26-1-38 - Local health emergency assistance program.
26-1-38. Local health emergency assistance program.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Local health department" has the same meaning as defined in Section 26A-1-102.
(b) "Local health emergency" means an unusual event or series of events causing orresulting in a substantial risk or substantial potential risk to the health of a significant portion ofthe population within the boundary of a local health department.
(c) "Program" means the local health emergency assistance program that the departmentis required to establish under this section.
(d) "Program fund" means money that the Legislature appropriates to the department foruse in the program and other money otherwise made available for use in the program.
(2) The department shall establish, to the extent of funds appropriated by the Legislatureor otherwise made available to the program fund, a local health emergency assistance program.
(3) Under the program, the department shall:
(a) provide a method for a local health department to seek reimbursement from theprogram fund for local health department expenses incurred in responding to a local healthemergency;
(b) require matching funds from any local health department seeking reimbursementfrom the program fund;
(c) establish a method for apportioning money in the program fund to multiple localhealth departments when the total amount of concurrent requests for reimbursement by multiplelocal health departments exceeds the balance in the program fund; and
(d) establish by rule other provisions that the department considers necessary oradvisable to implement the program.
(4) Each September the department shall:
(a) submit to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee of the Legislature awritten report summarizing program activity, including:
(i) a description of the requests for reimbursement from local health departments duringthe preceding 12 months;
(ii) the amount of each reimbursement made from the program fund to local healthdepartments; and
(iii) the current balance of the program fund; and
(b) submit a copy of the report required under Subsection (4)(a) to the Health and HumanServices Appropriations Subcommittee.
(5) (a) (i) Subject to Subsection (5)(a)(ii), the department shall use money in the programfund exclusively for purposes of the program.
(ii) The department may use money in the program fund to cover its costs ofadministering the program.
(b) Money that the Legislature appropriates to the program fund is nonlapsing.
(c) Any interest earned on money in the program fund shall be deposited to the GeneralFund.
Amended by Chapter 323, 2010 General Session