(a)
For purposes of this article, allocations shall be made to the administrative bodies of qualifying local health jurisdictions described as public health administrative organizations in Section 101185, and pursuant to Section 101315, in the following manner:
(1)
(A)
For the 2003–04 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal years, to the administrative bodies of each local health jurisdiction, a basic allotment of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), subject to the availability of funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act or another act.
(B)
For the 2002–03 fiscal year, the basic allotment of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall
be reduced by the amount of federal funding allocated as part of a basic allotment for the purposes of this article to local health jurisdictions in the 2001–02 fiscal year.
(2)
(A)
Except as provided in subdivision (c), after determining the amount allowed for the basic allotment as provided in paragraph (1), the balance of the annual appropriation for purposes of this article, if any, shall be allotted on a per capita basis to the administrative bodies of each local health jurisdiction in the proportion that the population of that local health jurisdiction bears to the population of all eligible local health jurisdictions of the state.
(B)
The population estimates used for the calculation of the per capita allotment pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be based on the Department of Finance’s E-1 Report, “City/County Population Estimates with Annual Percentage
Change,” as of January 1 of the previous year. However, if within a local health jurisdiction there are one or more city health jurisdictions, the local health jurisdiction shall subtract the population of the city or cities from the local health jurisdiction total population for purposes of calculating the per capita total.
(b)
If the amounts appropriated are insufficient to fully fund the allocations specified in subdivision (a), the department shall prorate and adjust each local health jurisdiction’s allocation so that the total amount allocated equals the amount appropriated.
(c)
For the 2002–03 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal years in which the federally approved collaborative state-local plan identifies an allocation method, other than the basic allotment and per capita method described in subdivision (a), for specific funding to a local public health jurisdiction,
including, but not limited to, funding laboratory training, chemical and nuclear terrorism preparedness, smallpox preparedness, and information technology approaches, that funding shall be paid to the administrative bodies of those local health jurisdictions in accordance with the federally approved collaborative state-local plan for public health emergency preparedness and response in the state.
(d)
Funds appropriated pursuant to the annual Budget Act or another act for allocation to local health jurisdictions pursuant to this article shall be disbursed quarterly, or upon the submission of an invoice with supporting documentation, to local health jurisdictions beginning July 1, 2002, using the following process:
(1)
Each fiscal year, upon the approval of an application for funding by the administrative body of a local health jurisdiction, the department shall make the first
quarterly payment to each eligible local health jurisdiction. Initially, that application shall include a plan and budget for the local program that is in accordance with the department’s plans and priorities for public health emergency preparedness and response, and a certification by the chairperson of the board of supervisors or the mayor of a city with a local health department, or a designee authorized by the chairperson or mayor, that the funds received pursuant to this article will not be used to supplant other funding sources in violation of subdivision (d) of Section 101315. In subsequent years, the department shall develop a streamlined process for continuation of funding that will address new federal requirements and will assure the continuity of local plan activities.
(2)
The department shall establish procedures and a format for the submission of the local health jurisdiction’s plan and budget. The local health jurisdiction’s plan
shall be consistent with the department’s plans and priorities for public health emergency preparedness and response in accordance with requirements specified in the department’s federal grant award. Payments to local health jurisdictions beyond the first quarter shall be contingent upon the approval of the department of the local health jurisdiction’s plan and the local health jurisdiction’s progress in implementing the provisions of the local health jurisdiction’s plan, as determined by the department.
(3)
If a local health jurisdiction does not apply or submits a noncompliant application for its allocation, those funds provided under this article may be redistributed according to subdivision (a) to the remaining local health jurisdictions.
(e)
Funds shall be used for activities to improve and enhance local health jurisdictions’ preparedness for and response to public health
threats and emergencies, and for other purposes, as determined by the department, that are consistent with the purposes for which the funds were appropriated.
(f)
A local health jurisdiction that receives funds pursuant to this article shall deposit them in a special local public health preparedness account, in accordance with Section 75.305 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, that is established solely for this purpose before transferring or expending the funds for any of the uses allowed pursuant to this article. Funds received pursuant to this article shall be tracked and managed according to the account name as identified by the department. Local health jurisdictions shall not retain more than five hundred dollars ($500) in interest earned on moneys in the account and any interest earned over five hundred dollars ($500) shall be returned to the department on an annual basis.
(g)
(1)
A local health jurisdiction that receives funding pursuant to this article shall submit reports that display cost data and the activities funded by moneys deposited in its local public health preparedness account to the department on a regular basis in a form and according to procedures prescribed by the department.
(2)
The department, in consultation with local health jurisdictions, shall develop required content for the reports required under paragraph (1), which shall include, but not be limited to, data and information needed to implement this article and to satisfy federal reporting requirements. The chairperson of the board of supervisors or the mayor of a city with a local health department, or a designee authorized by the chairperson or mayor, shall certify the accuracy of the reports and that the moneys appropriated for the purposes of this article have not been used to supplant other funding
sources.
(3)
It is the intent of the Legislature that the department shall audit the cost reports every three years, commencing in January 2007, to determine compliance with federal requirements and consistency with local health jurisdiction budgets, contingent upon the availability of federal funds for this activity, and contingent upon the continuation of federal funding for public health emergency preparedness and response. All cost-compliance reports and audit exceptions or related analyses or reports issued by the State Department of Public Health regarding the expenditure of funding for public health emergency and response by local health jurisdictions shall be made available to the Legislature upon request.
(h)
The administrative body of a local health jurisdiction may enter into a contract with the department and the department may enter into a contract with that local
health jurisdiction for the department to administer all or a portion of the moneys allocated to the local health jurisdiction pursuant to this article. The department may use funds retained on behalf of a local health jurisdiction pursuant to this subdivision solely for purposes of administering the jurisdiction’s public health emergency preparedness and response activities. The funds appropriated pursuant to this article and retained by the department pursuant to this subdivision are available for expenditure and encumbrance for purposes of support or local assistance.
(i)
The department may recoup from a local health jurisdiction moneys allocated pursuant to this article that are unspent or that are not expended for purposes specified in subdivision (d). The department may also recoup funds expended by a local health jurisdiction in violation of subdivision (d) of Section 101315. The department may withhold quarterly payments of moneys to a
local health jurisdiction if the local health jurisdiction is not in compliance with this article or the terms of that local health jurisdiction’s plan as approved by the department. Before any funds are recouped or withheld from a local health jurisdiction, the department shall meet with local health officials to discuss the status of the unspent moneys or the disputed use of the funds, or both.
(j)
Notwithstanding any other law, moneys made available for public health emergency preparedness and response pursuant to this article in the 2001–02 fiscal year shall be available for expenditure and encumbrance until June 30, 2003. Moneys made available for public health emergency preparedness and response pursuant to this article from July 1, 2002, to August 30, 2003, inclusive, shall be available for expenditure and encumbrance until August 30, 2004. Moneys made available in the 2003–04 Budget Act for public health emergency preparedness and
response shall be available for expenditure and encumbrance until August 30, 2005.
