(a) The Legislature finds and declares that it is necessary that a special authority be established in Sonoma County in order to meet the problems of the delivery of publicly assisted and indigent dental health care in the county. Because there is no general law under which this authority could be formed, the adoption of a special act and the formation of a special authority is required.
(b) The Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County may, by ordinance, establish the Sonoma County Dental Health Authority to receive state funds and technical assistance for the purpose of managing a dental health care delivery program for indigent persons and Medi-Cal recipients covered under the Denti-Cal program. The enabling ordinance shall specify the membership of the authority, the qualifications of members, the manner of appointment, selection, or removal of members, and their term of office, and any other matters that the board of supervisors deems necessary or convenient for the conduct of the authority’s activities. The authority so established shall be considered an entity separate from the county, shall file the statement required by Section 53051 of the Government Code, and shall have the rights, powers, duties, privileges conferred by this chapter, the power to acquire, possess, and dispose of real or personal property, as may be necessary for the performance of its functions, to employ personnel and contract for services required to meet its obligations, and to sue or be sued. Any obligations of the authority, statutory, contractual, or otherwise, shall be the obligations solely of the authority and shall not be the obligations of the county or of the state unless expressly provided for in a contract or grant agreement between the authority and the county or the state.
(c) The authority shall bill the Medi-Cal program for services provided to Medi-Cal recipients.
(d) In the event the authority no longer functions for the purposes for which it was established, the board of supervisors may, by ordinance, terminate the authority at that time as the authority’s then existing obligations have been satisfied or the authority’s assets have been exhausted. Prior to the termination of the authority, the board of supervisors shall notify the department of its intent to terminate the authority and shall provide the department with an accounting of the assets and liabilities of the authority.
(e) Any assets of the authority shall be disposed of pursuant to provisions contained in the grant agreement entered into between the state and the authority pursuant to this chapter.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, the department may not enter into any arrangement with the authority to provide case management or fiscal intermediary services for dental health care provided to Medi-Cal recipients.
(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1996.)