(a) The department may contract with or award grants to qualified entities in the state to administer an Alaska temporary assistance program or a distinct part of the Alaska temporary assistance program. The department may establish standards for the administration of services under the grant or contract, including fees to be charged to applicants for or recipients of those services.
(b) Contracts authorized under this section are to be administered in accordance with AS 47.05.015. Grants authorized under this section are to be awarded using requirements, established in regulation, that are substantially similar to those set out in AS 47.05.015 for contracts.
(c) This section may not be construed to expand the powers of a municipality.
(d) In this section, “qualified entities” include municipalities, other political subdivisions of the state, nonprofit corporations formed under AS 10.20, churches and religious organizations, and incorporated and unincorporated businesses operating within the state that meet the requirements established by the department in regulation.