Section 50-1-7. General Assembly findings; state authorized to administer programs

   (a) The General Assembly finds and determines that:

   (1) Federal law now provides at 42 U.S.C.A. Section 604a, and may hereafter provide under other federal laws, that subject to certain limitations states may:

      (A) Administer and provide services under certain federal programs through contracts with charitable, religious, or private organizations; and

      (B) Provide beneficiaries of assistance under certain federal programs with certificates, vouchers, or other forms of disbursement which are redeemable with such organizations

but that such authority shall not preempt any provision of a state constitution or state statute that prohibits or restricts the expenditure of state funds in or by religious organizations;

   (2) Article I, Section II, Paragraph VII of the Georgia Constitution provides that no money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect, cult, or religious denomination or of any sectarian institution;

   (3) Article III, Section VI, Paragraph II(a)(3) of the Georgia Constitution provides that the General Assembly may provide by law for participation by the state and political subdivisions and instrumentalities of the state in federal programs and the compliance with laws relating thereto;

   (4) Article III, Section IX, Paragraph II(c) of the Georgia Constitution provides that the General Assembly shall by general law provide for the regulation and management of the finance and fiscal administration of the state; and

   (5) The provisions of this Code section are authorized under a reasonable construction of such provisions of federal law and the Georgia Constitution.

(b) To the extent authorized and contemplated by federal law, the State of Georgia and its departments, agencies, instrumentalities, and political subdivisions may, in the course of participation in federal programs, administer programs and provide assistance in the manner contemplated by 42 U.S.C.A. Section 604a, and any other similar federal law, subject to the following conditions:

   (1) State and local government funds may be expended for administrative purposes incidental to the administration of such programs but neither state funds nor local government funds shall be distributed to any church, sect, cult, religious denomination, or sectarian institution, except as otherwise authorized by law or the Constitution of the State of Georgia;

   (2) If an individual objects to the religious character of an organization from which the individual receives, or would receive, program assistance or services, an alternative acceptable provider shall be made available to such individual;

   (3) A religious organization providing program assistance or services shall not discriminate against an individual in rendering program assistance or services on the basis of religion, religious belief, or participation in or refusal to participate in a religious practice or rite;

   (4) No funds provided to a religious organization to provide program assistance or services shall be expended for sectarian worship, instruction, proselytization, or promotion of any particular system of faith or worship; and

   (5) Organizations receiving funds to provide program assistance or services shall either be organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code or shall agree to be subject to audit of the use of state and local funds pursuant to appropriate rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Audits and Accounts for the administration of the terms of this Code section.

Code 1981, § 50-1-7, enacted by Ga. L. 2002, p. 1147, § 1.