(1) (a) For carrying out the duties and obligations of the state department and county departments pursuant to this title 26 and for matching federal funds or meeting maintenance of effort requirements as may be available for public assistance and welfare activities in the state, including but not limited to assistance payments, food stamps (except the value of food stamp coupons), social services, child welfare services, rehabilitation, programs for the aging and for veterans, and related activities, the general assembly, pursuant to the constitution and laws of the state of Colorado, shall make adequate appropriations for the payment of the costs, pursuant to the budget prepared by the executive director.
(b) Subject to the provisions of section 26-1-109 (2), if the federal law shall provide federal funds, in cash or in another form such as food stamps, for public assistance and welfare activities, including but not limited to assistance payments, food stamps, social services, and child welfare services, not otherwise provided for in this title, the state department is authorized to make such payments or offer such services in accordance with the requirements accompanying said federal funds within the limits of available state appropriations.
(c) When the executive director determines that adequate appropriations for the payment of the costs described in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) have not been made and that an overexpenditure of an appropriation will occur based upon the state department's estimates, the state board may take actions consistent with state and federal law to bring the rate of expenditure into line with available funds. The general assembly declares that case load and utilization based on medical necessity are legitimate reasons for supplemental funding.
(2) (a) The general assembly shall appropriate from the general fund for the costs of administering assistance payments, food stamps, social services, and other public assistance and welfare functions of the state department and the state's share of the costs of administering those functions by the county departments amounts sufficient for the proper and efficient performance of the duties imposed upon them by law, including a legal advisor appointed by the attorney general. The general assembly shall make two separate appropriations, one for the administrative costs of the state department and another for the administrative costs of the county departments. Any applicable matching federal funds must be apportioned in accordance with the federal regulations accompanying the funds. Any unobligated and unexpended balances of state funds so appropriated remaining at the end of each fiscal year must be credited to the state general fund.
(b) Beginning with fiscal year 2025-26, before making the appropriation described in subsection (2)(a) of this section, the general assembly shall consider, but is not required to appropriate amounts included in, the results of the public assistance programs funding model described in section 26-1-121.5.
(3) The expenses of training personnel for special skills relating to public assistance and welfare activities, including, but not limited to, assistance payments, food stamps, social services, child welfare services, rehabilitation, and programs for the aging, as the expenses are determined and approved by the state department, may be paid from whatever state and federal funds are available for training purposes.
(4) (a) The state department is authorized to charge an administrative fee for commodities delivered to agencies that receive these commodities through food distribution programs authorized by the United States department of agriculture pursuant to 7 CFR 250.1 et seq., as amended, including the National School Lunch Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program. The department shall collect the administrative fee authorized pursuant to this subsection (4) at least once every calendar year, or when an agency's account reaches a balance of one hundred dollars or more, from agencies that receive commodities from such programs.
(b) All administrative fees collected from agencies pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (4) shall be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit the same to the food distribution program service fund, which fund is hereby created and referred to in this paragraph (b) as the fund. The moneys in the fund shall be continuously appropriated to the state department to defray the cost of administering the food distribution programs specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection (4). Any moneys in the fund not expended for the purpose of administering the food distribution programs specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection (4) may be invested by the state as provided in section 24-36-113, C.R.S. All interest derived from the deposit and investment of moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. The fund balances shall comply with any applicable federal laws or regulations. At the end of each fiscal year, any unexpended and unencumbered moneys in the fund shall remain in the fund and shall not be credited or transferred to the general fund or any other fund.
Source: L. 73: R&RE, p. 1173, � 1. C.R.S. 1963: � 119-1-20. L. 79: Entire section amended, p. 1083, � 7, effective July 1. L. 84: (1)(c) added, p. 792, � 1, effective May 11. L. 93: (1)(a), (1)(b), and (3) amended, p. 1145, � 84, effective July 1, 1994. L. 97: (1)(a) amended, p. 1221, � 7, effective July 1. L. 2005: (4) added, p. 743, � 1, effective June 1. L. 2006: (1)(a), (1)(b), and (3) amended, p. 1991, � 17, effective July 1. L. 2020: (1)(a), (2), and (3) amended, (HB 20-1422), ch. 116, p. 487, � 3, effective June 22. L. 2022: (2) amended, (SB 22-235), ch. 409, p. 2894, � 2, effective June 7; (4)(a) amended, (HB 22-1334), ch. 130, p. 896, � 1, effective August 10. L. 2024: (1)(a), (2)(a), and (3) amended, (HB 24-1407), ch. 81, p. 274, � 2, effective July 1.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 1993 act amending this section, see section 1 of chapter 230, Session Laws of Colorado 1993. For the legislative declaration in HB 20-1422, see section 1 of chapter 116, Session Laws of Colorado 2020.
26-1-121.5. Public assistance funding model - workload study - evaluation - report - definitions - repeal. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Funding model means the county administration of public and medical assistance programs funding model to determine the appropriate level of funding for each county required to make eligibility determinations regarding participation in a public assistance program.
(b) Medical assistance programs means the following public assistance programs administered by the department of health care policy and financing: The medical assistance program, established in articles 4, 5, and 6 of title 25.5, including long-term care services; the children's basic health plan, established in article 8 of title 25.5; and the old age pension health and medical care program described in section 25.5-2-101.
(c) Public assistance programs means the programs of public assistance administered by the state department pursuant to article 2 of this title 26.
(2) Repealed.
(3) (a) On or before January 2, 2024, the state department shall enter into an agreement with an outside entity to develop a county administration of public and medical assistance programs funding model to determine the amount of money necessary to fund the administration of public and medical assistance programs in each county. The outside entity may be the same entity as the third party that performs the comprehensive assessment described in subsection (2) of this section.
(b) The outside entity shall work with the state department, the department of health care policy and financing, and county departments to determine the appropriate process and data to be used in the development of the funding model.
(c) On or before July 1, 2024, the outside entity shall develop the funding model for fiscal year 2025-26.
(d) On or before November 1, 2024, the state department shall submit the results of the funding model to the joint budget committee, the department of health care policy and financing, and the county departments.
(e) This subsection (3) is repealed, effective June 30, 2026.
(4) (a) On or before July 1, 2025, and on or before July 1 every third year thereafter, the state department shall enter into an agreement with an outside entity to annually update and modify the funding model. The outside entity may be the same entity that developed prior versions of the funding model. The outside entity shall develop each update in consultation with the state department, the department of health care policy and financing, and the county departments.
(b) On or before November 1, 2025, and on or before November 1 of each year thereafter, the state department shall submit the results of the funding model to the joint budget committee, the department of health care policy and financing, and the county departments.
(5) The funding model must include:
(a) The number of eligibility staff, lead workers, supervisors and managers, customer service staff, quality assurance staff, program integrity staff, investigators, claims establishment and collections staff, appeals staff, attorneys, and additional support staff necessary for a county to perform all responsibilities required by state and federal law, and must include a component that considers the various resources, including financial resources, required to effectively hire, train, and retain staff in their respective areas of responsibility associated with public and medical assistance programs;
(b) Demographic data, including poverty statistics, and state and local economic drivers, including staff compensation, at both the county and regional levels, that may influence the overall cost of delivering public and medical assistance programs in each county;
(c) The estimated administrative workload for each county to make public assistance program eligibility determinations, to be funded by the money allocated to counties pursuant to section 26-1-122;
(d) A component that supports business process improvements as described in section 26-1-122.3 (1)(b)(IX) in each county; and
(e) Any modifications to the public and medical assistance program system that have been implemented by the department or the department of health care policy and financing, including those that may have been recommended by the third party pursuant to subsection (2)(b) of this section and provided to the joint budget committee pursuant to subsection (2)(c) of this section.
(6) (a) The joint budget committee shall use the results of the funding model to inform its decisions regarding the amount of the appropriation to the state department for county administration of public assistance programs and the amount of the appropriation to the department of health care policy and financing for county administration of medical assistance programs.
(b) The state department shall allocate money to counties for public assistance programs in accordance with the results of the funding model. The department of health care policy and financing shall allocate money to counties as permitted by state and federal law for medical assistance programs informed by the results of the funding model. If the appropriation made for a fiscal year to either department is not equal to the amount necessary to fully fund the allocations required by the funding model, the affected department shall adjust the allocation to each county to ensure that the funding made available to all counties does not exceed the annual appropriation.
(7) (a) On or before November 15, 2026, and on or before November 15 of each year thereafter, the state department and the department of health care policy and financing shall submit a joint report regarding the funding model to the joint budget committee. The report must include the following information concerning the previous fiscal year:
(I) The results of the funding model, including the cost per county necessary to meet all state and federal requirements for the comprehensive delivery of public assistance benefits and medical assistance benefits;
(II) The total amount appropriated for public assistance programs to the state department and for medical assistance programs to the department of health care policy and financing, and the difference between each county's actual allocation and the allocation amount identified by the funding model;
(III) The final close-out for the previous fiscal year;
(IV) Any modifications made to the model to improve the accuracy of the data;
(V) A description of any assessment performed of county business processes and workflow and a description of modifications made by a county that have improved or are intended to improve workflow and the timelines of eligibility determinations, client satisfaction, and workforce retention; and
(VI) Any other issues related to funding the delivery of public and medical assistance benefits.
(b) Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), the reporting requirement described in this subsection (7) continues indefinitely.
Source: L. 2022: Entire section added, (SB 22-235), ch. 409, p. 2890, � 1, effective June 7.
Editor's note: Subsection (2)(e) provided for the repeal of subsection (2), effective June 30, 2024. (See L. 2022, p. 2890.)
26-1-122. County appropriations and expenditures - advancements - procedures. (1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section and section 26-1-122.5, the board of county commissioners in each county of this state shall annually appropriate as provided by law such funds as shall be necessary to defray the county department's twenty percent share of the overall cost of providing the assistance payments, food stamps (except the value of food stamp coupons), and social services activities delivered in the county, including the costs allocated to the administration of each, and shall include in the tax levy for such county the sums appropriated for that purpose. Such appropriation shall be based upon the county social services budget prepared by the county department pursuant to section 26-1-124, after taking into account state advancements provided for in this section.
(b) In the case of a district department, each county forming a part of said district shall appropriate the funds necessary to defray its proportionate share of the costs of assistance payments, food stamps (except the value of food stamp coupons), and social services activities of such individual county based on the ratio set out in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1).
(c) Additional funds shall be made available by the board of county commissioners if the county funds so appropriated prove insufficient to defray the county department's twenty percent share of actual costs for assistance payments, food stamps (except the value of food stamp coupons), and social services activities, including the administrative costs of each.
(d) Under no circumstances shall any county expend county funds in an amount to exceed its twenty percent share of actual costs for assistance payments, food stamps (except the value of food stamp coupons), and social services activities, including the administrative costs of each, except as provided in paragraph (i) of subsection (4) of this section.
(2) (a) The county boards, in accordance with the rules of the state department, shall file requests with the state department for advancement of funds for the program costs of assistance payments, food stamps (except the value of food stamp coupons), and social services and for the administrative costs of each. The state department shall determine the requirements of each county for program costs, taking into consideration available funds and all pertinent facts and circumstances, and administrative costs, in accordance with the funding model described in section 26-1-121.5, and shall certify by voucher to the controller the amounts to be paid to each county. The amounts so certified must be paid from the state treasury upon voucher of the state department and warrant of the controller and must be credited by the county treasurer to the county social services fund in accordance with the law and rules of the state department.
(b) For purposes of operating the electronic benefits transfer service as authorized in section 26-2-104 once the service has been fully developed and implemented in any county, the state department shall determine the program costs and administrative costs related to assistance payments and food stamps for each county. Upon implementation of the electronic benefits transfer service in any county, the county share of the program and administrative costs shall either be billed to the county or deducted from appropriate advances to the county or from the county block grant allocation for implementation of the Colorado works program pursuant to part 7 of article 2 of this title. The cost of administering the electronic benefits transfer service shall not exceed the proportional cost per client that would have been paid by counties to issue benefits through the nonelectronic benefits system for the same fiscal year. Any savings that result from the use of the electronic benefits transfer service shall be shared among the state and local governments in proportion to such entities' contribution to the electronic benefits transfer service.
(3) (a) County departments shall keep such records and accounts in relation to the costs of administering assistance payments, the costs of administering food stamps, and the costs of administering social services as the state department shall prescribe by rules. Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section, all administrative costs shall be allocated, under rules of the state department, to either the performance of assistance payments functions, the performance of food stamp functions, or the performance of social services functions.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section and section 26-1-122.5, if the county departments are administered in accordance with the policies and rules of the state department for the administration of county departments, eighty percent of the costs of administering assistance payments, food stamps, and social services in the county departments shall be advanced to the county by the state treasurer from funds appropriated or made available for such purpose, upon authorization of the state department, but in no event shall the state department authorize expenditures greater than the annual appropriation by the general assembly for the state's share of such administrative costs of the county departments. As funds are advanced, adjustment shall be made from subsequent monthly payments for those purposes.
(c) For purposes of this article, and except as otherwise provided in subsection (6) of this section, under rules of the state department, administrative costs shall include: Salaries of the county director and employees of the county department staff engaged in the performance of assistance payments, food stamps, and social services activities; the county's payments on behalf of such employees for old age and survivors' insurance or pursuant to a county officers' and employees' retirement plan and for any health insurance plan, if approved by the state department; the necessary travel expenses of the county board and the administrative staff of the county department in the performance of their duties; necessary telephone and telegraph; necessary equipment and supplies; necessary payments for postage and printing, including the printing and preparation of county warrants required for the administration of the county department; and such other administrative costs as may be approved by the state department; but advancements for office space, utilities, and fixtures may be made from state funds only if federal matching funds are available.
(4) (a) County departments shall keep such records and accounts in relation to assistance payments program costs and social services program costs as the state department shall prescribe by rules and as may be required in part 7 of article 2 of this title. All program costs shall be allocated, under rules of the state department, to either assistance payments or social services.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection (4) and subsection (6) of this section, eighty percent of the amount expended for assistance payments program costs and social services program costs or the amount equal to the state's share of the amount expended as determined pursuant to section 26-1-122.5 shall be advanced to the county by the state treasurer from funds appropriated or made available for such purpose upon authorization of the state department pursuant to the provisions of this title. As funds are advanced, adjustment shall be made from subsequent monthly payments for those purposes.
(c) For purposes of this article 1 and except as otherwise provided in subsection (6) of this section, under rules of the state department, program costs shall include: Amounts expended for assistance payments and social services (except for items enumerated in subsection (3)(c) of this section) under programs for aid to the needy disabled, aid to the blind, and child welfare services; expenses of treatment to prevent blindness or restore eyesight as defined in section 26-2-121; funeral and final disposition expenses as described in section 26-2-129; and state supplementation under part 2 of article 2 of this title 26.
(d) Whenever any county, by reason of an emergency or other temporary condition, shall be unable to meet its necessary financial obligations for other public assistance purposes, and at the same time meet its requirements for assistance payments and social services under the program for aid to the needy disabled, the state department may in its discretion, upon consideration of the conditions and requirements of this title, reimburse such county in excess of eighty percent of the amount expended for assistance payments and social services under such program. The state department shall determine the amount of such excess reimbursement and the period of time during which such excess reimbursement shall be made. For such purpose, the state department may use not to exceed five percent of the total amount allocated to it by the state for administrative and program costs for assistance payments and social services under the program for which the excess reimbursement is provided.
(e) When a county department provides or purchases certain specialized social services for public assistance applicants, recipients, or others to accomplish self-support, self-care, or better family life, including day care, homemaker services, foster care, and services to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, in accordance with applicable rules, the state may advance funds to the county department at a rate in excess of eighty percent within available appropriations, but not to exceed the amount expended by the county department for such services. The county department contribution for the period from January 1, 1981, through June 30, 1981, is ten percent, and beginning July 1, 1981, is five percent for the aid to the needy disabled home care program, the special needs of the disabled program, aid to the blind home care program, the special needs of the blind program, the adult foster care program, and other programs providing public assistance in the form of social services required by the federal Social Security Act, as amended, for the purpose of establishing services that promote self-sufficiency for adult clients. As funds are advanced, adjustment shall be made from subsequent monthly payments for those purposes. The expenses of training personnel to provide these services as determined and approved by the state department shall be paid from whatever state and federal funds are available for such training purposes.
(f) County departments shall provide or contract to provide a central information and referral service for all available services in the county which may prevent or reduce inappropriate institutional care through the use of community-based or home-based care.
(g) The state department is authorized to provide not more than ten additional homemaker positions to be located in Adams, Larimer, Garfield, Otero, and Morgan counties. Reimbursement to each county for one hundred percent homemaker costs shall be based on a minimum case load of ten clients per reimbursed position which clients are currently in or would be admitted to skilled or intermediate care facilities or hospitals and who would not otherwise be served by current county staffing. Reports shall be provided monthly to the joint budget committee.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the county department may spend in excess of twenty percent of actual costs for the purpose of matching federal funds for the administration of the child support enforcement program or for the administrative costs of activities involving food stamp, public assistance, or medical assistance fraud investigations or prosecutions.
(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the county department may receive and spend federal funds to which it is entitled by reason of the county's expenditures in excess of the twenty percent required by subsection (1) of this section for any social services activity that has been approved by the department as an activity that is eligible for reimbursement under any federal program. Acceptance and expenditure of such federal funds shall in no way affect the state's share of and contribution to such payments, and the county shall be solely responsible for the provision of the nonfederal share that is in excess of the twenty percent.
(j) Repealed.
(k) (I) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the county department may receive and spend federal funds to which it is entitled based on the county's certification of public expenditures made by other entities within the county, which expenditures:
(A) Are from sources other than the county social services fund;
(B) Are in excess of the twenty percent required by subsection (1) of this section; and
(C) Are for a social services activity that has been approved by the state department as an activity that is eligible for reimbursement under a federal program.
(II) Acceptance and expenditure of federal funds pursuant to subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (k) shall not affect the state's share of and contribution to the assistance payments program costs and social services program costs. The county shall be solely responsible for certifying the nonfederal share that is in excess of the county's twenty-percent share. The state department may retain up to five percent of any federal funds received by a county department pursuant to this paragraph (k). In addition, the state, in accordance with the provisions of section 26-1-109 (4)(d), shall recover any federal funds received by the county through the certification of public expenditures that are subsequently determined to be ineligible for federal reimbursement.
(5) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (6) of this section, if in any fiscal year the annual appropriation by the general assembly for the state's share, together with any available federal funds for any income maintenance or social services program, or the administration of either, is not sufficient to advance to the counties the full applicable state share of costs, said program or the administration thereof shall be temporarily reduced by the state board so that all available state and federal funds shall continue to constitute eighty percent of the costs.
(6) (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the board of county commissioners in each county of this state shall annually appropriate as provided by law such funds as are necessary to defray the county's maintenance of effort requirement for the Colorado works program, created in part 7 of article 2 of this title 26, and the Colorado child care assistance program, created in part 1 of article 4 of title 26.5, including the costs allocated to the administration of each, and shall include in the tax levy for such county the sums appropriated for that purpose. The county's maintenance of effort requirement for the Colorado works program for state fiscal year 1997-98 and for state fiscal years thereafter is the targeted spending level identified in section 26-2-714 (6). Such appropriation must be based upon the county social services budget prepared by the county department pursuant to section 26-1-124, after taking into account state advancements provided for in this section.
(b) Additional funds shall be made available by the board of county commissioners if the county funds so appropriated prove insufficient to defray the county department's maintenance of effort requirements for the Colorado works program and the Colorado child care assistance program, including the costs allocated to the administration of each.
(c) The state department shall establish rules concerning what constitutes administrative costs and program costs for the Colorado works program. The executive director of the department of early childhood, in coordination with county departments, shall establish rules concerning what constitutes administrative costs and program costs for the Colorado child care assistance program. The state treasurer shall make advancements to county departments for the costs of administering the Colorado works program and the Colorado child care assistance program from funds appropriated or made available for such purpose, upon authorization of the department of early childhood or the state department, as applicable; except that in no event shall the department of early childhood or the state department authorize expenditures greater than the annual appropriation by the general assembly for such administrative costs of the county departments. As funds are advanced, adjustment shall be made from subsequent monthly payments for those purposes.
Source: L. 73: R&RE, p. 1173, � 1. C.R.S. 1963: � 119-1-21. L. 75: (4)(c) amended, p. 888, � 2, effective July 28. L. 76: (4)(f) and (4)(g) added, p. 667, � 1, effective May 10. L. 77: (1)(a), (1)(b), (2), (3)(b), (3)(c), (4)(b), (4)(e), and (5) amended and (1)(c), (1)(d), and (4)(h) added, p. 1322, � 2, effective July 1. L. 79: (1) to (3) amended, p. 1084, � 8, effective July 1. L. 80: (4)(e) amended, p. 642, � 2, effective July 1. L. 85: (4)(h) amended, p. 938, � 2, effective May 16. L. 87: (1)(d) amended and (4)(i) added, p. 1155, � 2, effective June 16. L. 93: (1)(a), (3)(b), and (4)(b) amended, p. 1116, � 26, effective July 1; (4)(e) amended, p. 1146, � 85, effective July 1, 1994. L. 94: (4)(i) amended, p. 636, � 1, effective April 14. L. 95: (2) amended, p. 592, � 2, effective May 22. L. 97: Entire section amended, p. 1222, � 8, effective July 1. L. 98: (6)(a) amended, p. 1197, � 4, effective June 1. L. 2000: (6)(a) amended, p. 283, � 7, effective March 31. L. 2008: (4)(j) added, p. 1518, � 2, effective May 28. L. 2009: (4)(j) amended, (SB 09-267), ch. 206, p. 939, � 1, effective May 1. L. 2011: (4)(k) added, (HB 11-1196), ch. 160, p. 554, � 5, effective August 10. L. 2017: (4)(e) amended, (HB 17-1046), ch. 50, p. 159, � 14, effective March 16. L. 2021: (4)(c) amended, (SB 21-006), ch. 123, p. 497, � 26, effective September 7. L. 2022: (2)(a) amended, (SB 22-235), ch. 409, p. 2894, � 3, effective June 7; (6)(a) and (6)(c) amended, (HB 22-1295), ch. 123, p. 853, � 87, effective July 1.
Editor's note: Subsection (4)(j)(II) provided for the repeal of subsection (4)(j), effective January 1, 2010. (See L. 2009, p. 939.)
Cross references: (1) For the legislative declaration contained in the 1993 act amending subsections (1)(a), (3)(b), and (4)(b), see section 1 of chapter 230, Session Laws of Colorado 1993; for the legislative declaration contained in the 1995 act amending this section, see section 1 of chapter 161, Session Laws of Colorado 1995.
(2) For the constitutional provision that establishes limitations on spending, the imposition of taxes, and the incurring of debt, see section 20 of article X of the Colorado constitution.
26-1-122.3. Public assistance programs - county administration - data collection and analysis - vendor contract. (1) (a) The state department shall contract with an external vendor to collect and analyze data relating to county department costs and performance associated with administering public assistance programs, including:
(I) The supplemental nutrition assistance program, established in part 3 of article 2 of this title;
(II) The medical assistance program, established in articles 4, 5, and 6 of title 25.5, C.R.S.;
(III) The children's basic health plan, established in article 8 of title 25.5, C.R.S.;
(IV) The Colorado works program, established in part 7 of article 2 of this title;
(V) The program for aid to the needy disabled, pursuant to article 2 of this title;
(VI) The old age pension program, pursuant to part 1 of article 2 of this title; and
(VII) Long-term care services, pursuant to article 6 of title 25.5, C.R.S.
(b) The contracted vendor's data collection and data analysis shall provide the general assembly, executive agencies, county departments, and public assistance program stakeholders with the following information that may be used to make targeted program improvements:
(I) The status of each county department in meeting performance measures for administering public assistance programs;
(II) An inventory of relevant county department activities, including, among others, application initiation, interactive interviews, and case reviews, and the purpose of the activities, which may include compliance with federal or state law;
(III) An assessment of administrative work not yet completed by each county department and the cause of any delay in completing the work;
(IV) The amount of time spent by each county department on each activity;
(V) The cost incurred by each county department, including staff and operating costs, relating to each activity and each client;
(VI) Any variances among county departments with respect to the cost incurred, time associated with each activity, and return on investment, and the source of those variances;
(VII) The relationship, if any, between the time and cost associated with each activity and the county department's performance with respect to the performance standards for the public assistance program;
(VIII) The level of total county department funding needed to meet the county department's required workload relating to the administration of public assistance programs for which data is collected and analyzed pursuant to this section. This information must include the total county department funding needed for current business processes and the total county department funding needed if all county departments implement best practices and business reengineering concepts adopted by peer counties found to operate in the most cost-effective manner while meeting performance measures.
(IX) Business process improvements that contribute to a county department's decreased time or costs associated with each activity and to a county department's ability to meet or exceed the performance standards for the public assistance program, including improvements associated with previous state-funded business process reengineering initiatives; and
(X) Options for a cost allocation model for the distribution of state funding to county departments for administering public assistance programs identified in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1).
(2) In order to ensure that the data collection and analysis contracted for pursuant to subsection (1) of this section yields information that is beneficial for its intended uses, prior to contracting with an external vendor for data collection and analysis, the state department shall contract with an external consultant to work with program administrators, fiscal agents, and program stakeholders to identify the scope of the data collection and analysis to be performed pursuant to this section.
(3) In collaboration with the county departments, the state department shall design a continuous quality improvement program that, at a minimum, solicits feedback from the employees of the county departments to identify incremental and breakthrough continuous improvements that should be implemented to improve the products, services, and processes associated with the administration of public assistance programs. The state department shall provide a description of the program to the joint budget committee by February 1, 2017.
Source: L. 2016: Entire section added, (SB 16-190), ch. 201, p. 710, � 2, effective June 1.