(a)  All moneys appropriated to the department for the purposes of this chapter shall be used to provide financial, training, and technical assistance to urban and rural American Indian health programs and to assist these programs in planning, implementing, and upgrading programs to attain a comprehensive health services delivery system for American Indians in urban and rural areas.

(b)  The department shall provide technical assistance and shall promote the provision of services for preventive health care, health education, and environmental health.

(c)  The department may expend funds, appropriated to it to carry out the purposes of this chapter, by contract or grant, or any combination thereof, to assist any urban or rural American Indian health program.

(d)  The department shall adopt regulations establishing criteria for reimbursement for direct services under this chapter, that shall include, but not be limited to, a definition of direct services that are reimbursable and a formula for allocation of funds appropriated to the department.

(e)  The department shall provide assistance to American Indian health services programs in maximizing utilization of third party payment systems and in developing programs in health education, nutrition, and family planning, if the assistance is not being provided by agencies of the federal government.

(f)  Funds appropriated to carry out the purposes of this chapter shall be supplemental to those available from the federal government and shall not duplicate, and they shall not replace, any commitments made by the federal government to provide health services to American Indians and their families in this state who receive health services pursuant to an urban or rural American Indian health program.

(g)  It is the intent of the Legislature that the program established by this chapter shall, commencing with the 1984–85 fiscal year, be funded according to customary budget procedures.

(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 1996.)