§ 363-b. Agreements for federal determination of eligibility of aged, blind and disabled persons for medical assistance. 1. In order to avoid costly, duplicative administrative responsibility, the department on behalf of the state may, with the approval of the director of the budget, enter into an agreement with the secretary of health, education and welfare for the secretary to determine eligibility, commencing on or after the first day of January nineteen hundred seventy-four, for medical assistance in the case of aged, blind or disabled persons, pursuant to the provisions of the social security act authorizing such agreements and subject to the requirements of this title. Such agreement shall include provision for payments of one-half the cost of such services to be made to such secretary.

2. Payments required to be made by the department to the secretary of health, education and welfare for his services under such agreement shall be borne by and shared equally between the social services districts to which such payments are attributable and the state for any period commencing on or after the first day of January nineteen hundred seventy-four.