Regional Social Services Laws: Funding and Collaboration
Regional Laws of Social Services
Funding and Collaboration Mechanisms
All of the Social Services Laws make an explicit reference to funding by the CCAA (Autonomous Communities). Powers are delegated to local corporations, or collaboration agreements or grants are established through centers, programs, or activities managed by them.
Key Provisions Across Regions
- Murcia: The Law of Social Services mandates that Murcia annually includes in its budgets the appropriations needed to cover the financing of services managed by local authorities. This is based on the overall planning of social services, and cooperation or collaboration can be established. It requires local authorities with over 20,000 inhabitants to include specific budget items for building maintenance and the development of facilities, programs, and services. Municipalities with approximately 20,000 residents are required to devote at least 4% of their budgets to Social Services.
- Associations of Municipalities: The Law of Social Services encourages associations formed by municipalities with less than 20,000 inhabitants. In the case of local collaboration in plans or programs promoted by the Autonomous Community, local entities may provide land, premises, or other resources. Additional funding may also be contributed to finance special programs offered by local authorities to address local issues. Ownership and powers are transferred to autonomous local governments, along with the necessary material, personnel, and economic resources.
- Municipal Cooperation: Regardless of the size of its population, municipalities cooperate by providing plots, buildings, premises, and similar units for the construction and installation of facilities and specialized welfare services.
- Asturias: The Law of Social Services of Asturias allows the CCAA to collaborate with other government entities through agreements, subject to compliance with the objectives identified in the overall planning and strict financial control. To finance these agreements, spending commitments may extend to future periods to ensure the stable provision of social services and development programs.
- La Rioja: The Law on Social Services of La Rioja states that the Government will prioritize assistance to maintain social services, particularly for municipalities with less economic capacity and management resources. Financial collaboration with Public Administration will be adjusted based on compliance with the aforementioned objectives and strict enforcement of funds. Local Entities must include sufficient amounts in their budgets for the creation, maintenance, and management of established services and facilities.
- Valencia: The Social Assistance Act mandates that Local Entities in Valencia include funds in their budgets to meet the benefits within the scope of their powers. To establish a stable and adequate funding framework and achieve the greatest possible effectiveness, multiannual financial consultation between the Administration of the Generalitat and local bodies is established for the development of general and specialized social services. These agreements may also be multiannual.
- Basque Country: The Social Assistance Act requires the Basque Provincial Councils to make appropriations to ensure the funding of services or programs developed by supra-municipal councils and town councils. It also requires a specific allocation for the maintenance and development of Social Services. The financial cooperation of the government will be based on the gradual replacement of the system of discretionary repayable grants with a conditional formula that will lead to achieving objectives through collaboration agreements, program contracts, or any other formulas covered in existing legislation.
- Catalonia: The current legislation on social services in Catalonia states that local entities that allocate more than 4% of their budget to social service provision will enjoy preference in overall collaboration. It also requires county councils to provide a site if facilities built and managed by the Generalitat are directed preferentially to the population of that municipality or county.