(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) There are small health care facilities throughout the state that are in critical need of capital improvements to continue to provide quality health care services.

(2) Some of these facilities currently lack the ability to take on debt and have little access to capital.

(3) This lack of access to capital threatens the quality and accessibility of the services provided by health care facilities and hampers their ability to gain the financial strength to better access the capital markets.

(4) The state’s health care system is reliant upon those health care facilities that treat low-income, uninsured, or vulnerable populations, such as the developmentally disabled, the elderly, the mentally ill, emotionally disturbed children, and the chemically dependent.

(5) The grant program provided in this section is in the public interest, serves a public purpose, and will promote the health, welfare, and safety of the citizens of the state.

(b) The authority may award grants to any eligible health facility, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 15432 for purposes of financing projects, as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 15432.

(c) The authority shall develop selection criteria and a process for awarding grants under this section. When developing the selection criteria for the awarding of grants under this section, the authority shall take into consideration all of the following factors:

(1) The need for the grant based on the applicant’s total net assets.

(2) Whether the grant will leverage additional dollars to complete the project.

(3) The importance and level of services to vulnerable populations that will be generated.

(4) The level of access to capital by the applicant.

(5) Demonstration by the applicant of project readiness and feasibility.

(6) Total dollars available for purposes of this section.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature to assist those small health facilities that have demonstrated superior management but little to no access to capital and whose services are threatened by a critical need for capital improvements.

(e) In no event shall a grant to finance a project exceed the total cost of the project, as determined by the health facility and approved by the authority. Grants shall be awarded only to facilities that have certified to the authority that all requirements established by the authority for grantees have been met.

(f) All projects that are awarded grants shall be completed within a reasonable period of time, to be determined by the authority. No funds shall be released by the authority until the applicant demonstrates project readiness to the authority’s satisfaction. If the authority determines that the health facility has failed to complete the project under the terms specified in awarding the grant, the authority may require remedies, including the return of all or a portion of the grant. Certification of project completion shall be submitted to the authority by any health facility receiving a grant under this section.

(g) Subject to subdivision (h), grants to be awarded under this section shall be financed by funds from the California Health Facilities Authority Fund.

(h) Grants shall only be available pursuant to this section if the authority determines that it has sufficient moneys available in the California Health Facilities Authority Fund. Nothing in this section shall require the authority to award grants if the authority determines that it has insufficient moneys available in the California Health Facilities Authority Fund to award grants.

(i) The authority may annually determine the amount available for purposes of this section.

(Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 478, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2003.)