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- 83rd Session (2025)
Assembly Bill No. 153–Assemblymember Miller
CHAPTER..........
AN ACT relating to the education of incarcerated persons; requiring
staff at each institution or facility of the Department of
Corrections to provide information and assistance relating to
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; requiring the
submission of certain reports concerning the provision of
such information and assistance; and providing other matters
properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Under existing law, the board of trustees of a school district and the governin g
bodies of certain charter schools and private schools are required to provide support
and assistance to certain pupils and their parents or legal guardians in completing
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and report certain related
information to the State Treasurer . (NRS 388.224, 394.151) Section 2.3 of this bill
imposes similar requirements on the programming staff at each institution or
facility of the Department of Corrections. Section 2.3 requires such staff to: (1)
provide informat ion to offenders on the importance and benefits of financial
planning and completing the FAFSA; and (2) offer assistance to offenders in
completing the FAFSA, including through designated FAFSA events held each
year in October and February. Section 2.3 also requires: (1) each institution and
facility to report annually to the Department on the implementation and outcomes
of such services; and (2) the Department to submit a summary of such reports to the
Joint Interim Standing Committee on the Judiciary in odd -numbered years. Section
2.3 prohibits the Department and Department staff from using the decision of an
offender to apply for financial aid or to participate in related activities as the basis
for imposing a sanction or granting a privilege, incentive or other benefit. Finally,
section 2.3 provides that any substantially similar program offered by the
Department in effect on July 1, 2025, is deemed to satisfy such requirements if the
Department continues to offer the program without substantial interruption.
EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Sections 1 and 2. (Deleted by amendment.)
Sec. 2.3. Chapter 209 of NRS is hereby amended by adding
thereto a new section to read as follows:
1. On or before September 30 of each year, programming
staff at each institution or facility of the Departm ent shall provide
to offenders who wish to receive it information on the importance
and benefits of financial planning and completing the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid . The information must
include, without limitation:
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- 83rd Session (2025)
(a) An explanation that financial aid may be used to attend an
online, trade or vocational school; and
(b) A description of the types of financial aid available to
persons who are lawfully present in the United States under any
federal law, regulation, policy or program administe red by a
federal agency or department.
2. The information described in subsection 1 must be
provided:
(a) During the year immediately preceding the date on which
an offender is projected to be released from the custody of the
Department; or
(b) Upon the setting of a parole eligibility date, as part of the
pre-release planning process.
3. The programming staff described in subsection 1 shall
offer assistance with completing the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid to offenders who wish to receive it. Such assistance
may be provided on an ongoing basis and must include:
(a) At least one designated Free Application for Federal
Student Aid event during the first week of October; and
(b) At least one designated Free Application for Federal
Student Aid event during the last week of February.
4. The information and assistance described in subsections 1
and 3 may be provided in person or through virtual means and
may be integrated into other programs, classes, institutional
policies or public postings within an institution or facility.
5. The programming staff described in subsection 1 shall, as
appropriate:
(a) Provide offenders with guidance on employment
opportunities that may be available following release;
(b) Identify circumstances in which a recommendation to an
offender to apply for financial aid is appropriate;
(c) Assist offenders in obtaining documentation necessary to
complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid;
(d) Permit eligible visitors, including family members, to
attend Free Application for Federal Student Aid events and to
bring required documents or materials on behalf of the offender;
(e) Provide offenders with training on managing finances
while in the custody of the Department and after release; and
(f) Coordinate with institutions of higher education, public
libraries and other community organizations to support Free
Application for Federal Student Aid, offer offenders informational
sessions, assist offenders with registration and facilitate offenders’
access to educational and vocational opportunities.
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- 83rd Session (2025)
6. The Department and staff of the Department shall not use
the decision of an offender to apply for financial aid or to
participate in any activity described in this section as a basis to
impose a sanction or grant a privilege, incentive or other benefit.
7. Each institution and facility of the Department shall, on or
before January 31 of each year, submit to the Department a report
concerning the implementation and outcomes o f the services
provided pursuant to this section. The Department shall compile
and summarize such reports and submit the summary to the Joint
Interim Standing Committee on the Judiciary in odd -numbered
years.
8. Any program offered by the Department on J uly 1, 2025,
that provides substantially the same information, assistance and
services described in subsections 1 to 5, inclusive, shall be deemed
to satisfy the requirements of this section, so long as the
Department continues to offer the program without substantial
interruption.
9. As used in this section, “programming staff” means staff
designated to provide programming services as part of a reentry
program at an institution or facility, or other appropriate staff if
such personnel are not designated.
Sec. 2.7. The provisions of subsection 1 of NRS 218D.380 do
not apply to any provision of this act which adds or revises a
requirement to submit a report to the Legislature.
Sec. 3. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025.
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