Office of health care assurance special fund; deposits; expenditures.

(a) There is established within the department of health, to be administered by the department of health, the office of health care assurance special fund into which shall be deposited moneys collected under section 321-11.5(b), license fees for the administration of the durable medical equipment supplier license program collected pursuant to section 321-544, and all administrative penalties imposed and collected by the office of health care assurance pursuant to section 321-20.

(b) Moneys in the special fund shall be expended by the department of health:

(1) To assist in offsetting operating costs and educational program expenses of the department of health's office of health care assurance; and

(2) For the purpose of enhancing the capacity of office of health care assurance programs to:

(A) Improve public health outreach efforts, program and community development, and consultations to industries regulated;

(B) Educate the public, the staff of the department of health, and other departments within the State, as well as staff and providers of all health care facilities and agencies regulated; and

(C) Administer and support the durable medical equipment supplier license program established pursuant to part XLIII.

(c) The department of health shall submit a report to the legislature concerning the status of the special fund, including the amount of moneys deposited into and expended from the special fund, and the sources of receipts and uses of expenditures, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session. [L 1999, c 120, §1; am L 2002, c 188, §1; am L 2007, c 90, §1; am L 2016, c 137, §3; am L 2022, c 38, §2]