§22-21-220. Apportionment of appropriated funds to counties.

(a) All funds appropriated each year for the use of the State Board of Health in carrying out the provisions of this article, except as may otherwise be provided in this section, shall be apportioned among the various counties of the state as follows:

(1) Twenty-five percent of the amount of such funds shall be apportioned in equal parts among the 67 counties of the state; provided, that no county shall be allotted any state funds under this subdivision unless the county commission of such county shall certify in writing to the State Board of Health, not later than January 1, of each year, that the county does desire to participate in the Hospital Service Program for Indigents during the current fiscal year to the extent of such funds. In the event that the county commission of any county fails or refuses to certify to the State Board of Health that the county does desire to participate in the Hospital Service Program for Indigents, in the manner prescribed in this subdivision, then any amount which would have inured to such county under the provisions of this subdivision shall be apportioned in equal parts among the remaining counties in the state participating in such program; and

(2) Seventy-five percent of the amount of such funds shall be apportioned among the various counties in the proportion which the population of each county bears to the total population of the state, according to the last or any subsequent federal decennial census; provided, that no county shall be allotted any state funds under this subdivision unless the county commission of such county shall certify in writing to the State Board of Health, not later than January 1, of each year, that the county does desire to participate in the Hospital Service Program for Indigents during the current fiscal year and that the county commission of the county has budgeted for, and made an appropriation of, county funds sufficient to match, dollar for dollar, all or a portion of the amount of state funds allotted the county during the current fiscal year under the provisions of this subdivision; and the county commission shall also certify the amount of such state funds the county will match, dollar for dollar. The term "county funds," as used in this subdivision, shall not include any funds allotted or apportioned to any county under the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection. In the event that the county commission of any county fails or refuses to certify to the State Board of Health that the county does desire to participate in the Hospital Service Program for Indigents under the provisions of this article, in the manner prescribed in this subdivision, and that the county has budgeted for, and made an appropriation of, county funds sufficient to match, dollar for dollar, all, or a portion of, the state funds allotted to the county during the current fiscal year under the provisions of this subdivision or in the event the amount of county funds so certified by the county commission of a county is not sufficient to match, dollar for dollar, all of the state funds allotted to the county under the provisions of this subdivision, then the amount of such state funds which would have inured to any such county and the amount of state funds remaining unmatched by any such county shall be apportioned among the remaining participating counties who have matched all of the state funds allotted to them under the provisions of this subdivision, in the proportion which the population of each such participating county bears to the total population of all such participating counties, according to the last or any subsequent federal decennial census, provided the county commission of each such county shall make an appropriation of county funds sufficient to match, dollar for dollar, the amount of any such state funds allotted to the county under this subdivision. If any state funds remain unmatched after such second apportionment, further allocations of such unmatched state funds shall be made in the same manner, but no county shall receive any state funds under the provisions of this subdivision unless the county commission of the county shall make an appropriation of county funds sufficient to match, dollar for dollar, the amount of such state funds.

(b) All funds allotted to any county under the provisions of this section shall be used exclusively in providing hospitalization for indigents, in the manner and to the extent provided for by this article, and for no other purpose.

(c) If all the funds allotted to any county under the provisions of this article shall have been expended in providing hospitalization for indigents, in the manner provided in this section, prior to the end of any current fiscal year, such county shall not be under any financial obligation under the provisions of this article during the remainder of such current fiscal year.

(Acts 1957, No. 394, p. 539, §5.)