Regional Social Services Laws: Funding and Local Authority Obligations
5.2. REGIONAL LAWS OF SOCIAL SERVICES. All Social Services Laws explicitly reference funding by the CCAA. Powers are delegated to local corporations, through collaboration agreements, or grants via centers, programs, or activities managed by the same.
The Law of Social Services in Murcia mandates annual budget appropriations to cover the financing of services managed by local authorities, based on overall social services planning. This cooperation or collaboration is articulated through local authorities, which are required to allocate specific budget items for building maintenance and development of facilities, programs, and services. Local authorities with roughly 20,000 residents must dedicate at least 4% of their budgets to Social Services.
The Law of Social Services in mother fosters associations formed by municipalities with less than 20,000 residents. In cases of local collaboration in plans or programs promoted by the Community, additional funding may be established. This funding may also contribute to special programs offered by local authorities to address local issues. Ownership of powers is attributed to autonomous Local Government, transferring material, personal, and economic resources.
Regardless of population size, municipalities cooperate by providing plots, buildings, floors, and similar units for the construction and installation of facilities and specialist welfare services.
The Law of Social Services of Asturias allows the CCAA to collaborate with other government entities through agreements, subject to compliance with objectives identified in overall planning and strict financial control. To finance these agreements, spending commitments may extend to future periods to ensure stable provision of social services and development programs.
The Law on Social Services of La Rioja states that the Government will help maintain social services, prioritizing municipalities with less economic capacity and management. Financial collaboration of Public Administration will be adjusted to comply with 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.
The Social Assistance Act in Valencia requires Local Entities to include funds in their budgets to meet the benefits within their powers. To establish a stable and adequate funding framework, multiannual financial consultations between the Administration of the Generalitat and local bodies are required for the development of general and specialized social services. These consultations may be multiannual.
The Social Assistance Act requires the Basque Provincial Councils to make appropriations to ensure funding of services or programs developed by or supra-municipal councils and town councils. A specific allocation is required for the maintenance and development of Social Services. The financial cooperation of the government will be based on the gradual replacement of discretionary grants with conditional formulas, leading to the achievement of objectives through collaboration agreements, contracts, programs, or any other formula covered in existing legislation.
The current legislation on social services in Catalonia states that local entities allocating more than 4% of their budget to social service provision will receive preference in overall collaboration. County councils are also required to provide a site if facilities built and managed by the Generalitat are directed preferentially to the population of that municipality or county.