Emerging Threats- Local Health Department - 2026

The Local Health Department agreement is a grant agreement between the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and each of Michigan’s 45 Local Health Departments (LHDs). This agreement contains the majority of the MDHHS funded programs provided through LHDs.

The legal basis for the LHD agreement can be found in 333.2484 of Michigan’s Public Health Code (P.A. 368 of 1978, as amended). This section grants authority to the Department to enter into agreements with LHDs, requiring the implementation of standards and providing for the reimbursement of expenses. Local health service programs funded through the LHD agreement are administered in accordance with the Public Health Code, rules promulgated under the Code, minimum program requirements and all other applicable Federal, State and Local laws, rules and regulations. Stemming back to its inception in the 1980’s, the LHD agreement represents the Department’s efforts to streamline the contracting process with LHDs. Prior to its creation, LHDs received separate agreements for each program throughout the year, which required multiple approvals from the jurisdictional boards. The LHD agreement provided a vehicle to consolidate and standardize these agreements into a single comprehensive agreement, thus improving the overall efficiency of the contracting process for LHDs as well as the Department. Each year, an original LHD agreement is developed and execution by the Department and the LHDs.

This LHD agreement contains boilerplate language that outline general terms and conditions; Attachment I – Budget Instructions; Attachment II – Output Report; Attachment III – Special Requirements; Attachment IV- Allocation Matrix; and a table with the current Rules and Regulations references that govern the agreement and its programs. During the fiscal year, the LHD agreement will be amended to add actual program budgets, to modify general provisions, add new programs and funding, and to modify funding levels as needed. Each program budget is reviewed and approved by the MDHHS program staff before it is incorporated into the LHD agreement through an amendment. MDHHS program staff review the budgets to ensure that funds will be expended in accordance with the program’s purposes and requirements. Additionally, there are two guidance documents that contain minimum program requirements and reporting requirements that are referenced in the LHD agreement. By referencing these two documents instead of including all of the specific requirements, the size of the LHD agreement is kept to a minimum and allows for changes to the documents to occur outside of the agreement amendment process.

Each year, the LHDs are contractually required to provide the following reports throughout the year: Quarterly Financial Status Report (FSR), A final FSR, A Local Maintenance of Effort Report, Initial and Actual Output Measures Reports.