(a) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that funds distributed under this section promote stability for participating clinics, as a part of the state’s health care safety net, and at the same time be distributed in a manner that best promotes access to health care to seasonal agricultural and migratory workers and their families.
(2) The department shall grant funds, for a minimum of three years per grant, retroactive to funds appropriated in the Budget Act of 2002 (Chapter 379 of the Statutes of 2002), to eligible, private, nonprofit, community-based primary care clinics for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a health services program for seasonal agricultural and migratory workers and their families. The department may continue to pay any grantee whose grant expired on June 30, 2003, until June 30, 2004, as if the grant had been extended, provided that funds are appropriated for this purpose in the Budget Act of 2003 and the grantee agrees in writing to expend the money as if the grant had been extended.
(b) In order to be eligible to receive funds under this program, a clinic shall, at a minimum, meet all of the following conditions:
(1) The clinic shall be licensed under either paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1204.
(2) The clinic’s patient population shall include at least 25 percent farmworkers and their dependents.
(3) The clinic shall operate in a medically underserved area, including a Health Professional Shortage Area, or serve a medically underserved population, as designated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or shall be able to demonstrate that at least 50 percent of its patients are persons with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
(c) The department shall seek input from stakeholders in designing the methodology for distribution of funds under this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 230, Sec. 13. Effective August 11, 2003.)