1. The Nevada National Guard Youth Challenge Program is hereby created for the purposes of educating, training and mentoring youth who have dropped out of high school or who are at risk of dropping out of high school so that they may become productive, employed and law-abiding citizens.

2. The Office of the Military shall administer the Program. The Program must include:

(a) The establishment of a challenge school located within a school district in this State.

(b) A residential component lasting at least 22 weeks.

(c) Courses of study provided during the residential component described in paragraph (b) that include, without limitation:

(1) Courses focusing on academic excellence, life coping skills, employment skills, health and hygiene, responsible citizenship, service to the community, leadership and followership skills and physical fitness; and

(2) Courses that allow a participant to receive credit in accordance with the agreement entered into pursuant to NRS 388D.330.

(d) A nonresidential component lasting at least 12 months following the completion of the residential component.

(e) One-on-one mentoring with a participant during the nonresidential component described in paragraph (d).

(f) Monitoring of the participant by a case manager during the nonresidential component described in paragraph (d).

3. A person who wishes to apply to participate in the Program must submit an application on a form prescribed by the Office of the Military. The Office of the Military shall establish guidelines for the submission and review of applications to participate in the Program. Such guidelines must give special consideration to an eligible child of a military family, as defined in NRS 388F.010.

4. The Office of the Military shall establish criteria governing eligibility for a person to participate in the Program. Such criteria must:

(a) Require a person to be a Nevada resident to participate in the Program.

(b) Provide that a child in foster care or going through the process of adoption is eligible to participate in the Program.

5. The Office of the Military shall adopt regulations necessary to establish and administer the Program created pursuant to this section. The regulations must be consistent with 32 U.S.C. § 509 and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

(Added to NRS by 2019, 1980)