Budget Amendment ID: FY2019-S4-579

EHS 579

Community Health Center Transformation Fund

Messrs. Cyr, Hinds, Moore and Collins, Ms. L'Italien, Messrs. DiDomenico, Crighton, Brady, Eldridge and O'Connor moved that the proposed new text be amended by adding the following section:-

SECTION X. Chapter 29 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 2VVVV, the following section:-

Section 2WWWW. (a) There shall be a Community Health Center Transformation Fund, hereinafter referred to as the fund, which shall be administered by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, who shall make expenditures from the fund without further appropriations.

(b) There shall be credited to the fund (i) revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds from private sources including, but not limited to, gifts, grants and donations received by the commonwealth that are specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (iii) interest earned on money in the fund; (iv) for Fiscal Year 2019, the amount appropriated to the Fund shall be $13,000,000. Any money remaining in the fund at the close of a fiscal year shall remain available until expended and shall not revert to the General Fund.

(c) Money in the fund shall be disbursed to community health centers receiving a grant under 42 U.S. Code § 254b.  The purposes of these funds are: (i) improving and enhancing the ability of community health centers to serve populations efficiently and effectively (ii) alleviating financial distress as defined by the Secretary (iii) training, technical assistance, and investments in improvements to promote health center financial sustainability (iv) pursuing shared services and integration strategies (v) specific proposals to expand or preserve primary care services to existing or new populations.