Section 420. State aid

1. There shall be three alternative methods through
  which a county or municipality as defined in  this  article  can  obtain
  state  aid for youth programs provided in its geographic area. When such
  youth programs are approved for state aid by the commissioner, state aid
  shall be paid to the county or  municipality,  in  accordance  with  the
  approved  youth  program, within the limits of the state aid formula set
  forth in this section and within the limits of funds made  available  by
  appropriation.
    a. Comprehensive county plan; state aid.
    (1)  A  county may submit to the commissioner a comprehensive plan for
  the provision of a broad coordinated range of programs for the youth  of
  such county. Such a plan must have been developed in accordance with the
  regulations  of  the commissioner and shall include provision for review
  and evaluation of the programs provided to youth in the county.
    (2) Such county shall also submit to the commissioner, if required  by
  the  commissioner,  quarterly  estimates of anticipated expenditures for
  operation and maintenance of its  youth  program,  including  rental  of
  buildings,  purchase  of  equipment, administrative expense and approved
  expenditures  for  improvements  to  real  property  for  youth  program
  purposes not less than thirty days before the first day of the months of
  April,  July,  October  and  January,  in  such form and containing such
  additional information as the commissioner may require. At  the  end  of
  each  quarter each county shall submit to the commissioner, in such form
  as the commissioner may require, a verified accounting of the  financial
  operations  of  such  youth  program during such quarter together with a
  claim for reimbursement of one-half of such amount as  herein  provided.
  The  commissioner  may, at his discretion, permit the submission of such
  accountings for periods greater than three months, but not exceeding one
  year.
    (3) The commissioner shall thereupon certify to  the  comptroller  for
  payment  by  the  state  of  one-half  of  the  entire  amount  of  such
  expenditures as approved by the commissioner;  provided,  however,  that
  the  amount of state aid for youth bureaus shall not exceed seventy-five
  thousand dollars per  annum  for  any  county  youth  bureau  and  fifty
  thousand  dollars  for  any  city, town or village youth bureau except a
  city containing wholly within its boundaries more than  one  county  and
  such city may be granted state aid not in excess of an aggregate sum per
  annum  equal  to  seventy-five thousand dollars for each county therein;
  except that the commissioner may authorize additional state aid for  any
  youth bureau in an amount not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars per
  annum  where  a municipality has exceeded maximum state aid youth bureau
  eligibility for at  least  the  two  preceding  fiscal  years;  provided
  further, however, that the aggregate amount of state aid for recreation,
  youth  service  and similar projects to any county shall not exceed five
  thousand five hundred dollars per annum,  of  which  no  more  than  two
  thousand  nine  hundred dollars may be used for recreation projects, for
  each one thousand youths residing therein as shown by the last published
  federal census certified in the  same  manner  as  provided  by  section
  fifty-four of the state finance law. No county operating and maintaining
  such  a  youth  program shall receive state aid in excess of one-half of
  its expenditures as approved by the commissioner.
    (4) Any county which has fully utilized its  maximum  eligibility  for
  state  aid  for  youth  programs  provided in subparagraph three of this
  paragraph shall be eligible to receive additional state aid for programs
  which  provide  new  or  expanded  youth  development  and   delinquency
  prevention   services  designed  to  curb  the  high  priority  problems
  affecting youth, including but not limited to the problems  of  truancy,
  youth  prostitution,  school  violence,  multi-problem  families, police

  juvenile aid bureaus, and  the  inappropriate  placement  of  youths  in
  residential   or   institutional   settings,   in  accordance  with  the
  regulations of the commissioner. Such programs  shall  be  submitted  as
  part  of  the  comprehensive  county plan of such counties, and shall be
  consistent  with  the  goals  and  objectives  contained  therein.  Upon
  approval  of  such  programs,  the  commissioner  shall  certify  to the
  comptroller for payment by the state of one-half of the entire amount of
  expenditures for such approved programs, after first deducting therefrom
  any federal or other state funds received or to be received  on  account
  thereof,  provided, however, that the aggregate amount of such state aid
  shall not exceed one thousand dollars per annum for  each  one  thousand
  youths  residing  in  such county as shown by the last published federal
  census certified in the same manner as provided by section fifty-four of
  the state finance law.
    b. State aid for youth development and delinquency prevention programs
  through municipalities.
    (1) Each county, city, town or village  operating  and  maintaining  a
  youth  program  may  submit to the commissioner estimates of anticipated
  expenditures, including rental  of  buildings,  purchase  of  equipment,
  administrative  expense  and  approved  expenditures for improvements to
  real property for youth program purposes, at such time, in such form and
  containing such additional information as the commissioner may  require.
  At  the  end  of  each  quarter  each  municipality  shall submit to the
  commissioner, in such form as the commissioner may require,  a  verified
  accounting  of  the  financial  operations of such youth programs during
  such quarter together with a claim for reimbursement of one-half of such
  amount as herein provided. The  commissioner  may,  at  his  discretion,
  permit the submission of such accountings for periods greater than three
  months, but not exceeding one year.
    (2)  The  commissioner  shall thereupon certify to the comptroller for
  payment  by  the  state  of  one-half  of  the  entire  amount  of  such
  expenditures  as  approved  by the commissioner; provided, however, that
  the amount of state aid for youth bureaus shall not exceed  seventy-five
  thousand  dollars  per annum for any youth bureau of a county, and fifty
  thousand dollars for any youth bureau of a city, town or village, except
  a city containing wholly within its boundaries more than one county  and
  such city may be granted state aid not in excess of an aggregate sum per
  annum  equal  to  seventy-five thousand dollars for each county therein;
  and provided further, however, that the aggregate amount  of  state  aid
  for  recreation,  youth  service  and  similar  projects to a county and
  municipalities within such county shall not be less  than  two  thousand
  seven  hundred  fifty  dollars  of  which no more than one thousand four
  hundred fifty dollars may be  used  for  recreation  projects,  per  one
  thousand  youths  residing in the county based on a single count of such
  youths as shown by the last published  federal  census  for  the  county
  certified  in  the  same manner as provided by section fifty-four of the
  state finance law. Such aggregate amount of state aid shall be allocated
  first to the unit of local government having the least population and to
  each succeeding unit based on population in such manner so that  no  one
  youth shall be counted more than one time for state aid purposes.
    c. State aid for special delinquency prevention programs.
    (1)  Within  the  limits of funds made available by appropriation, the
  office and county youth bureaus may enter into  contracts  with  private
  not-for-profit  community  agencies  to  provide needed services for the
  operation of programs to prevent juvenile delinquency and promote  youth
  development.   Where   it  is  documented  that  private  not-for-profit
  community agencies are not  available  to  provide  such  services,  the

  office  and  county youth bureaus may allocate available funds to public
  agencies.
    (2) Funds shall be made available under this paragraph;
    (i)  by  the  office  to  county  youth  bureaus  to support community
  agencies in counties outside  the  city  of  New  York  based  on  youth
  population.    Funded  programs  must  be  submitted by the county youth
  bureaus as part of their  county's  comprehensive  county  plan  and  be
  consistent  with the goals and objectives contained therein. These funds
  shall be allocated by county youth bureaus for distribution  subject  to
  final funding determinations by the commissioner subject to the approval
  of the director of the budget;
    (ii)  by  the  commissioner  to  community  agencies  in  cities  with
  populations of three hundred thousand or more subject to the approval of
  the director of the budget; and
    (iii) by the commissioner to community agencies statewide and  through
  contingency  funding  subject  to  the  approval  of the director of the
  budget.
    (3) The office shall not reimburse any  claims  under  this  paragraph
  unless  they  are  submitted  within seven months of the project year in
  which the expenditure was made.
    2. Runaway and homeless youth plan; state aid.
    a. A county may submit to the commissioner a plan for the providing of
  services  for  runaway  and  homeless  youth,  as  defined  in   article
  nineteen-H  of  this  chapter.  Where such county is receiving state aid
  pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision one of this section, such runaway
  and homeless youth plan shall be submitted as part of the  comprehensive
  county  plan  and  shall  be  consistent  with  the goals and objectives
  therein. A runaway  and  homeless  youth  plan  shall  be  developed  in
  consultation  with  the  county  youth  bureau  and  the  county or city
  department  of  social  services,  shall  be  in  accordance  with   the
  regulations  of  the commissioner, shall provide for a coordinated range
  of services for runaway and homeless youth and their families  including
  preventive,  temporary  shelter,  transportation,  counseling, and other
  necessary assistance, and shall provide  for  the  coordination  of  all
  available  county  resources  for  runaway  and homeless youth and their
  families including services available through the county  youth  bureau,
  the  county  or  city  department  of  social  services, local boards of
  education, local drug and alcohol programs and organizations or programs
  which have past experience dealing with runaway and homeless youth. Such
  plan may include provisions for transitional independent living  support
  programs  for  homeless youth between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one
  as provided in article nineteen-H of this chapter. Such plan shall  also
  provide for the designation and duties of the runaway and homeless youth
  service coordinator defined in section five hundred thirty-two-a of this
  chapter  who  is  available  on  a  twenty-four hour basis and maintains
  information  concerning  available  shelter  space,  transportation  and
  services. Such plan may include provision for the per diem reimbursement
  for  residential  care of runaway and homeless youth in approved runaway
  programs which are authorized agencies,  provided  that  such  per  diem
  reimbursement shall not exceed a total of thirty days for any one youth.
    b.  Each  county  shall  submit  to  the  commissioner such additional
  information as the commissioner shall require, including but not limited
  to:
    (1) A description of  the  current  runaway  and  homeless  population
  including  their  age, place of origin, family status, service needs and
  eventual disposition;
    (2) A description of the public and  private  resources  available  to
  serve runaway and homeless youth within the county;

    (3)  A description of new services to be provided and current services
  to be expanded.
    c.  The  commissioner  shall  review  such  plan  and  may  approve or
  disapprove such plan, or any part, program, or project within such plan,
  and may propose such modifications and conditions as deemed  appropriate
  and necessary.
    d.  (1)  Counties  having  an approved runaway and homeless youth plan
  pursuant to this subdivision shall be entitled to reimbursement  by  the
  state  for  sixty  percent  of the entire amount of the expenditures for
  programs contained in such plan as approved by the  commissioner,  after
  first  deducting  therefrom any federal or other state funds received or
  to be received on account thereof. All reimbursement  pursuant  to  this
  subdivision  shall  be from and limited to funds appropriated separately
  for such runaway and homeless youth program purposes by the  state,  and
  shall  not  be  included under the limits set in subdivision one of this
  section. The county's share of the cost of such programs may be  met  in
  part  by  donated  private  funds or in-kind services, as defined by the
  office, provided that such private funding or receipt of services  shall
  not in the aggregate be more than fifty percent of such county's share.
    (2)  Notwithstanding  any inconsistent provision of law and subject to
  funds appropriated separately therefor,  a  county  having  an  approved
  runaway   and   homeless   youth  plan  which  includes  provisions  for
  transitional independent living support programs shall  be  entitled  to
  reimbursement by the state for sixty percent of the entire amount of the
  approved   expenditures  for  transitional  independent  living  support
  programs contained in the plan as  approved  by  the  commissioner.  The
  county's  share  of  the  cost  of  such  programs may be met by donated
  private funds or in-kind services, as defined by  the  office,  provided
  that such receipt of in-kind services shall not in the aggregate be more
  than fifty percent of such county's share.
    3.  For  the  purpose  of  reimbursement  by the state, administrative
  expenses shall include compensation for  personal  services  paid  by  a
  municipality,  to  any  employee  for  the  purpose of administering the
  benefits provided by this article. No state reimbursement shall be made,
  however, for such compensation  paid  to  any  employee  who  lacks  the
  qualifications  necessary  for the work or who, after a trial period, is
  considered by the commissioner unable to do satisfactory work.
    4. Moneys appropriated for use of the commissioner shall be  paid  out
  of  the  state  treasury on the certificate of the commissioner or of an
  officer of the office designated by the commissioner, after audit by and
  upon the warrant of the comptroller.
    5. a. Notwithstanding any  other  provision  of  law,  the  office  of
  children and family services shall plan for the statewide implementation
  by  the  thirty-first  day  of December, two thousand eight, of a county
  child and family services plan that combines  the  county  comprehensive
  plan  required  by this section and the multi-year consolidated services
  plan required by section thirty-four-a of the social services law into a
  single plan.
    b. All counties shall implement a county  child  and  family  services
  plan prior to or for the two thousand eight plan year in accordance with
  a  schedule  developed by the office of children and family services and
  shall continue to implement such a plan thereafter. With the approval of
  such office, a county may implement a child  and  family  services  plan
  before the date required by such schedule.
    c. The office of children and family services may waive any regulatory
  requirements  relating to the content and timing of county comprehensive
  plans that may impede the ability of a  county  to  implement  a  county
  child and family services plan.

    d.  Nothing  in  this  subdivision  shall  be  deemed to affect county
  planning requirements under the mental hygiene law.