35-25-107. Program expenditures; monitoring; recommendations; required action to limit expenditures to budget available.

(a) The department shall project monthly expenditures under this act each month through the end of the biennium based upon the level of activity for the previous months and the trend in expenditures compared to previous expenditures. If the projections indicate that expenditures may exceed the federal and state funds available under this act, the department, may, by rule and regulation and subject to availability of funds, limit participation in the program under this section as follows:

(i) The department may impose a partial or total moratorium on new enrollments in the programs under this act until funds are available to meet the needs of new enrollees;

(ii) For current recipients of benefits under this act, priority for the continuation of funding shall be given to those families with the lowest incomes.

(b) In the last six (6) months of the biennium, the department shall include a projection of expenditures for the next biennium based on the spending for the current biennium unless the legislature provides for a different level of funding for the next biennium.

(c) The funding for the child health insurance program shall be deemed to be included within the division of health care financing line item within the department of health budget unless a separate line item is provided in the budget bill. General fund expenditures for the child health program shall not exceed the amount needed to match federal funds without explicit authorization enacted in the budget bill.