(a) The State Kidney Disease Commission shall have the following functions, powers, and duties:

(1) (A) (i) To establish a program to assist persons suffering from acute or chronic renal failure in obtaining care and treatment requiring kidney dialysis or transplantation.

(ii) Services to assist persons requiring transplantation may include dental services necessary for consideration for transplantation and the copayment of immunosuppressant drugs post transplantation.

(B) The program shall provide financial assistance for persons suffering from chronic renal diseases who require life-saving care and treatment for the renal disease to the extent as determined by the commission that a person is unable to pay for the services on a continuing basis without causing unjust and unusual hardship to himself or herself and his or her immediate family including without limitation a drastic lowering of the standard of living;

(2) To develop standards for determining eligibility for assistance in defraying the cost of care and treatment of renal disease under this program;

(3) To cooperate with hospitals, private groups, and organizations and public agencies in the development of positive programs to bring about financial assistance and support of evaluation and treatment of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease;

(4) To cooperate with the national and state kidney foundations and with medical programs of the state and federal government for the purpose of obtaining the maximum amount of federal and private assistance possible in support of a kidney disease treatment program;

(5) To establish criteria and standards for evaluating the financial ability of persons suffering from chronic renal disease to pay for their own care, including the availability of third-party insurance coverage, for the purpose of establishing standards for eligibility for financial assistance in defraying the cost of the care and treatment from funds appropriated to the commission for renal disease treatment purposes;

(6) To accept gifts, grants, and donations from private sources and the federal government and support from municipal and county governments to be used for the purposes of this subchapter in defraying costs incurred by persons suffering from acute or chronic renal disease who are unable to meet the total cost of life-saving care and treatment for renal disease; and

(7) To accept gifts, grants, and donations from private sources and the federal government and support from municipal and county governments to be used to honor persons who have provided living kidney donations to Arkansans in need of kidney transplantation.

(b) Whereas the current Department of Finance and Administration accounting system will accept current-year refunds, credit the current-year appropriation, and allow expenditure of the funds, the commission, administered by the Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, may accept prior-year refunds and contributions and deposit the funds in the agency cash fund in an account specifically identified as the State Kidney Disease Escrow Account and disbursed for the purchase of additional services for clients served by the commission.