1. The Department is the agency of the State of Nevada for health planning and development, and shall carry out the state administrative program and perform the functions of health planning and development for the State in accordance with the following priorities:

(a) Providing for the effective use of methods for controlling increases in the cost of health care;

(b) Providing for the adequate supply and distribution of health resources;

(c) Providing for equal access to health care of good quality at a reasonable cost; and

(d) Providing education to the public regarding proper personal health care and methods for the effective use of available health services.

2. In order to carry out the provisions of this chapter, the Director may:

(a) Delegate the duties of the Director and the Department pursuant to this chapter to any of the divisions of the Department;

(b) Hire employees in the classified service;

(c) Adopt such regulations as are necessary; and

(d) Apply for, accept and disburse money granted by the Federal Government for the purposes of health planning and development.

3. The Department may, by regulation, fix fees to be collected from applicants seeking approval of proposed health facilities or services. The amounts of such fees must be based upon the Department’s costs of examining and acting upon the applications.

4. Any application fees collected pursuant to subsection 3 are not refundable and must be deposited in the State Treasury and accounted for separately in the State General Fund. Any interest and income earned on the money in the account, after deducting any applicable charges, must be credited to the account. Any money remaining in the account at the end of a fiscal year does not revert to the State General Fund and the balance in the account must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. Any money remaining in the account that is not committed for expenditure after 2 fiscal years following the date on which the money is paid as a fee reverts to the State General Fund. All claims against the account must be paid as other claims against the State are paid. The money in the account must be used to pay the costs of administering the state administrative program.

5. In developing and revising any state plan for health planning and development, the Department shall consider, among other things, the amount of money available from the Federal Government for health planning and development and the conditions attached to the acceptance of that money, and the limitations of legislative appropriations for health planning and development.

(Added to NRS by 1977, 257; A 1979, 967; 1981, 1216, 1899; 1983, 1525; 1985, 1359; 1989, 1945; 1991, 2110; 1995, 1485; 2015, 2435)