Sec 36-503.02. Serious mental illness services fund; program termination

A. The serious mental illness services fund is established consisting of monies appropriated to the department from the tobacco litigation settlement account in the state general fund, any other legislative appropriations and interest earned on these monies. The department shall administer the fund.

B. Monies in the fund:

1. Shall be used to supplement and not supplant existing and future appropriations.

2. Are intended for the development of programs and services that are of a onetime nature but that the department may implement over several years.

3. Do not revert to the state general fund.

4. Are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations.

5. Are continuously appropriated.

C. Except as provided in subsection D of this section, the department shall use fund monies to provide community housing, vocational rehabilitation and other recovery support services to persons with serious mental illness. The department shall design these services to assist persons with serious mental illness achieve the highest possible level of self-sufficiency. The department shall establish performance evaluation standards to measure the department's effective use of the monies in the fund.

D. On or before January 1, 2004, the auditor general shall complete a performance audit to determine the department's success in using these monies to meet the performance evaluation standards prescribed in subsection C of this section. The auditor general may use any evaluation tools the auditor general determines are useful in addition to the performance evaluation standards developed by the department.

E. Before the department may spend fund monies, the department shall present a plan, including performance evaluation standards, to the joint legislative budget committee for its review.

F. This section does not affect or expand the existing rights of persons with serious mental illness pursuant to this title.

G. The program established by this section ends on July 1, 2005 pursuant to section 41-3102.

(Rpld. 7/1/16)