of subsection 6 of NRS 439.235.
(d) "Person with limited English proficiency" has the meaning ascribed to it in paragraph (e) of subsection 6 of NRS 439.235.
(Added to NRS by 2021, 3232)
