§16-5K-3. Responsibilities of the Department of Health.

(a) The department is the administering agency for the development of a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, interagency system of early intervention services.

(b) Consistent with the provisions of Public Law 99-457, as enacted by the Congress of the United States, the department has the following responsibilities:

(1) To carry out the general administration, supervision and monitoring of early intervention programs and activities;

(2) To resolve complaints regarding the requirements of Public Law 99-457;

(3) To identify and coordinate all available resources within the state from federal, state, local and private sources;

(4) To enter into formal interagency agreements with other state agencies involved in early intervention;

(5) To resolve intraagency and interagency disputes and to ensure that early intervention services are provided in a timely manner pending the resolution of such disputes; and

(6) To coordinate and implement a comprehensive system of personnel development, including the certification and credentialing of qualified personnel pursuant to federal regulations or requirements.

(c) The department may propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code necessary to carry out the purposes of this article.

(d) The department and the Department of Education shall enter into a formal interagency agreement regarding early intervention services. The agreement shall define the financial responsibility of each agency, describe the transition of services to children and their families between service systems, and establish procedures for resolving disputes.