(a) (1) The board of supervisors of a county with a population of less than 50,000 may enter into a contract with the department and the department may enter into a contract with that county to organize and operate a local public health service in that county.
(2) The department may conduct the local public health service either directly, or by contract with other agencies, or by some combination of these methods as agreed upon by the department and the board of supervisors of the county concerned.
(3) The board of supervisors may create a county board of public health or similar local advisory group.
(b) Any county proposing to contract with the department pursuant to this section in the 1992–93 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter shall submit to the department a notice of intent to contract adopted by the board of supervisors no later than March 1 of the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the agreement will be in effect in accordance with procedures established by the department. A county may withdraw this notice no later than May 1 of the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the agreement will be in effect in accordance with procedures established by the department. If a county fails to withdraw its notice by this date, it shall be responsible for any and all necessary costs incurred by the department in providing or preparing to provide public health services in that county.
(c) A county contracting with the department pursuant to this section shall not be relieved of its public health care obligation under Section 101025.
(d) (1) Any county contracting with the department pursuant to this section shall pay, by the 15th of each month, the agreed contract amount.
(2) If a county does not make the agreed monthly payment, the department may terminate the county’s participation in the program.
(e) The counties and the department shall work collectively to ensure that expenditures do not exceed the funds available for the program in any fiscal year.
(f) The Legislature hereby determines that an expedited contract process for contracts under this section is necessary. Contracts under this section shall be exempt from Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10290) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code.
(g) The state shall not incur any liability except as specified in this section.
(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 310, Sec. 18. Effective August 19, 1998.)