Home » State Early Childhood Policy Landscapes » Nevada Early Childhood Policy Landscape

Nevada

The Alliance’s lead ally in Nevada, Children’s Advocacy Alliance (CAA), serves as the independent voice for Nevada’s families and children. The organization brings people together to build consensus and leverage collective strength to achieve public policy in child safety, health and school readiness.

2023 State Early Childhood Policy Environment and Progress

State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s policy environment and the numerous efforts — by those listed on this page and many others — who worked both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.

Early Childhood Landscape:

Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.

Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining

Approximately 44% (142,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (2021). This number represents a decrease from 49% (142,000) in 2016.¹

Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High

Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.²

Advocacy Landscape:

State General Fund Appropriations: Growing

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo signed multiple bills comprising the state’s fiscal 2024-2025 biennial budget in June. The budget provides $5.2 billion in general fund spending for fiscal 2024. The state’s revenue forecast approved ahead of budget enactment projected general fund revenue after tax credits of $5.7 billion for fiscal 2024 (a 0.4 percent annual increase) and $5.9 billion for fiscal 2025 (a 2.7 percent increase). ³

Largest Per Capita Revenue Sources (after federal transfers) (FY 2021):⁴

- General Sales Taxes: $2,283 per capita
- Charges: $1,303 per capita

Nevada does not levy an individual income tax or corporate income tax but does have a gross receipts tax.Charges are public payments connected with a specific government service, such as tuition paid to a state university, payments to a public hospital, or highway tolls. Nevada also collects a relatively large amount of revenue from taxes related to gambling. Census categorizes much of this revenue as amusement tax revenue. In 2021, Nevada’s per capita amusement tax revenue was $245.

Political Alignment: Divided

During the 2023 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Democrat controlled. The state’s Governor was a Republican.⁵

Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:⁶Five

- Legislature-Initiated Constitutional Amendments – A constitutional amendment that appears on a state’s ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature in that state voted to put it before the voters.
- Voter-Initiated Constitutional Amendments – An amendment to a state’s constitution that comes about through the initiative process.
- Legislature-Initiated State Statutes – Appear on a state’s ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature in that state voted to put it before the voters.
- Voter-Initiated State Statutes – Earns a spot on the ballot when sponsors collect signatures according to the laws governing the initiative process in Nevada.
- Veto Referenda – When citizens of Nevada disagree with a statute or legislative bill enacted by the Nevada State Legislature, they can collect signatures to force the issue to a vote. If enough signatures are collected, the bill is placed on the statewide ballot.

Nevadans also have an uncommon form of ballot measure called statute affirmation, a citizen-initiated ballot measure that prevents the Legislature from repealing or amending a statute in the future without a direct vote of the electorate. Nevada is the only state with this type of ballot measure.

Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:

Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:⁷

2023 Policy Progress:

Nevada made key improvements in the area of maternal and family health, but remains at the status quo for early learning programming and expanding economic supports, in particular, housing.

Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:⁸

SB232 – This bill provides the extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12-months. CAA was a lead organization on the bill. We recruited parent ambassadors to provide testimony, created messaging documents and tool kits and educated the community about the need for coverage. Nearly 60% of all births in Nevada are Medicaid covered. This measure will give parents the support they need to raise health babies. Effective January 1, 2024.

AB114 – Expands and diversifies the Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council to include members with expertise in every facet of early childhood systems. In addition to existing early childhood education experts, the Council will now include experts in maternal, child & adolescent Health, childcare and development, tribal organizations, and at least one parent or guardian of a young child.

Budget Account 3222– Lombardo’s executive budget included an expansion of Medicaid eligibility for pregnant people to 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and a goal to expand the home visiting nurse program to 100 families.

Budget Account 3267– The Childcare Development fund grew by $10million dollars due to a transfer of funds from the state’s TANF account. This will ensure that there is no interruption in access to childcare funds for families.

AB376 – This legislation provides 50 percent pay to employees of the executive department of the state government for up to 8-weeks following birth, adoption, serious illness of self or a family member or military deployment. This leave applies to the birthing and non-birthing persons.

Several early childhood and family stabilization bills passed at least one house but died in a money committee or were vetoed. Those bills include a the establishment of an Office of Early Childhood Systems, a “Baby Bonds” proposal, several housing stability bills, universal school meals, and Medicaid coverage for undocumented pregnant persons.

Ongoing Grantee Areas of Advocacy

The Alliance’s lead grantee in Nevada, Children’s Advocacy Alliance, is working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:

Early Care and Education

Child Care

Child Care Workforce

K-3 Education

Preschool and Pre-K

Child and
Maternal Health

Home Visiting

Maternal Health

Early Intervention (Age 0-3)

Family
Supports

Child Welfare

Family Economic Security

Paid Family and Medical Leave

Early Childhood Infratructure

Early Childhood Governance

Click here for more information on advocates’ policy agenda.

RECENT ADVOCACY SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

¹Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, November, 2022

²National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, March 2023, NCCP analysis of ACS 1-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2021

³National Association of State Budget Officers, Summaries of Fiscal Year 2024 Enacted Budgets, October 11, 2023.

⁴Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, July 2023

⁵National Conference of State Legislatures, 2023 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, February 28, 2023.

⁶Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved May, 2023.

⁷Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, April, 2022.

⁸Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-August, 2023.