Section 3609. Grants for planning an establishment of new certified home health agencies

1. The commissioner is hereby  authorized,  within  the
  amount  allocated pursuant to subdivisions one, two and three of section
  thirty-six hundred fifteen of this article, to make grants to  voluntary
  not-for-profit  organizations  in  areas  of the state determined by the
  commissioner to be in need of home care services.
    2. Such grants shall be awarded  for  the  purposes  of  planning  for
  establishment  as  a  certified  home  health agency pursuant to section
  thirty-six hundred six of this chapter.
    3. Such grants shall not exceed twenty thousand dollars per annum  and
  are not renewable.
    4.  The  grant applications shall include such information as required
  by the commissioner, after consultation with the state council  on  home
  care services.
    5.  Funds  for  such  grants  shall  be made available pursuant to the
  funding formula and allocations as provided in subdivisions one, two and
  three of section thirty-six hundred fifteen of this article.
    6. The commissioner shall approve applications in accordance with  the
  provisions  of  subdivisions  five,  six and seven of section thirty-six
  hundred fifteen of this article.