Section 2515-A. Administration

1. The department is authorized to request
  and receive community service  project  plans,  as  defined  in  section
  twenty-five  hundred  fifteen-b  of  this  title. Such projects shall be
  limited to a twelve month duration but may, with the  approval  of  such
  department,  be  renewed  for  additional  periods based on demonstrated
  effectiveness, need, and availability of  funds.  The  department  shall
  offer  technical assistance to applicants for and operators of community
  service projects. Technical assistance shall be provided for, but  shall
  not  be  limited  to, the following activities: development of community
  service  plans,  overall   program   planning,   contract   development,
  budgeting, and designing local client-specific data collection systems.
    2.  The  department shall review such community service project plans.
  The commissioner, within appropriations made therefor, may approve  such
  plans  for  funding  in accordance with the provisions of this title. In
  approving or disapproving the funding of such  plans,  the  commissioner
  shall  only  approve  projects  which meet the requirements set forth in
  section twenty-five hundred fifteen-b of this  title  which  demonstrate
  clear  coordinating  activities with local social services districts and
  other available city, school, county, state or federally funded programs
  and shall give priority to projects which:
    (a)  stress  the  development  and  expansion  of  primary  prevention
  programs  aimed at decreasing the incidence of adolescent pregnancy, and
  the establishment of a comprehensive and coordinated approach to prevent
  initial and repeated pregnancy and to deal  more  effectively  with  the
  consequences associated with adolescent parenting;
    (b)  serve a geographic area where there is a large number of eligible
  adolescents, or a high rate of adolescent pregnancy;
    (c) serve a geographic area where the incidence  of  infant  mortality
  and  the  prevalence  of  low-income  families  are  high  and where the
  availability or accessibility of services for  eligible  adolescents  is
  low;
    (d) utilize existing community resources; and
    (e)  maximize  the  use  of federal, or other state, private and local
  resources.