§9-10-4. Criteria and priorities for use of Fund.

(a) The Secretary shall establish priorities and criteria for the disbursement of moneys in the Fund by conducting at least one annual public meeting in each of the state’s three congressional districts in existence on January 1, 2018, to identify the needs of citizens with traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, and to identify the gaps in services to these citizens. Public meetings held pursuant to the requirements of this section shall be noticed and advertised as public meetings, and the Secretary shall accept public comments for not less than thirty days following each public meeting.  

(b) On or before December 31 of each year the Secretary shall issue an annual report to the Governor and to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability, with recommendations for meeting the identified needs within the existing programs, proposing statutory changes to facilitate the delivery of services, improving coordination of services and summarizing its actions during the preceding year.

(c) Moneys expended for services described under section three of this article shall be as a payer of last resort and only for citizens of this state. An individual shall use comparable benefits and services that are available prior to the expenditure of moneys available to that individual through the Fund.