A. The Louisiana Department of Health is authorized to establish, subject to the availability of funding, a community-based and rural health care program to expand health care and medical services access to local communities and rural areas and to encourage development of greater access to health care services for indigent and low-income citizens of the state.

           B. The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health shall establish by rule and regulation two distinctly separate processes for the criteria, application, consideration, selection, and awarding of a grant for an urban community-based health care program and a rural health care program. In order to formalize the accountability of these two programs, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health shall also, by rule and regulation, establish distinctly separate periodic review and reporting requirements for an urban community-based health care program and a rural health care program. Such rules and regulations shall be subject to review and approval by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.

           Acts 1991, No. 394, §1; Acts 1995, No. 363, §1, eff. June 16, 1995.