(a) The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1396a(a)(11)(A) of Title 42 of the United States Code provides that California’s state plan for medical assistance under the Medicaid program must “provide for entering into cooperative arrangements with the State agencies responsible for administering or supervising the administration of health services and vocational rehabilitation services in the State looking toward maximum utilization of such services in the provision of medical assistance under the plan.”

(b) In furtherance of Section 1396a(a)(11)(A) of Title 42 of the United States Code and Section 7560 of the Government Code, it is the intent of the Legislature to maximize the amount of federal and state funds continually available under agreements identified in Section 1396a(a)(11)(A) of Title 42 of the United States Code and entered into by the State Department of Health Services by making later-appropriated and budgeted funds immediately encumbered and available for expenditure under agreements by operation of law.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon additional funds being appropriated and budgeted for the support of the services identified within the scope of work of an agreement of the type identified in Section 1396a (a)(11)(A) of Title 42 of the United States Code and previously entered into by the State Department of Health Services, the amount of the encumbrance in such an agreement shall be amended, by operation of law, to reflect the newly appropriated and budgeted funds.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, once an agreement of the type identified in Section 1396a (a)(11)(A) of Title 42 of the United States Code is entered into by the State Department of Health Services, the agreement shall continue in effect indefinitely and need not be amended unless the State Department of Health Services changes the scope of work to be provided under the agreement.

(Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 1161, Sec. 41. Effective September 30, 2002.)