1. A hospital or other facility which is licensed by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human Services that provides residential treatment to children and which operates a private school licensed pursuant to chapter 394 of NRS may request reimbursement from the Department for the cost of providing educational services to a child who:

(a) The Department verifies is a patient or resident of the hospital or facility; and

(b) Attends the private school for more than 7 school days.

2. A hospital or other facility licensed in the District of Columbia or any state or territory of the United States that provides residential treatment and which operates an educational program accredited by a national organization and approved by the Department of Education may request reimbursement from the Department for the cost of providing educational services to a child who:

(a) The Department verifies:

(1) Is a patient or resident of the hospital or facility; and

(2) Is a resident of this State;

(b) Is admitted to the hospital or facility on an order from a physician because the necessary treatment required for the child is not available in this State;

(c) Attends the accredited educational program for more than 7 school days;

(d) Is not homeschooled or enrolled in a private school; and

(e) Has been admitted to the medical facility under the order of a physician to receive medically necessary treatment for a medical or mental health condition with which the child has been diagnosed.

3. A hospital or other facility that wishes to receive reimbursement pursuant to subsection 2 shall:

(a) Notify the school district or charter school in which the child is enrolled upon admitting the child to the accredited educational program; and

(b) Transfer any educational records of the child to the school district or charter school in which the child is enrolled in accordance with any applicable regulations adopted pursuant to subsection 9.

4. Upon receiving a request for reimbursement pursuant to subsection 1 or 2, the Department shall determine the amount of reimbursement to which the hospital or facility is entitled as a percentage of the adjusted base per pupil funding for the school district which the child would otherwise attend or the statewide base per pupil funding amount for the charter school which the child would otherwise attend, as applicable.

5. If the request for reimbursement is made pursuant to subsection 1, the child is a pupil with a disability and the hospital or facility is in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq., NRS 388.417 to 388.5243, inclusive, and any regulations adopted pursuant thereto, the hospital or facility is also entitled to a corresponding percentage of weighted funding for the pupil established pursuant to NRS 387.1214, which is withheld from the school district or charter school where the child was enrolled before being placed in the hospital or facility. The Department shall distribute the money withheld from the school district or charter school to the hospital or facility.

6. For the purposes of subsections 4 and 5, the amount of reimbursement to which the hospital or facility is entitled must be calculated on the basis of the number of school days the child is a patient or resident of the hospital or facility and attends the private school or accredited educational program, as applicable, excluding the 7 school days prescribed in paragraph (b) of subsection 1 or paragraph (c) of subsection 2, as applicable, in proportion to the number of days of instruction scheduled for that school year by the board of trustees of the school district or the charter school, as applicable.

7. A hospital or other facility is not entitled to reimbursement for days of instruction provided to a child in a year in excess of the minimum number of days of free school required by NRS 388.090.

8. If a hospital or other facility requests reimbursement from the Department for the cost of providing educational services to a pupil with a disability pursuant to subsection 1 or 2, the school district or charter school in which the child is enrolled shall be deemed to be the local educational agency for the child for the purposes of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq., NRS 388.417 to 388.5243, inclusive, and any regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

9. The Department shall adopt any regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, which may include, without limitation, regulations to:

(a) Prescribe a procedure for the transfer of educational records pursuant to subsection 3;

(b) Carry out or ensure compliance with the requirements of subsections 4 and 5 concerning reimbursement for educational services provided to a pupil with a disability; and

(c) Require the auditing of a hospital or other facility that requests reimbursement pursuant to this section to ensure compliance with any applicable provisions of federal or state law.

10. The provisions of this section must not be construed to authorize reimbursement pursuant to this section of a hospital or facility for the cost of health care services provided to a child.

11. As used in this section:

(a) “Hospital” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 449.012.

(b) “Private school” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 394.103.

(Added to NRS by 2013, 1008; A 2017, 3117; 2019, 3110, 4213, effective July 1, 2021)