An Act to provide for more effective administration of public assistance in the District of Columbia, to make certain relatives responsible for support of needy persons, and for other purposes
PL 87-807 (S.914), enacted 10/15/1962

914 
PUBLIC LAW 87-807-OCT. 15, 1962 
[76 STAT. 
October 15, 1962 
[S. 914] 
District of Co-
lumbia Public 
Assistance Act 
of 1962. 
Public Law 87-807 
AN ACT 
To provide for more effective administration of public assistance in the District 
of Columbia, to make certain relatives responsible fOr support of needy persons, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Seriate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act may 
be cited as the "District of Columbia Public Assistance Act of 1962". 
DEFINITIONS 
SEC. 2. As used in this Act, the word "District" means the District 
of Columbia; the word "Commissioners" means the Commissioners 
of the District of Columbia or the agents, agencies, officers, and em-
ployees designated by them to perform any function vested in them by 
this Act; the term "public assistance" means payment in or by money, 
medical care, remedial care, goods or services to, or for the benefit of, 
needy persons; the word "recipient" means a person to whom or on 
whose behalf public assistance is granted and the word "State" 
includes Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. 
CATEGORIES AND ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 3. (a) The following categories of public assistance are hereby 
established: 
(1) Old Age Assistance; 
(2) Aid to the Blind; 
(3) Aid to the Disabled; 
(4) Aid to Dependent Children; 
(5) General Public Assistance. 
(b) This Act shall be administered by the Commissioners who 
shall— 
(1) provide for maximum cooperation with other agencies ren-
dering services to maintain and strengthen family life and to 
help applicants for public assistance and recipients to attain self-
support or self-care; 
(2) establish and enforce such rules and regulations as may 
be necessary or desirable to carry out the provisions of this Act; 
(3) cooperate in all necessary respects with agencies of the 
United States Government in the administration of this Act, 
and accept any funds, goods, or services payable to the District 
for public assistance and for administering public assistance; 
(4) enter into reciprocal agreements with any State relative 
to the provision of public assistance to residents and nonresidents. 
ELIGIBILITY FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 4. Public assistance shall be awarded to or on behalf of any 
needy individual who either (a) has resided in the District for one 
year immediately preceding the date of filing his application for such 
assistance; or (b) who was born within one year immediately pre-
ceding the application for such aid, if the parent or other relative 
with whom the child is living has resided in the District for one 
year immediately preceding the birth; or (c) is otherwise within one 
of the categories of public assistance established by this Act: Provided^ 
That no persons shall be eligible for old-age assistance established 
by category number 1, subsection (a) of section 3 of this Act, unless 
76 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 87-807-OCT. 15, 1962 
915 
he has resided in the District for five years or more witliin the nine 
years immediately preceding application for such assistance, and who 
has resided continuously therem for one year immediately preceding 
the said application. 
AMOUNT OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 5. (a) The amount of public assistance which any person shall 
receive shall be determined in accordance with regulations approved 
by the Commissioners. 
(b) Such amount as referred to in subsection (a) of this section 
shall not be less than the full amount determined as necessary on the 
basis of the minimum needs of such person as established in accord-
ance with such regulations. 
(c) The provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall become 
effective upon enactment. 
APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 6. Application for public assistance shall be accepted from, or 
on behalf of, any person who believes himself eligible for public 
assistance. Such application shall be made in the manner and form 
prescribed by the Commissioners, and shall contain such information 
as the Commissioners shall require. 
INVESTIGATION OF APPLICANT 
SEC. 7. Whenever the Commissioners shall receive an application 
for public assistance, they shall promptly make an investigation and 
record of the circumstances of the applicant in order to ascertain the 
facts supporting the application and to obtain such other information 
as they may require. 
AWARD AND PAYMENT OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 8. (a) Upon completion of the investigation, the Commis-
sioners shall determine whether the applicant is eligible for public 
assistance, the type and amount of public assistance for which he is 
eligible, and the date from which such public assistance shall begin, 
and shall furnish public assistance with reasonable promptness to all 
eligible persons: Provided^ That such date shall not be prior to the 
first day of the calendar month in which such determination is made, 
except that as a result of reconsideration or review of a case, and in 
order to correct previous erroneous administrative action such as 
undue delay or improper denial of assistance, an initial payment of 
public assistance may be made for a period beginning prior to the 
first day of the calendar month in which the eligibility determination 
is made. 
(b) Money payments of public assistance shall be made by check, 
except that in emergency cases under section 10 of this Act, money 
payments of public assistance may be made in cash, and to accomplish 
such purpose the Commissioners are authorized to make necessary 
provisions for advancing from time to time to one or more officers 
or employees of the District such sum or sums as the Commissioners 
may determine: Provided^ That no such advance shall be made to any 
such officer or employee who has not been previously bonded in such 
amount and form as the Commissioners sl^all determine. 
916 
PUBLIC LAW 87-807-OCT. 15, 1962 
[76 STAT. 
RECIPIENT 
INCAPACITATED 
SEC. 9. Whenever a recipient has been found by the Commissioners 
to be incapable of taking care of himself, liis property, or his money, 
and a person has been judicially appointed as legal representative, or 
a responsible person has been appointed by the Commissioners, on 
behalf of such incapacitated individual for the purpose of receiving 
and managing such individual's public assistance payments (whether 
or not he is such individual's legal representative for other purposes), 
public assistance payments may be made on behalf of such individual 
to such judicially appointed legal representative, or to such responsible 
person appointed by the Commissioners. 
EMERGENCY PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 10. The Commissioners may grant emergency public assistance 
j>ending completion of investigation when eligibility has been estab-
lished pursuant to section 4 of this Act: Provided^ That such emer-
gency assistance shall not be granted in any case for a period exceeding 
thirty days. 
REDETERMINATION OP GRANTS 
SEC. 11. All public assistance grants made under this Act shall be 
reconsidered by the Commissioners as frequently as they may deem 
necessary, but in every case the Commissioners shall make such recon-
siderations at least once in each year. 
After such further investiga-
tion as the Commissioners may deem necessary, the amount of public 
assistance may be changed, or may be entirely withdrawn, if the 
Commissioners find that any such grant has been made erroneously, 
or if they find that the recipient's circumstances have altered suffi-
ciently to warrant such action. 
If at any time during the continuance 
of public assistance the recipient thereof becomes possessed of income 
or resources in excess of the amount previously reported by him, or 
if other changes should occur in the circumstances previously reported 
by him which would alter either his need or his eligibility, it shall 
be his duty to notify the Commissioners of such fact immediately on 
the receipt or possession of such additional income or resources, or 
on the change of circumstances. 
RECORDS 
SEC. 12. (a) The Commissioners are directed to prescribe regulations 
governing the custody, use, and preservation of the records, papers, 
files, and communications of the Commissioners relating to public 
assistance. 
Except as herein otherwise provided, such regulations 
shall provide safeguards restricting the use or disclosure of informa-
tion concerning applicants for, or recipients of, public assistance to 
purposes directly connected with the administration of public as-
sistance. The Commissioners are authorized in their discretion to 
include in such regulations provision for the public to have access to 
the records of disbursement or payment of public assistance made 
after the effective date of this Act. 
(b) No person who obtains information by virtue of any regula-
tion made pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall use such 
information for commercial or political purposes. 
(c) This section and section 13 of this Act shall be construed as 
State legislation conforming to the requirements of section 618 of the 
65 Stat. 569. 
Revenue Act of 1951 (Public Law 183, Eighty-second Congress). 
76 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 87-807-OCT. 15, 1962 
917 
PENALTIES 
SEC. 13. Any person violating subsection (b) of section 12 of this 
Act shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprison-
ment of not more than ninety days, or by both such fine and imprison-
ment. Prosecutions for such violations and for violations of section 
17(a) of this Act shall be brought to the municipal court for the 
District of Columbia by the Corporation Counsel or any of his 
assistants. 
FUNERAL EXPENSES 
SEC. 14. On the death of a recipient, reasonable funeral expenses 
may be paid, subject to rules and regulations approved by the Com-
missioners. 
HEARINGS 
SEC. 15. An applicant for, or recipient of, public assistance 
aggrieved by the action or inaction of the Commissioners shall be 
entitled to a hearing. 
Each applicant or recipient shall be notified 
of his rights to a hearing. 
Upon request for such hearing, reasonable 
notice of the time and place thereof shall be given to such applicant 
or recipient. 
Such hearing shall be conducted in accordance with 
rules and reflations prescribed by the Commissioners. 
The findings 
of the Commissioners on any appeal shall be final. 
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE NOT ASSIGNABLE 
SEC. 16. Public assistance awarded under this Act shall not be 
transferable or assignable at law or in equity, and none of the money 
paid or payable to any recipient under this Act shall be subject to 
execution, levy, attachment, garnishment, or other legal process, or 
to the operation of any bankruptcy or insolvency law. 
FRAUD I N OBTAINING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE—REPAYMENT 
SEC. 17. (a) Any person who by means of false statement, failure 
to disclose information, or impersonation, or by other fraudulent 
device obtains or attempts to obtain or any person who knowingly aids 
or abets such person in the obtaining or attempting to obtain, (1) 
any grant or payment of public assistance to which he is not entitled; 
(2) a larger amount of public assistance than that to which he is 
entitled; or (3) payment of any forfeited grant of public assistance; 
or any person who with intent to defraud the District aids or abets 
in the buying or in any way disposing of the real property of a 
recipient of public assistance, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and 
shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $500, or imprisoned 
not to exceed one yeat, or both. 
(b) Any person who obtains any payment of public assistance to 
which he is not entitled, or in excess of that to which he is entitled 
shall be liable to repay such sum, or if continued on assistance, shall 
have future grants proportionately reduced until the excess amount 
received has been repaid. 
In any case in which, under this section, 
a person is liable to repay any sum, such sum may be collected with-
out interest by civil action brought in the name of the District. 
Any 
repayment required by this subsection may, in the discretion of the 
Commissioners, be waived in whole or in part, upon a finding by 
the Commissioners that such repayment would deprive such person, 
his spouse, parent, or child of shelter or subsistence needed to enable 
such person, spouse, parent, or child to maintain a minimum standard 
of health and well-being. 
918 
PUBLIC LAW 87-807~OCT. 15, 1962 
[76 STAT. 
PROPERTY 
SEC. 18. (a) At the death of any person who has received public 
assistance in the form of old-age assistance, or aid to the disabled 
pursuant to the provisions of this Act, or of any Act repealed by this 
Act, the District shall haye a preferred claim for the amount of any 
such public assistance against the estate of the deceased recipient. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, no statute of limi-
tations shall be deemed applicable as a defense to any claim of the 
District made pursuant to this section. 
The Commissioners are 
authorized to waive any such claim when in their judgment they 
deem it appropriate to do so. 
(b) In addition to the remedy provided by subsection (a) of this 
section, or by any other provision of law, the Commissioners may file 
Notice. 
a notice in the office of the Recorder of Deeds in any case where public 
assistance in the form of old-age assistance or aid to the disabled is 
granted to any person under this Act, and such notice shall constitute 
and have the effect of a lien in favor of the District against the real 
and personal property of such person for the amount of such public 
assistance which theretofore has been granted or which may thereafter 
be granted to, or on behalf of, such persons. Any such lien may be 
enforced by a proceeding filed in the United States District Court for 
the District of Columbia. The Commissioners shall file in the office 
of the Recorder of Deeds a release of any such real and personal 
property from the effect of such lien whenever there has been repaid 
to the District the amount of the public assistance theretofore granted 
to, or on behalf of, such person. The Commissioners are also author-
ized to release any such lien when in their judgment they deem it 
appropriate to do so. Such notices and releases may be filed without 
payment of fees. 
(c) If the District collects from any recipient of public assistance 
in the form of old-age assistance or aid to the disabled or from his 
estate, or otherwise, any amount with respect to public assistance 
furnished him under this Act, or under any Act repealed by this Act, 
the pro rata share to which the United States is equitably entitled 
shall be paid to the United States in accordance with the provisions 
49 Stat. 620. 
of the Social Security Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 303, 603, 1203, 
1353). 
The pro r^ta share due the District shall be deposited as 
miscellaneous receipts to the credit of the District. 
RESPONSIBLE RELATIVES 
SEC. 19. (a) The husband, wife, father, mother, or adult child of a 
recipient of public assistance, or of a person in need thereof, shall, 
according to his ability to pay, be responsible for the support of such 
person. Any such recipient of public assistance or person in need 
thereof or the Commissioners may bring an action to require such 
husband, wife, father, mother, or adult child to provide such support 
and the couit shall have the power to make orders requiring such hus-
band, wife, father, mother, or adult child to pay to such recipient of 
public assistance or to such person in need thereof such sum or sums 
of money in such installments as the court in its discretion may direct 
and such orders may be enforced in the same manner as orders for 
alimony. 
(b) The Commissioners shall be empowered on behalf of the Dis-
trict to sue such husband, wife, father, mother, or adult child for the 
amount of public assistance granted under this Act or under any Act 
repealed by this Act to such recipient or for so much thereof as such 
husband, wife, father, mother, or adult child is reasonably able to pay. 
76 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 87-807-OCT. 15, 1962 
919 
(c) All suits, actions, and court proceedings under this section shall 
be brought in the domestic relations branch of the municipal'court for 
the District of Columbia. To the extent applicable, the provisions of 
the Act entitled "An Act to establish a domestic relations branch in 
the municipal court for the District of Columbia, and for other pur-
poses", approved April 11, 1956, shall be followed in suits, actions, 
and proceedings brought pursuant to this section. 
PAYMENT OF EXPENSES 
SEC. 20. All necessary expenses incurred by the District in carrying 
out the provisions of this Act shall be disbursed in the same manner as 
other expenses of the District are disbursed. 
DELEGATION OF AUTHGRTrY 
SEC. 21. The Commissioners are authorized to make provisions for 
delegation and subdelegation of any function vested in them by this 
Act to any agency, officer, or employee of the District. 
VOLUNTARY SERVICES 
SEC. 22. The Commissioners are authorized to accept voluntary serv-
ices in administering the provisions of this Act. 
Such voluntary 
services shall not create any obligation against the District. 
70 Stat. 111. 
D. C. Code 
11-758. 
APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 23. (a) The Commissioners shall include in their annual esti-
mates of appropriations such sums as may be needed to carry out 
the provisions of this Act. 
(b) Unobligated balances of appropriations for the Department 
of Public Welfare are hereby made available for the purposes of this 
Act. 
REPEALS 
SEC. 24. The following Acts are hereby*repealed: The Act entitled 
"An Act to provide aid to dependent children in the District of 
Columbia", approved June 14, 1944 (58 Stat. 277); the Act entitled 
"An Act to amend the code of laws for the District of Columbia in 
relation to providing assistance against old-age want", approved 
August 24, 1935 (49 Stat. 747); and the Act entitled "An Act to pro-
vide aid for needy blind persons of the District of Columbia and '^^^oi. 
authorizing appropriations therefor", approved August 24, 1935 (49 
Stat. 744), as amended. Notwithstanding such repeal, all claims of 
the District of Columbia for recovery of amounts expended for aid 
or assistance granted under such repealed Acts which it now has, or 
which would have accrued had such Acts not been repealed, shall be 
recoverable in the same manner and to the same extent as such amounts 
would be recoverable had such aid or assistance been granted under 
the provisions of this Act. 
D. C. Code 
32-751. 
D. C. Code 
D. C. Code 
46-101. 
REORGANIZATION 
SEC. 25. This Act shall not be considered as affecting the authority 
vested in the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia by 
Reorganization Plan Numbered 5 of 1952 (66 Stat. 824), and the 
performance of any function vested by said plan in the Board of Com- "*^* ^ ^PP-
missioners or in any office or agency under the jurisdiction and control 
of said Board of Commissioners shall continue to be subject to delega-
D. C. Code 
920 
PUBLIC LAW 87-808-OCT. 15, 1962 
[76 STAT. 
tion by said Board of Commissioners in accordance with section 3 of 
such plan. 
Any function vested by this Act in any agency established 
pursuant to such plan shall be deemed to be vested in said Board of 
Commissioners and shall be subject to delegation in accordance with 
such plan. 
VALIDITY 
SEC. 26. If any provision of this Act or the application thereof to 
any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the Act 
and the application of such provision to other persons or circum-
stances shall not be affected thereby. 
EFFECTIVE DATE 
SEC. 27. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the provisions of 
this Act shall take effect on the first day of the second month follow-
ing the date of enactment. 
Approved October 15, 1962. 
October IS, 1962 
[S. 2454] 
Public Law 87-808 
AN ACT 
To amend the Housing Amendments of 1955 to make Indian tribes eligible for 
Federal loans to finance public works or facilities, and for other purposes. 
Indians. 
Public works 
loans, eligibility. 
69 Stat. 642. 
42 use 1491. 
75 Stat. 173. 
42 use 1492. 
75 Stat. 175, 
42 u s e 1497. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America, in Congress assembled, That section 201 of 
the Housing Amendments of 1955 is amended by— 
(a) striking out in the first paragrapn "subdivisions" and 
inserting in lieu thereof "subdivisions, and Indian tribes"; 
(b) striking out in the second paragraph "States," and insert-
ing in lieu thereof "States, and Indian tribes,"; and 
(c) striking out in the third paragraph "of States," and insert-
ing in lieu thereof "of States, and Indian tribes,". 
SEC. 2. Section 202 of such Act is amended by— 
(a) striking out in clause (1) of subsection (a) "same State)," 
and inserting in lieu thereof "same State), and Indian tribes"; 
(b) inserting ", or an Indian tribe" before the period at the end 
of the second sentence in subsection (c). 
SEC. 3. Section 207 of such Act is amended by striking out in the 
first sentence "instrumentalities" and inserting in lieu thereof "instru-
i^entalities, and Indian tribes". 
Approved October 15, 1962. 
October 15, 1962 
[S.J. Res. 235] 
Public Law 87-809 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
To extend the time during which loans for mass transportation facilities may be 
made under title II of the Housing Amendments of 1955. 
75 Stat. 174. 
42 u s e 1492. 
Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of America in Congress assem^bled. That section 202(d) of the 
Housing Amendments of 1955 is amended by striking out "December 
31,1962^' and inserting in lieu thereof "June 30,1963^ 
Approved October 15, 1962.