A public agency shall, in implementing programs affected by the act adding this section to the Welfare and Institutions Code, perform program functions exclusively through the use of merit civil service employees of the public agency, except to the extent permitted by provisions of state and federal law governing the affected program that were in effect on August 21, 1996.

(Added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 270, Sec. 35. Effective August 11, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998, by Sec. 183 of Ch. 270.)