A. There is created in the state treasury the "juvenile community corrections grant fund" to be administered by the department. All balances in the fund are appropriated to the department to carry out the purposes of the fund, and no money shall be transferred to another fund or be encumbered or disbursed in any manner except as provided in the Juvenile Community Corrections Act. Disbursements from the fund shall be made only upon warrant drawn by the secretary of finance and administration pursuant to vouchers signed by the secretary of children, youth and families.

B. Money in the fund shall be used by the department to make grants to counties, municipalities or private organizations, individually or jointly, to provide community corrections programs and services for the diversion of adjudicated delinquents to community-based settings. No grant shall be made to a private organization that is not a nonprofit organization without the approval of the secretary. The department may also use money in the fund to contract directly for or operate juvenile community corrections programs.

C. No more than ten percent of the money in the fund shall be used by the department for administration and program monitoring by the department. No more than ten percent of any grant from the fund shall be used for administrative costs incurred by the grantee.

D. After notice and public hearing as required by law, the secretary shall adopt regulations that provide standards for qualifications for grants, priorities for awarding of grants and other standards regarding juvenile community corrections programs deemed necessary. The department shall review and approve or disapprove all applications submitted pursuant to the Juvenile Community Corrections Act for a grant of funds from the fund.

E. The department shall submit an annual report to the governor and legislature not later than December 15 providing information on grant awards, program effectiveness and monitoring efforts and making recommendations as necessary to carry out the purpose of the fund.

F. The department may accept donations, payments, contributions, gifts or grants from whatever source for the benefit of the fund.

History: Laws 1988, ch. 101, § 41; 1989, ch. 324, § 26; 1990, ch. 53, § 2; 1992, ch. 57, § 48.

Cross references. — For secretary of children, youth and families, see 9-2A-6 NMSA 1978.

The 1992 amendment, effective July 1, 1992, added "of children, youth and families" at the end of the last sentence of Subsection A; substituted "that" for "which" in the second sentence of Subsection B and in the first sentence of Subsection D; and substituted "department" for "authority" several times throughout the section.

The 1990 amendment, effective May 16, 1990, substituted "ten percent" for "five percent" in the second sentence of Subsection C.

The 1989 amendment, effective April 7, 1989, in Subsection A, deleted the former second sentence which read "Income earned from investment of the fund shall be credited to the fund".