Authority: Title 63.2, Chapter 1; § 2.2-4000 et seq., Code of Virginia; P.L. 98-502, P.L. 104-156, P.L. 104-193, P.L. 104-327, P.L. 105-33, as amended; P.L. 105-89; P.L. 105-178, Federal Code; Titles IV-A, IV-B, IV-D, IV-E, XIX, XX, XXI of the federal Social Security Act, as amended.

A.1. The Department of Social Services shall own hardware and database management software purchased with funds appropriated to it. The Virginia Information Technologies Agency may charge the Department of Social Services for operations and maintenance of such equipment and products but may not include any portion of the purchase price in the calculation of such charges. The Virginia Information Technologies Agency may not use or sell the excess capacity resulting from these purchases, except pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Departments of Planning and Budget, the Department of Social Services and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency. Any such MOU must provide for appropriate reimbursement to the general fund and any federal grant contributions for the purchases.

2. Recovery of the federal share of the cost of computer equipment in years following the Department's original purchase with general fund appropriation shall be deposited as revenue of the general fund in reimbursement for general fund expenditures made in prior years.

B. The Department of Social Services shall require localities to report all expenditures on designated social services, regardless of reimbursement from state and federal sources. The Department of Social Services is authorized to include eligible costs in its claim for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Maintenance of Effort requirements.

C. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services shall work with localities that seek to voluntarily merge and consolidate their respective local departments of social services. No funds appropriated under this act shall be used to require a locality to merge or consolidate local departments of social services.

D.  The Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with relevant state and local agencies, shall develop proposed criteria for assessing funding requests for addressing space needs among local departments of social services, as well as proposed consolidated human services buildings.  The criteria shall include but not be limited to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, access to public transportation, life safety issues, condition of current space and related major building systems, impact on service delivery, and other factors as may be appropriate.  The Department shall use the criteria to prioritize local requests for increased state reimbursement for renovating existing space, relocating or constructing new space.  The Department shall forward a prioritized list of projects to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the Department of Planning and Budget by November 1 of each year for consideration by the Governor in the development of the budget.  The Department shall also submit a copy of the list of prioritized projects by November 1 of each year, to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees.

E. The Department of Social Services is authorized to enter into a contractual agreement to finance the conversion of certain Maintaining and Preparing/Producing Executive Reports (MAPPER) software programs to an industry standard web-based programming environment under the following circumstances: a) The conversion project shall not exceed four years commencing on July 1, 2007; b) Financing for the project shall not exceed $25 million; c) Any debt incurred by the department shall be re-paid over a period of three to five years from savings generated by reductions in annual operational expenditures after project completion; d) Any agreement shall have the prior approval of the Secretary of Technology, Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Secretary of Finance, and Treasury Board.