§ 3609. Grants for planning an establishment of new certified home health agencies. 1. The commissioner is hereby authorized, within the amount allocated pursuant to subdivisions one, two and three of section thirty-six hundred fifteen of this article, to make grants to voluntary not-for-profit organizations in areas of the state determined by the commissioner to be in need of home care services.

2. Such grants shall be awarded for the purposes of planning for establishment as a certified home health agency pursuant to section thirty-six hundred six of this chapter.

3. Such grants shall not exceed twenty thousand dollars per annum and are not renewable.

4. The grant applications shall include such information as required by the commissioner.

5. Funds for such grants shall be made available pursuant to the funding formula and allocations as provided in subdivisions one, two and three of section thirty-six hundred fifteen of this article.

6. The commissioner shall approve applications in accordance with the provisions of subdivisions five, six and seven of section thirty-six hundred fifteen of this article.