1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 5, each county shall pay an assessment for the operation of a regional facility for the treatment and rehabilitation of children that serves the county if the regional facility:

(a) Is operated by a county whose population is less than 700,000 or an administrative entity established pursuant to NRS 277.080 to 277.180, inclusive, by counties whose populations are less than 700,000 each;

(b) Is established by two or more counties pursuant to an interlocal agreement or by one county if the regional facility is operated pursuant to an interlocal agreement to benefit other counties; and

(c) Is not partially supported by the State of Nevada and does not receive money from the State of Nevada other than any fees paid to the regional facility for a child referred to the regional facility by the State of Nevada.

2. The administrator of a regional facility for the treatment and rehabilitation of children shall calculate the assessment owed by each county pursuant to subsection 1 on or before March 1 of each year for the ensuing fiscal year. The assessment owed by each county equals:

(a) For the first 2 years of operation of the regional facility, the total amount budgeted for the operation of the regional facility by the governing body of the county or other entity responsible for the operation of the regional facility, minus any money received from the State of Nevada to pay for fees for a child referred to the regional facility by the State of Nevada, divided by the total number of pupils in the preceding school year in all counties served by the regional facility and multiplied by the number of pupils in the preceding school year in the assessed county.

(b) For each year subsequent to the second year of operation of the regional facility, unless the counties served by the regional facility enter into an interlocal agreement to the contrary, the total of:

(1) The total amount budgeted for the operation of the regional facility by the governing body of the county or other entity responsible for the operation of the regional facility, minus any money received from the State of Nevada to pay for fees for a child referred to the regional facility by the State of Nevada, divided by the total number of pupils in the preceding school year in all counties served by the regional facility, multiplied by the number of pupils in the preceding school year in the assessed county and multiplied by one-fourth; and

(2) The total amount budgeted for the operation of the regional facility by the governing body of the county or other entity responsible for the operation of the regional facility, minus any money received from the State of Nevada to pay for fees for a child referred to the regional facility by the State of Nevada, divided by the total number of pupils who were served by the regional facility in the preceding school year from all counties served by the regional facility, multiplied by the number of pupils who were served by the regional facility in the preceding school year from the assessed county and multiplied by three-fourths.

3. Each county shall pay the assessment required pursuant to subsection 1 to the treasurer of the county if the regional facility is operated by a county or to the administrative entity responsible for the operation of the regional facility in quarterly installments that are due on the first day of the first month of each calendar quarter. The money must be accounted for separately and may only be withdrawn by the administrator of the regional facility.

4. The board of county commissioners of each county may pay the assessment from revenue raised by a tax levied pursuant to NRS 354.59818, any other available money, or a combination thereof.

5. The provisions of this section do not apply to a county whose population is 700,000 or more.

6. As used in this section, “regional facility for the treatment and rehabilitation of children” or “regional facility” does not include the facility in Douglas County known as China Spring Youth Camp.

(Added to NRS by 2003, 1085; A 2011, 1139; 2017, 4385)