Reimbursement Guidelines for the Certified Unified Program

Effective January 1, 2002, a county for which a Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) was not certified on or before January 1, 2000, and the Unified Program was implemented afterward, is eligible for Rural CUPA Reimbursement pursuant to Section 25404.3 and 25404.8 of the California Health and Safety Code (HSC).

Any CUPA may apply for Rural CUPA Reimbursement if it meets the following allocation standards:

• If the county has a population of less than 70,000 persons, the amount of the funds allocated from the account shall not exceed 75 percent of the amount budgeted by the CUPA to implement the Unified Program.
• If the county has a population of more than 70,000, but less than 100,000 persons, the amount of the funds allocated from the account shall not exceed 50 percent of the amount budgeted for the CUPA to implement the Unified Program.
• If the county has a population of more than 100,000 but less than 150,000 persons, the amount of the funds allocated from the account shall not exceed 35 percent of the amount budgeted for the CUPA to implement the Unified Program.

Each CUPA must institute a single fee system (HSC Section 25404.5), to ensure that the revenues collected under the single fee system and the amount allocated are sufficient to cover the necessary costs incurred by the CUPA for implementation of the Unified Program.

Each CUPA must determine the amount of the single fee to be paid by Unified Program regulated persons/businesses by conducting a workload analysis that establishes direct and indirect costs incurred by the CUPA for implementation of the Unified Program.

To receive a disbursement from the Rural CUPA Reimbursement Account, a CUPA must provide all of the following to the Secretary and meet Unified Program certification requirements:

1. A completed Disbursement Worksheet for Rural Reimbursement Account funds. CUPAs reapplying for the Rural Reimbursement Account must complete and submit a Year-End Worksheet. Worksheets may be submitted at the same time.
2. A copy of the final CUPA Budget approved by the Board of Supervisors for the current fiscal year. The budget should contain a breakdown of the specific CUPA funding. If it does not please Email: cupa@calepa.ca.gov.
3. CUPAs that are certified after June 2002, must submit evidence of adoption of a Single Fee system and official documentation of population. (Current U.S.Census data [2000] or other recognized source.)

No more than $60,000 may be allocated for all CUPAs in an eligible county. No disbursement can be distributed until an applicant county is fully certified and has adopted a single fee system.

For help completing the Disbursement Worksheet or the Year-End Worksheet, please Email: cupa@calepa.ca.gov.