(a) The Department of Health Care Finance shall issue grant funds to a diaper bank or diaper program for the purpose of providing funds for the purchase and distribution of free diapers to eligible parents and legal guardians with infants 3 years of age and under.
(b) To receive funds under the program, a diaper bank or diaper program shall submit a written application to the Department and satisfy the following conditions:
(1) Serve organizations and individuals within the District;
(2) Have an approved operating budget that includes the purchase of diapers approved by the board of directors or other governing body of the diaper bank or diaper program;
(3) Submit a detailed proposal outlining how the funds will be used to purchase and distribute free diapers to eligible parents and legal guardians with infants 3 years of age and under; and
(4) Meet any other criteria required by the Department.
(c) For purposes of this section, the term:
(1) "Eligible parent" means the natural parent, adoptive parent, or legal guardian of an infant that is 3 years of age or under that currently resides in the District and is:
(A) In a family that is eligible for:
(i) DC Healthcare Alliance;
(ii) DC Healthy Families;
(iii) Emergency Rental Assistance Program;
(iv) Housing Choice Program;
(v) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program;
(vi) Medicaid;
(vii) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children;
(viii) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;
(ix) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program; or
(x) Unemployment Insurance;
(B) Residing in an emergency shelter, temporary shelter, permanent supportive housing, or transitional housing; or
(C) Utilizing the services of the diaper bank or diaper program, or the diaper bank's or diaper program's partner organizations.
(2) "Department" means the Department of Health Care Finance.
(3) "Diaper bank" means a nonprofit organization or a fiscally sponsored project of a nonprofit organization that collects or purchases diapers and other hygiene products for infants, children, or adults and regularly distributes diapers over an extended period through 2 or more partner agencies for eventual distribution to individuals free of charge.
(4) "Diaper program" means a program within a nonprofit organization or a fiscally sponsored project of a nonprofit organization that collects or purchases diapers for the purpose of regularly distributing the diapers directly to individuals free of charge.
(Sept. 21, 2022, D.C. Law 24-167, § 5062, 69 DCR 009223.)
For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 5062 of Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-470, July 13, 2022, 69 DCR 008707).