(a) The commission shall operate a nurse-family partnership competitive grant program for the commission to award grants for the implementation of nurse-family partnership programs, or the expansion of existing programs, and for the operation of those programs for a period of not less than two years.
(b) The commission shall award grants under the program to applicants, including applicants operating existing programs, in a manner that ensures that the partnership programs collectively operate in multiple communities that are geographically distributed throughout this state.