§ 68-12-107 — Powers of department - Special fund - Collection and disbursement of moneys

The department of health is authorized and empowered to: (1) Accept gifts, donations or bequests from either public or private sources made or placed in trust to assist in carrying out the purposes of this chapter; provided, that such funds shall be placed in the care of the state treasurer and shall be designated as the "special private fund for children with a physical disability"; and provided further, that any donation or gift, if expressly specified by the donor, may be used to supplement the salary of any person engaged in work for children with a physical disability, whether such person is an employee of the state or not; (2) Collect payments, in cooperation with local courts and specially appointed local representatives, from parents or guardians who are able to pay, in whole or in part, for the care of their children and wards; (3) Pay the costs of children's special services, including the costs of care and treatment for the children, the payment to be made out of the funds available for that purpose through state legislative appropriations, federal grant-in-aid, or gifts or donations, or funds paid in by parents or guardians, or by counties, as reimbursements; provided, that no part of the funds coming by way of gift, donation, bequests or reimbursements made to the department for the care of children shall be used for administration, unless given expressly for that purpose; and (4) Charge to the proper fiscal officers of counties in which such certified or committed children have their legal residences, such part of the costs, exclusive of the cost of administration, incurred by the department in treating and caring for such children as may be determined by a formula to be devised by the [former] public health council [repealed] of the department. The formula shall take into consideration, among other items, counties' appropriation made specifically for children's special services in relation to total population of the county, availability of state and other funds available for matching county funds, ability of the county to appropriate funds for all county services, and special needs in public health and related fields.

Legislative History

Acts 1929, ch. 60, § 7; Code 1932, § 4753; Acts 1935, ch. 135, § 2; C. Supp. 1950, § 4753; Acts 1959, ch. 57, § 5; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 53-1907; Acts 2011 , ch. 47, § 83.