1. The Committee may review, study and comment upon issues relating to senior citizens, veterans and adults with special needs, including, without limitation:

(a) Initiatives to ensure the financial and physical wellness of senior citizens, veterans and adults with special needs;

(b) The abuse, neglect, exploitation, isolation and abandonment of senior citizens and adults with special needs;

(c) Public outreach and advocacy;

(d) Programs for the provision of services to senior citizens, veterans and adults with special needs in this State and methods to enhance such programs to ensure that services are provided in the most appropriate setting;

(e) Programs that provide services and care in the home which allow senior citizens to remain at home and live independently instead of in institutional care;

(f) The availability of useful information and data as needed for the State of Nevada to effectively make decisions, plan budgets and monitor costs and outcomes of services provided to senior citizens, veterans and adults with special needs;

(g) Laws relating to the appointment of a guardian and the improvement of laws for the protection of senior citizens and adults with special needs who have been appointed a guardian, including, without limitation, the improvement of investigations relating to guardianships and systems for monitoring guardianships; and

(h) The improvement of facilities for long-term care in this State, including, without limitation:

(1) Reducing the number of persons placed in facilities for long-term care located outside this State;

(2) Creating units for acute care and long-term care to treat persons suffering from dementia who exhibit behavioral problems;

(3) Developing alternatives to placement in facilities for long-term care, including, without limitation, units for long-term care located in other types of facilities, and ensuring that such alternatives are available throughout this State for the treatment of persons with psychological needs; and

(4) Creating a program to provide follow-up care and to track the ongoing progress of residents of facilities for long-term care.

2. The Committee may:

(a) Review, study and comment upon matters relating to senior citizens, veterans and adults with special needs;

(b) Conduct investigations and hold hearings in connection with its duties pursuant to this section and exercise any of the investigative powers set forth in NRS 218E.105 to 218E.140, inclusive;

(c) Request that the Legislative Counsel Bureau assist in the research, investigations, hearings and studies of the Committee; and

(d) Make recommendations to the Legislature concerning senior citizens, veterans and adults with special needs.

3. The Committee shall, on or before January 15 of each odd-numbered year, submit to the Director for transmittal to the next regular session a report concerning the study conducted pursuant to subsection 1.

4. As used in this section, “facility for long-term care” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 427A.028.

(Added to NRS by 2009, 2412; A 2011, 3236; 2013, 3751; 2015, 827)