(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including Sections 11487 and 15204.5, the department shall implement a program in any participating county whereby the county shall be reimbursed for overpayment recoveries under Section 11004 as follows:

(1) Reimbursement shall be made to a participating county based on a plan of operations for a program of overpayment recoveries that is approved by the department. No operating plan shall be approved by the department unless the plan contains assurances that the participating county will maintain a centralized unit or designate a person or persons to perform the overpayment recovery activities.

(2) Reimbursement shall be made for all allowable administrative costs incurred, as defined by the department, to make a recovery of overpayments under Section 11004, not to exceed the state’s share of the overpayments recovered by the county.

(b) For purposes of this section, “participating county” means any county in which the welfare director applies to the department for participation in the program prescribed by this section.

(c) This section shall be implemented when both of the following have occurred:

(1) The federal government has made funding available for the activities described in this section.

(2) The Department of Finance has examined the annual projection of costs and savings for these activities certified by the director, and has determined that during each fiscal year in which the director proposes to implement these provisions the savings to the General Fund from increased overpayment recoveries equals or exceeds the additional costs to the state.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 745, Sec. 246. Effective October 12, 2001.)