(1) The program shall fund programs and initiatives that provide evidence-based education and intervention strategies for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic pulmonary disease prevention, early detection, and treatment through a competitive grant program which shall be overseen by the review committee. The state board, upon recommendations of the review committee, shall adopt rules that specify, but need not be limited to, the following:

(a) The procedures and timelines by which an entity may apply for program grants;

(b) Grant application contents;

(c) Criteria for selecting the entities that shall receive grants and determining the amount and duration of the grants;

(d) Reporting requirements for entities that receive grants pursuant to this section; and

(e) The qualifications of an adequate proposal.

(2) The review committee shall review the applications received pursuant to this section and submit to the state board and the executive director of the department recommended grant recipients, grant amounts, and the duration of each grant. Within thirty days after receiving the review committee's recommendations, the executive director shall submit his or her recommendations to the state board. The review committee's recommendations regarding grants for projects impacting rural areas shall be submitted to the state board and the executive director of the department of local affairs. Within thirty days after receiving the review committee's recommendations, the executive director of the department of local affairs shall submit his or her recommendations to the state board. The state board shall have the final authority to approve the grants under this part 3. If the state board disapproves a recommendation for a grant recipient, the review committee may submit a replacement recommendation within thirty days. In making grant recommendations, the review committee shall follow the intent of the program as outlined in section 25-20.5-302. The state board shall award grants to the entities selected by the review committee, specifying the amount and duration of each grant award. In reviewing and approving grant applications, the review committee and the state board shall ensure that grants are distributed statewide and address the needs of Colorado's disparate populations, as well as the needs of both urban and rural residents of Colorado. Grants providing for treatment services shall not exceed ten percent of the total amount of grant funds distributed in any given year.

(3) (a) For the prevention, early detection, and treatment of cardiovascular disease, the review committee and the state board are encouraged to consider programs that address the major risk factors of cardiovascular disease including but not limited to blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes screenings.

(b) For the prevention, early detection, and treatment of cancer, the review committee and the state board are encouraged to consider programs to increase screening for cancer including but not limited to colorectal cancer screening.

(c) For the prevention, early detection, and treatment of chronic pulmonary disease, the review committee and the state board are encouraged to consider programs to expand the prevention, early detection, and treatment of chronic pulmonary diseases.

(4) A minimum of ten percent of the moneys awarded through the grant program shall be directed to projects impacting rural areas as part of the governor's rural healthcare initiative and a minimum of ten percent of the moneys awarded through the grant program shall be directed to each of the following three disease areas: Cancer; cardiovascular disease; and chronic pulmonary disease; except that, if the review committee determines that there are no adequate proposals in a given disease or geographic area for a particular grant cycle, the review committee may waive the ten percent requirement.