reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 18a § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18a - Department of Youth Services|Section 8 - Bureau of Institutional Services; Duties; Assistant Commissioner

Section 8. The bureau of institutional services shall operate the Residential Treatment Unit, Oakdale, the Lyman School for Boys at Westborough, the Industrial School for Boys at Shirley, the Institute for Juvenile Guidance at South Bridgewater, the Industrial School for Girls at Lancaster and Stephen L. French Forestry Camp at East Brewster. Said bureau shall be responsible for all programs within the institutions of the department other than those programs which are primarily clinical or educational, and shall from time to time evaluate such programs to determine their effectiveness. Said bureau shall coordinate programs between institutions and also with other programs of the department to assure effective continuity in the rehabilitative process.  The commissioner shall appoint an assistant commissioner for the bureau of institutional services who shall have an earned graduate degree from an accredited institution in the social sciences, education, or related fields. Said assistant commissioner shall have had at the time of his appointment at least five years professional experience in working with delinquent children in an institutional setting, with at least two of these years having been spent in an administrative capacity. Said assistant commissioner shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner. Said assistant commissioner shall from time to time make recommendations to the commissioner relative to the need of major alteration and renovation, expansion, relocation or replacement of existing institutions or camps and the construction of additional institutions or camps.
MA Gen L ch 18a § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18a - Department of Youth Services|Section 9 - Advisory Committee

Section 9. There shall be in the department an advisory committee consisting of the commissioner of youth services, the commissioner of welfare, the commissioner of the department of early education and care, the commissioner of mental health, the commissioner of education, the chairman of the parole board, the commissioner of correction, the commissioner of probation, the commissioner of rehabilitation, the chairman of the Massachusetts commission against discrimination, the executive secretary of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and the executive secretary of the Massachusetts Committee on Children and Youth, all of whom shall serve ex officiis, and nine other persons to be appointed by the secretary of health and human services, with the approval of the governor. Such persons shall have demonstrated professional involvement and expertise in the area of delinquency prevention, rehabilitation, and treatment. Upon the expiration of the term of office of any appointed member, his successor shall be appointed for a term of three years. Any vacancy shall be filled by the secretary of health and human services for the remainder of the unexpired term. The secretary of health and human services shall appoint from the members of said committee a chairman and a vice chairman. The committee may appoint a full time executive secretary. Members of said committee shall serve without compensation, but each member shall be reimbursed by the commonwealth for all reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of his official duties.  Said advisory committee shall have the following duties: (a) It shall advise the commissioner on policy, program development and priorities of need in developing a comprehensive program (1) for the treatment, rehabilitation and custody of juvenile offenders and (2) for integration of the juvenile offender into constructive community life. (b) It shall review the annual plan and the proposed annual budget for the department, and shall make recommendations to the commissioner relative thereto. (c) It shall advise on the recruitment policies of the schools in the department. (d) It shall submit an annual report in which it may propose legislation and present material for the education of the public. (e) It shall visit, at its discretion, every institution and facility within the jurisdiction of the department. It shall meet at least four times a year and shall convene special meetings at the call of the chairman of the committee, a majority of the committee, or the commissioner. For the purposes of holding meetings and conducting official business, a majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum. A written record of all meetings of the committee shall be maintained by the executive secretary and a copy filed within fifteen days after each meeting by said secretary with the commissioner of administration and finance.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 1 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 1 - Establishment

Section 1. There shall be a department of children and families, in this chapter called the department.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 2 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 2 - Services Enumerated

Section 2. The department shall provide and administer a comprehensive child welfare program for children and families, including the following services:—  (1) casework or counseling, including services to families, foster families or individuals;  (2) protective services for children;  (3) legal services for families, children or individuals who are clients of the department;  (4) adoption services;  (5) information and referral services;  (6) foster family care for children and specialized foster family care for children with special needs;  (7) residential care for children with special needs who are not suited for foster family care or specialized foster family care;  (8) informal education and group activities;  (9) training in parenthood and home management for parents, foster parents and prospective parents;  (10) family services intended to prevent the need for foster care and services to children in foster care;  (11) temporary residential programs providing counseling and supportive assistance for families in transition and their children who, because of domestic violence, homelessness, or other situations, require temporary shelter and assistance;  (12) camping services;  (13) information and referral services;  (14) services for families and individuals in emergency and transitional housing;  (15) comprehensive youth development services;  (16) access to and coordination of medical, dental and mental health services for children in foster care whose families are receiving services from other state agencies; and  (17) child care placements for children whose families have an open case with the department.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 3 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 3 - Functions of Department; Area-Based Service Programs

Section 3. (a) The department shall provide comprehensive, area-based child welfare services. These services shall be organized by regions and areas consistent with those established by the secretary of health and human services under section 16 of chapter 6A.  (b) In order that the area-based services be adapted, organized and coordinated to meet the needs of certain population groups, the department shall provide programs for:  (1) families and children which shall, among other objectives, serve to assist, strengthen and encourage family life for the care and protection of children, assist and encourage the use by any family of all available resources to this end, and provide substitute care of children only when preventive services have failed and the family itself, or the resources needed and provided to the family, cannot insure the integrity of the family and the necessary care and protection to guarantee the rights of any child to sound health and normal physical, mental, spiritual and moral development; and  (2) other population groups which require special adaptation of the services provided because of special needs.  (c) The department shall:  (1) formulate the policies, procedures and rules necessary for the full and efficient implementation of programs authorized by the laws of the commonwealth and federal laws in the area of services for children and families;  (2) administer the services, funds and personnel necessary for these programs throughout the commonwealth;  (3) establish and enforce high standards of service and strive to elevate such standards;  (4) provide the range of services on a fair, just and equitable basis to all people in need of such services;  (5) collaborate with other departments of the commonwealth and with voluntary or private agencies or organizations to assure efficient and high-quality social and educational services for persons who are unable, for social or economic reasons, to provide such services for themselves;  (6) study the social and economic problems in the commonwealth and make recommendations to the appropriate branches and agencies of government, including the office of the child advocate, for broadening and improving the scope and quality of child welfare services; and  (7) recruit and retain foster care and pre-adoption parents sufficient for the needs of children serviced by the department, including expanded efforts through education of the public.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 4 - Payment for Services

Section 4. Subject to appropriation, services of the department shall not be denied to any person because of such person's financial assets or income; provided, however, that the department shall establish a schedule of fees for services which may vary with the ability of the recipient of such services to pay therefor.  The department shall develop regulations defining standards of need and priorities for the allocation of social services; such regulations may not deny any category of social services to any person on the basis of such person's financial assets or income, except with regard to any category of social service which, prior to July twenty-second, nineteen hundred and seventy-eight, could have been denied to a person on the basis of such person's financial assets or income.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 5 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 5 - Federal Requirements; Additional Services; Inspection of Records

Section 5. The department shall make provision for such social services as are required under Title XX and Title IV B of the Social Security Act and the regulations established thereunder and shall provide such additional services as the general court may determine.  In order to assure the fullest possible reimbursement from the federal government, the records of the department shall be open for inspection by representatives of the federal government for fiscal purposes including, but not limited to audit, the approval or authorization of payments for assistance to children or families, or for any other purpose directly connected with the administration of such payments for assistance.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 6 - Commissioner; Appointment; Qualifications; Salary

Section 6. The department shall be under the direction, supervision and control of the commissioner of children and families, in this chapter called the commissioner, who shall be appointed by the secretary of health and human services, with the approval of the governor, and who shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary, and may be removed by the secretary at any time, subject to the approval of the governor. Said commissioner shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office and shall at the time of appointment have received a doctorate or other degree beyond the level of the baccalaureate in the field of business, economics, education, government, law, medicine, psychology, public administration, public health, public policy, social work, urban planning, or a field substantially related to one or more of the foregoing and shall have had not less than seven years of responsible administrative experience, at least three of which shall have been in a field related to human services, or said commissioner shall have had experience in one or more of said fields for a period of years equivalent to the number of years required to obtain such other degree beyond that of baccalaureate required herein, and shall have had, in addition thereto, not less than seven years of responsible administrative experience, at least three of which shall have been in a field related to human services. The position of commissioner shall be classified under section 45 of chapter 30 and the salary shall be determined under section 46C of said chapter 30 and the commissioner shall devote full time to the duties of the office. The commissioner shall be the executive and administrative head of the department.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 8 - Deputy Commissioner; Appointment; Qualifications; Duties; Salary

Section 8. The commissioner shall appoint and may remove a deputy commissioner. The position of deputy commissioner shall be classified under section 45 of chapter 30 and the salary shall be determined under section 46C of said chapter 30. The deputy commissioner shall have the same qualifications in training and experience as required by the commissioner. The deputy commissioner shall perform such duties as the commissioner may determine and shall, in the case of a vacancy in the office of the commissioner, or during the commissioner's absence or disability, exercise the powers and perform the duties of the office of commissioner. Said deputy commissioner shall devote full time to the duties of the office.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 9 - Assistant Commissioners; Appointment; Qualifications; Salary

Section 9. The commissioner may appoint and remove such assistant commissioners as the commissioner shall from time to time determine, not to exceed four in number, who shall be assigned to areas of responsibility to be specified by the commissioner.  Each assistant commissioner shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office and shall at the time of appointment have received a masters or higher degree and shall have had professional experience of not less than five years as an administrator in a field related to human services or said assistant commissioner shall have had professional experience in a field related to human services for a period of years equivalent to the number of years required to obtain a master's degree, and shall have had, in addition thereto, professional experience of not less than five years as an administrator in a field related to human services. The position of assistant commissioner shall be classified under section 45 of chapter 30 and the salary shall be determined under section 46C of said chapter 30. Assistant commissioners shall devote full time to the duties of the office.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 10 - Legal Counsel; Staff Personnel

Section 10. The commissioner may appoint a member of the Massachusetts bar a legal counsel who shall be placed in grade 30 of the classification and pay scale of the commonwealth. Said legal counsel shall devote full time to the duties of the office.  The commissioner may also, subject to appropriation, appoint such other personnel as may be deemed necessary for the efficient management of the office.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 11 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 11 - Regional Offices; Directors

Section 11. The commissioner may, subject to appropriation, establish regional offices at such locations in the commonwealth as may be deemed necessary to ensure the development and maintenance of effective administration in the provision of social services therein.  The commissioner may, subject to appropriation, appoint regional social services directors to administer the regional offices and perform such duties as may be assigned by the commissioner.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 12 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 12 - Area Directors; Appointment; Qualifications; Duties; Plans; Budgets; Social Worker Qualifications

Section 12. The commissioner, with the advice of the area board, shall appoint an area director in each area, and, subject to appropriation, such other employees as the commissioner may deem necessary.  Each area director shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office and shall at the time of appointment have received a masters or higher degree in a field related to human service and shall have had not less than five years of professional administrative experience in the delivery of human services or a related field or said area director shall have had experience in a field related to human services for a period of years required to obtain a master's degree, and shall have had, in addition thereto, not less than five years of professional administrative experience in the delivery of human services or a related field. The area director shall be placed in grade 29 of the classification and pay schedule of the commonwealth, and shall devote full time to the duties of the office.  The area director shall perform such duties as are described in this chapter and such other duties as may be assigned by the commissioner.  The area director shall, in consultation with the area board, prepare and submit to the commissioner an annual plan for the operation and development of its program. Such plan shall provide, as far as practicable, a comprehensive area program in social services as required by departmental standards.  The area director shall also prepare and submit to the commissioner the proposed annual budget for the area for programs to be supported at the area level. The commissioner shall make such revisions as shall be necessary and shall include said area budgets as part of the departmental budget requests submitted annually under sections 27 and 28 of chapter 29. A copy of the area budget as included with said departmental requests shall be forwarded by the commissioner to each area director for the information of the area board.  The area director, subject to the overall supervision of the commissioner, shall supervise all employees within the area and shall be responsible for the administration of the area budget and the implementation of the area plan.  A social worker shall have a bachelor's degree at the time of appointment. A supervisory social worker shall have a master's degree in social work or a related field at the time of appointment.
MA Gen L ch 18b § 13 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services|Section 13 - Area Boards; Members; Appointment; Terms

Section 13. In each area established under section 3, there shall be a children and families area board, in this chapter called the area board, which shall be an agency of the commonwealth and shall serve in the department. The area board shall consist of 23 members, who shall be appointed by the commissioner for terms of 3 years.  No member shall be an employee of the department. Two-thirds of the members shall be persons other than employees of the commonwealth or its political subdivisions.  The commissioner shall seek to provide proper geographical representation in the membership of the board. Two-thirds of the members shall live within the area for which they are appointed, and the remaining members shall either live or work in the area. At least 1 member from each city and, if practicable, each town in the area shall be included.  At least 6 members shall be consumers of services provided by the department. Not more than 2 members shall be selected from nominations submitted by the president of the collective bargaining unit representing the social workers who work for the department in the area. Not more than 2 members shall be selected from private providers within the area. One member at the time of appointment shall be a member of the community mental health area board established under section 14 of chapter 19, 1 member at the time of appointment shall be a person knowledgeable in the field of intellectual disabilities, 2 members at the time of their appointment shall be members of the financial or business professions with special fiscal or budgetary skills, and 2 members shall at the time of their appointment be members of the community service area boards established under section 7 of chapter 18.  Upon the expiration of the term of any member, his successor shall be appointed, in like manner, for a term of 3 years. In the event of a vacancy, the commissioner may, in like manner, appoint a member who shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. Members shall serve without compensation and shall be sworn to the faithful performance of their duties. The area board shall suggest for consideration by the commissioner 1 or more names for each such expiring term or vacancy. No member shall be appointed for more than 3 consecutive 3–year terms.