50-4-805. Program expenditures. (1) Subject to appropriation by the legislature, the department shall provide competitive grants in accordance with 50-4-806 and this section to community or tribal boards operating as a nonprofit entity in accordance with the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 254b, to increase access to primary care and preventive health services for uninsured, underinsured, low-income, or underserved Montanans.

(2) Grants must be made each year to accomplish any of the following goals:

(a) to create and support new nonfederally funded community health centers with state funding for a maximum of 6 years or until federal funds are granted. Successful applicants for the state grants shall also apply for federally qualified health center look-alike status and federal community health center grants at the first available opportunity.

(b) to expand the medical, mental health, or dental services offered by existing federally qualified community health centers or other facilities that have received federally qualified health center look-alike status; and

(c) to provide one-time grants for capital expenditures to existing federally qualified community health centers and facilities with federally qualified health center look-alike status.

(3) The department shall contract with an entity that is able to:

(a) provide technical assistance to new and existing federally qualified community health centers in their efforts to apply for federal funds;

(b) assist new and existing centers in their efforts to expand services; and

(c) collect standardized data on the provision of services to low-income and uninsured Montanans.

(4) The department shall require the contractor to provide an annual report on the services it has provided, the data it has collected, and the status of applications for federal community health center funding.