(a) The office of the state long-term care ombudsman is hereby attached to the department of administration. The office of the state long-term care ombudsman shall be in Topeka, Kansas. The secretary of administration shall provide such technical assistance and advice as the secretary deems reasonable and necessary to assist the state long-term care ombudsman office to function as an independent state agency. The secretary of administration and the department of administration shall have no authority over the state long-term care ombudsman, any regional long-term care ombudsman, any other ombudsman, including any volunteer ombudsman, or any other officer, employee or volunteer of the office of the state long-term care ombudsman with respect to the performance of any power, duty or function of the office or the exercise of any other authority of the office or the state long-term care ombudsman.

(b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the secretary of administration shall include the budget estimate of the office of the state long-term care ombudsman, as prepared and approved by the state long-term care ombudsman, along with the budget estimate prepared and submitted to the division of the budget for the department of administration under Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-3717, and amendments thereto. The budget estimate of the office of the state long-term care ombudsman for each such fiscal year shall be prepared at the direction and under the supervision of the state long-term care ombudsman. Expenditures from appropriations to the department of administration for the office of the state long-term care ombudsman, made pursuant to budget estimates for the office, shall be made on vouchers approved by the state long-term care ombudsman or the state long-term care ombudsman’s designee. All vouchers for expenditures and all payrolls of the office of the state long-term care ombudsman shall be approved by the state long-term care ombudsman or the state long-term care ombudsman’s designee.