§29-22A-19. Compulsive Gambling Treatment Fund; contract requirements for compulsive gamblers treatment program.

(a) There is established a separate special account to be known as the "Compulsive Gambling Treatment Fund". The fund shall be appropriated from the Commission's administrative expense account and shall be not less than $150,000 nor more than $500,000 per fiscal year, as determined by the commission, as well as other amounts designated for in this chapter to provide funds for compulsive gambling treatment programs in the state.

(b) The Department of Human Services shall administer the grants and funds issued from the "Compulsive Gambling Treatment Fund".

(c) The Department of Human Services shall develop criteria consistent with this section which a treatment program for compulsive gamblers must meet in order to become eligible for a grant from the funds made available for treatment programs pursuant to this provision.

(d) The Department of Human Services is not subject to the purchasing requirements as set forth in the legislative rule of the Purchasing Division of the Department of Administration: Provided, That the Department of Human Services shall comply with all contract requirements set forth in this section.

(e) The Department of Human Services shall develop procedures for bidding and awarding the contract, which must include:

(1) The procedures to be followed for submitting bids and the procedures for making awards;

(2) The proposed general terms and conditions for the contract;

(3) The description of the commodities and services required for the contract, with sufficient clarity to assure that there is a comprehensive understanding of the project's scope and requirements, including, but not limited to, the following elements:

(A) Services to be provided, including education, prevention, crisis intervention, outreach, assessment, referral and treatment for problem gamblers, and protocols for emergency treatment;

(B) Requirements for the business and professional licensing of providers, parameters for media-related advertising and public service announcements;

(C) Training, licensing, monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements;

(D) Requirements for maintaining the confidentiality of the client population; and

(E) Rights to conduct financial and performance audits;

(4) A proposed time schedule commencement and completion of the contract;

(5) A budget for the contract;

(6) Requirements or restrictions for the subletting of specific portions of the contract, if any; and

(7) Requirements for professional liability and other insurance coverage.

(f) The Department of Human Services may award the contract based on low bid, best value, sole source or other basis, or may choose to reject all bids and reissue an invitation for bids: Provided, That the Department of Human Services shall document the basis of its decisions under this subsection and shall report its decisions in the annual report required in subsection (j) of this section.

(g) The Department of Human Services shall hold a post award conference with the contractor to ensure a clear and mutual understanding of all contract terms and conditions, and the respective responsibilities of all parties. The agenda for the conference shall include, at a minimum, the introduction of all participants and identification of department and contractor key personnel, and discussion of the following items:

(1) The scope of the contract, including specifications of requirements set forth in the bid request;

(2) The contract terms and conditions, particularly any special contract provisions;

(3) The technical and reporting requirements of the contract;

(4) The contract administration procedures, including contract monitoring and progress measurement;

(5) The rights and obligations of both parties and the contractor performance evaluation procedures;

(6) An explanation that the contractor will be evaluated on its performance both during and at the conclusion of the contract and that such information may be considered in the selection of future contracts;

(7) Potential contract problem areas and possible solutions;

(8) Invoicing requirements and payment procedures, with particular attention to whether payment will be made according to outcomes achieved by the contractor; and

(9) An explanation of the limits of authority of the personnel of both the department and the contractor.

(h) The Department of Human Services shall develop a comprehensive and objective monitoring checklist which:

(1) Measures treatment outcomes;

(2) Monitors compliance with contract requirements; and

(3) Assesses contractor performance on a quarterly and annual basis.

(i) The commission may not influence or interfere with the operation of the program or the advertising and marketing decisions of the contractor.

(j) The Department of Human Services may monitor contract performance, review compliance with the contract's terms and conditions, request and review pertinent information in support of tendered invoices and conduct other investigation so as to enable it to properly assess whether the project's objectives and the contract's terms and conditions are being met. However, the Department of Human Services may not unduly influence or interfere with the operation of the program or the advertising and marketing decisions of the contractor.

(k) Once any contract to render services under a compulsive gambling treatment program is awarded pursuant to this section, the contract shall be administrated by the Department of Human Services, and the department shall maintain all records pertaining to each request for reimbursement and disbursement for under said contract for a minimum of five (5) years.

(l) The contractor may prominently promote, display or advertise the Compulsive Gambler's Treatment Program, its purpose, its hotline or its program events in any location in which the Lottery Commission promotes, displays, advertises or conducts operations or in any other location: Provided, That the Lottery Commission's name, logo or other indicia may not appear on any advertising, marketing or promotional material of the contractor.

(m) The Department of Human Services shall report annually to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance on the amount of program funds distributed, the amount of administrative fee retained by the department and its use of the fee, the number of persons served by the program, and on each requirement set forth in this section.