Alabama § 26-16-71 - Allocation of Funds to Eligible Centers.

§ 26-16-71. Allocation of Funds to Eligible Centers.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) ASSOCIATE MEMBER CENTER. A child advocacy center that is working towards full membership status and has been approved by the network for associate membership status.

(2) BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The Board of Directors of the Alabama Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, Incorporated.

(3) FULL MEMBER CENTER. A child advocacy center that is certified by the network as a full member pursuant to subsection (b).

(4) NETWORK. The Alabama Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, Incorporated.

(5) PILOT PROJECT. A program initiated by the board of directors to serve children in underserved areas of the state.

(b) The network may certify a child advocacy center as a full member center if the child advocacy center meets the standards of Section 26-16-70 and any other standards approved by the board of directors to ensure compliance with national best practices.

(c) A full member center shall be eligible to receive funds that are appropriated from the State of Alabama to the Alabama Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, Incorporated. Beginning with the fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, 10 percent of the total annual appropriation to the network shall be allocated for use by the network in funding associate member centers, pilot projects, and administrative and training projects of the network. Beginning with the fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, 90 percent of the total annual appropriation to the network shall be allocated as follows:

(1) Each full member center shall receive a base amount allocation as follows:

a. A base amount sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall be allocated and distributed to each full member center during the first fiscal year following certification, provided sufficient additional funds are appropriated to the network for each new full member center added to the network.

b. A base amount sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) shall be allocated and distributed to each full member center during the second fiscal year following certification, provided sufficient additional funds are appropriated to the network for each new full member center added to the network.

c. A base amount sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall be allocated and distributed to each full member center during the third and subsequent years following certification, provided sufficient additional funds are appropriated to the network for each new full member center added to the network.

(2) Each associate member center shall receive a base amount allocation of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) during the first and second fiscal years following approval by the network for associate membership status. If the associate member is not certified as a full member at the conclusion of the second fiscal year, the board of directors may on an annual basis authorize continued payment as an associate member center.

(3) Any appropriated funds remaining after the allocations in subdivisions (1) and (2) have been satisfied shall be allocated proportionately by the network to each full member center based upon the number of forensic interviews and forensic evaluations conducted and the number of children receiving counseling at each full member center during the preceding fiscal year as compared to the total number of forensic interviews and forensic evaluations conducted and the number of children receiving counseling at full member centers throughout the state during the same preceding fiscal year. Forensic interview, forensic evaluation, and counseling data used for determining proportional allocation amounts shall be obtained from the annual services report summary compiled by the network.

(d) If the annual amount of state appropriated funds is less than the sum of the total allocations provided in subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(2), a lesser base amount that is equivalent to each full member and associate member center’s pro rata share of the total appropriation shall be allocated and distributed to each center.

(e) If a full member center fails to meet the standards established in subsection (b) for a period of one year or longer, or otherwise ceases to be certified or exist, the base amount allocation designated for that center shall be calculated by the network as part of the total annual appropriation amount and allocated and distributed to the remaining centers according to this section. Any full member center that fails to meet the standards established in subsection (b) for a period of one year or longer, or otherwise ceases to be certified or exist, shall not be eligible to receive state funding until recertified by the network.