Advisory Bodies

Has the state established an advisory body for settlement funds?

Yes. Nevada state law establishes the Advisory Committee for a Resilient Nevada (ACRN) within the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) to provide recommendations for statewide needs assessments, spending priorities for monies from the Fund for a Resilient Nevada (Fund), and the statewide plan for allocating monies from the Fund.[1]

The ACRN is required to meet at least twice annually but has met more frequently during certain years.[2] The ACRN is required by its bylaws to comply with Nevada’s open meetings law.[3]

Is the state advisory body required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience?

Yes. Nevada state law requires the ACRN to include at least one member “who has survived an opioid overdose.”[4] Three additional members of the ACRN must have “experience having a substance use disorder or having a family member who has a substance use disorder.”[5]

What is the overall membership of the state advisory body?

The composition of the 17-member Advisory Committee for a Resilient Nevada is defined by state law:[6]

• Three (3) members appointed by the state attorney general who possess knowledge, skills, and experience working with youth in the juvenile justice system, working with persons in the criminal justice system, and in the surveillance of overdoses, respectively.

• Three (3) members with experience having a substance use disorder or having a family member who has a substance use disorder. These members must include residents of Clark County, Washoe County, and a county other than Clark or Washoe County, and are appointed by the NDHHS Office of Minority Health and Equity, the director of NDHHS, and the state attorney general, respectively.

• One member with knowledge, skills, and experience in public health, appointed by the NDHHS Office of Minority Health and Equity.

• One member who is the director of an agency that provides child welfare services or designee, appointed by the NDHHS Office of Minority Health and Equity.[7]

• One member who represents a program specializing in youth substance use prevention, appointed by the NDHHS Office of Minority Health and Equity.

• One member who represents a faith-based organization specializing in recovery from SUD, appointed by the NDHHS Office of Minority Health and Equity.

• One member who represents a state-certified SUD program operated by a nonprofit organization, appointed by the NDHHS Office of Minority Health and Equity.

• An addiction medicine physician certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine or its successor organization, appointed by the director of NDHHS.

• A member who represents a nonprofit, community-oriented organization specializing in peer-led SUD recovery, appointed by the director of NDHHS.

• A member who has survived an opioid overdose, appointed by the director of NDHHS.

• A member who represents a program to prevent overdoses or otherwise reduce the harm caused by using substances, appointed by the director of NDHHS.

• A member who represents an organization specializing in housing, appointed by the director of NDHHS.

• A member with “knowledge, skills, and experience” in K-12 education, appointed by the director of NDHHS.

Nevada state law requires appointing authorities to coordinate “when practicable” to ensure ACRN members reflect the diversity of the state and “communities within this State that are disproportionately affected by opioid use disorder and disparities in access to care and health outcomes.”[8] The list of current ACRN members is available here.

Terms: ACRN members are appointed to two-year terms and may be reappointed for an additional term.[9]

Are local governments required to establish a settlement advisory body? If so, are local advisory bodies required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience?

No (up to each locality). Local governments in Nevada are not required to establish opioid settlement advisory bodies. However, localities may choose to establish advisory councils that include members with lived and/or living experience to help ensure that settlement spending reflects community priorities.

What else should I know?

Not applicable.

Citations

1. Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. Secs. 433.726(1), 433.730(1)-(4). See also Advisory Committee for a Resilient Nevada Bylaws, Article II Sec. 2. October 14, 2021. ↑
2. Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. Sec. 433.728(2) See also Advisory Committee for a Resilient Nevada Bylaws, Article V Sec. 3. October 14, 2021. The ACRN met twice in 2021; nine times in 2022; twice in 2023; and as of June, five times in 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑
3. Advisory Committee for a Resilient Nevada Bylaws, Article V Sec. 1. October 14, 2021. ↑
4. Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. Sec. 433.726(4)(d). ↑

5. Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. Secs. 433.726(2)(d)(2), (3)(a)(2), (4)(a)(2). ↑

6. Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. Secs. 433.726(2)-(4). See also Advisory Committee for a Resilient Nevada Bylaws, Article IV Sec. 1. October 14, 2021. ↑
7. An “‘[a]gency which provides child welfare services’ means: 1. In a county whose population is less than 100,000, the local office of the Division of Child and Family Services; or 2. In a county whose population is 100,000 or more, the agency of the county, which provides or arranges for necessary child welfare services.” Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. Secs. 432B.030, 433.716. ↑

8. Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. Sec. 433.726(5). ↑

9. Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. Sec. 433.726(6). See also Advisory Committee for a Resilient Nevada Bylaws, Article IV Sec. 2. October 14, 2021. ↑