(a) Upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, the State Department of Public Health shall award funding, on a competitive basis, to community-based organizations or local health jurisdictions to provide comprehensive HIV prevention and control activities for the most vulnerable and underserved individuals living with, or at high risk for, HIV infection. Applicants may include individual community-based organizations and local health jurisdictions, as well as collaborations between community-based organizations and local health jurisdictions.

(b) Entities located in any county are eligible to receive grant funding.

(c) Comprehensive HIV prevention and control activities may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

(1) HIV testing, including the purchase of HIV test kits.

(2) Linkage to and retention in care for people living with HIV.

(3) Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)-related and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)-related activities.

(4) Syringe services programs.

(d) The department shall determine the funding levels of each award based on scope and geographic area. Priority for grants shall be given to community-based organizations or local health jurisdictions that, through their applications, demonstrate expertise, history, and credibility at working successfully in engaging the most vulnerable and underserved individuals living with, or at high risk for, HIV infection.

(e) Funds shall be allocated in a manner that balances the need to spread funding to as many local health jurisdictions and community-based organizations as possible and the need to provide meaningful activities to each recipient. Not less than 50 percent of the funds allocated shall be provided to community-based organizations, for purposes consistent with this section.

(f) The department shall determine the application process, selection criteria, and any reporting requirements for the grant, consistent with this section.

(g) The department shall develop measures for each local health jurisdiction and community-based organization funded pursuant to this section to demonstrate accountability.

(h) This section shall be operative only if funds are explicitly appropriated in the annual Budget Act specifically for purposes of this section.

(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 38, Sec. 22. (SB 78) Effective June 27, 2019. Section conditionally operative by its own provisions. Conditionally inoperative December 31, 2021, pursuant to Section 120780.6.)