reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MS Code § 43-1-11 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-11. Expenses of county welfare office

 The boards of supervisors of the various counties of this state are hereby authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to expend and appropriate such sums as they deem necessary out of any available county funds for the purpose of providing office space for the local county department of public welfare. This includes, but is not limited to, adequate office space for the efficient conduct of business, as well as providing for payment of electricity, water, gas, maintenance and repair of the building, and janitorial services and supplies.
MS Code § 43-1-12 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-12. Expenditure of municipal or county funds to support public welfare programs

 The governing authority of any municipality or county in this state is authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to expend such funds as it deems necessary and desirable, from any available funds of the municipality or county, to: (a) match any state, federal or private funds available for any program administered by the State Department of Public Welfare or the county departments of public welfare in this state; and/or (b) make a voluntary contribution to any such program.
MS Code § 43-1-13 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-13. Political activity

  Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) of this section, it shall be unlawful for a commissioner or any other employee of the state or county welfare departments to take an active part in any partisan political campaign. For violation of this provision the offending party shall be removed from office and in addition thereto, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, subject to a fine of not more than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00).   This section shall not preclude an individual from seeking elective office where the office sought is nonpartisan and is not within the judicial branch of government.
MS Code § 43-1-15 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-15. Office of State Department

 The state capitol commission shall furnish office space for the State Department in the city of Jackson and is authorized to rent suitable quarters in the city in the event there is not sufficient room in one of the state houses. In case it is necessary to rent such quarters, the cost of such rental, janitorial service, fuel and janitor's supplies shall not be counted in determining the administrative cost limitation of Section 43-9-37, Mississippi Code of 1972.
MS Code § 43-1-17 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-17. Cooperation with the federal government

 The state department of public welfare shall cooperate with the federal government, its agencies and instrumentalities, in carrying out the provisions of any federal acts concerning public welfare, and in other matters of mutual concern pertaining to public welfare, including the adoption of such methods of administration as are found by the federal government to be necessary for the efficient operation of plans for public assistance and welfare services in accordance with the provisions of the federal Social Security Act, as amended. It shall also cooperate with other departments, agencies and institutions, federal, state and local or private, when so requested, in performing services in conformity with the provisions of this chapter and Chapter 9 of this title.
MS Code § 43-1-19 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-19. Disclosure of records of disbursement and payment of public assistance governed by federal regulations; penalty for violation

  The records of the disbursement of funds or payments to recipients of any and all assistance under programs administered by the state or county departments of human services showing the names of the recipients and the amount of the individual assistance checks shall only be disclosed pursuant to federal regulations regarding disclosure of information for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Food Stamp Act programs, and federal laws regarding use of electronically exchanged data.   Any person, firm, corporation, association or agency who or which shall violate any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be subject to a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than ninety (90) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.
MS Code § 43-1-21 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-21. Disposal of abandoned applications, closed case files, and the like

 The state board of public welfare may, in its discretion, destroy or cause to be destroyed, or otherwise disposed of, any and all abandoned applications, closed case files, communications, information, memoranda, records, reports, paid checks, and files, in the office of the state department of public welfare when and as they become three (3) or more completed fiscal years old and which, in the opinion of the state board of public welfare, are no longer useful or necessary.
MS Code § 43-1-23 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-23. Fraud investigation unit; duties; staff; assistance from and to other agencies; issuance of subpoenas

  There is created within the State Department of Human Services a separate administrative unit to be known as the "Fraud Investigation Unit." The Fraud Investigation Unit shall be headed by a director appointed by the Executive Director of the department. The Director of the Fraud Investigation Unit shall be a person who is knowledgeable in the programs administered by the department. The Fraud Investigation Unit shall be responsible for:   Conducting investigations for the purpose of aiding the department in the detection of and verification of the perpetration of fraud or abuse of any program by any client, any vendor of services with whom the department has contracted or any employee of the department, and for the aiding of the department in the recoupment of any funds owed to the department as a result of fraud or abuse;   The notification and forwarding of any information relevant to possible criminal violations to the appropriate prosecuting authority and assisting in the prosecution of any case referred to a prosecutor, if requested; and   Such other duties as prescribed in regulations of the department.     The Fraud Investigation Unit is authorized to employ such other investigative, technical, secretarial and support staff as may be necessary.   In order to carry out the responsibilities of the Fraud Investigation Unit, the investigators may request and receive assistance from all state and local agencies, boards, commissions, and bureaus including, without limitation, the State Tax Commission, the Department of Public Safety, and all public and private agencies maintaining data banks, criminal or other records that would enable the investigators to make verification of fraud or abuse in violation of state or federal statutes. All records and information shall be confidential and shall be available only to the Fraud Investigation Unit, district or county attorneys, the Attorney General, and courts having jurisdiction in criminal proceedings.   The department is authorized to enter into contracts with other agencies administering aid or benefits or services under any state or federally funded assistance program which need the assistance of the department's Fraud Investigation Unit.   To accomplish the objectives and to carry out the duties prescribed in this section, the executive director, or his designee, in addition to the powers conferred by this section, may issue subpoenas with the approval of, and returnable to, a judge of the circuit, county or chancery court, in termtime or in vacation, to examine the records, documents or other evidence of persons, firms, corporations or any other entities insofar as such records, documents or other evidence relate to dealings material to an investigation.
MS Code § 43-1-25 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-25. Assistant prosecutors for prosecution of fraud in connection with assistance programs; investigation and prosecution costs to be subsidized

 All political subdivisions of the state, or combinations of political subdivisions, are authorized to employ assistant prosecutors to prosecute for the crimes under Section 97-19-71 and the state department of public welfare is authorized to contract with any political subdivision to subsidize payment for the reasonable and necessary cost of prosecutions and investigations in any program where federal matching funds are available.
MS Code § 43-1-27 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-27. Action maintainable by department of public welfare to recover benefits wrongfully obtained; attorney's fees; evidence

  Any sums paid to or on behalf of any person, entity or subgrantee or the value of any aid or benefit or services obtained or received under any state or federally funded assistance program as a result of any false statement, misrepresentation, concealment of a material fact, failure to disclose assets, or by whatever means, becomes a debt due to the state department of public welfare. The amount of value of any assistance shall be recoverable from the recipient or his estate in a civil action brought in the name of the state department of public welfare pursuant to this section. In the event such action is brought, the department shall be entitled to recover, in addition to the amount of assistance, a reasonable amount of attorney's fees and its cost incurred therein. Where an attorney from the county attorney's office represents the department in such action, the attorney's fee awarded shall be for the use and benefit of that particular office and shall be forwarded to that office upon receipt by the department.   In any civil action for the recovery of the amount of value of any aid or benefits or services improperly paid to the recipient, proof that a conviction or guilty plea on a misdemeanor or felony charge under Section 97-19-71 shall be deemed prima facie evidence that such assistance was improperly obtained under the provision of this section.   Repayment of the assistance improperly obtained pursuant to this section shall not constitute a defense to or ground of dismissal of criminal charges brought under Section 97-19-71.  For purposes of this and other related sections, any food stamp and coupons issued under a food stamp plan administered by the state department of public welfare shall conclusively be the property of the State of Mississippi.
MS Code § 43-1-29 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-29. Offline electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system for food stamps; demonstration project; federal approval and funding

  The Department of Human Services shall develop an offline electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system for the food stamp program in Mississippi as an alternative to issuing food stamp coupons. The EBT system developed by the department under this section shall (a) provide that food stamp benefits are encoded on computer microchips embedded in reusable plastic cards (intelligent benefit cards) and are electronically accessed by households at the point of sale through the use of such cards; and (b) meet all requirements and standards specified in 7 USCS Section 2026(f) and the rules and regulations issued under that provision for approval by the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture as a demonstration project.   The department shall finish development of the EBT system no later than November 1, 1993, and shall submit an application to the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture for approval to operate the system as a demonstration project. If the EBT system is approved as a demonstration project, the department shall implement and operate the system in one (1) county selected by the department. After the demonstration project has been in operation for one (1) year, the department shall evaluate the EBT system and report to the Legislature on the operation of the system.   The department shall seek to obtain the maximum amount of federal financial participation available to fund the cost of administering the EBT system.
MS Code § 43-1-29.1 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|In General|§ 43-1-29.1. Department of Human Services authorized to develop pilot program to track usage of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits

 The Department of Human Services, is authorized, in its discretion, to develop a pilot program to track recipients of assistance under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program.The tracking pilot program, if established, shall:   Track the recipients' usage of SNAP benefits from the time they first receive the benefits, the length of time that they receive the benefits, when they terminate participation in the SNAP program, and patterns of usage while receiving the benefits.   Follow the recipients after termination of participation in the SNAP program, to the extent feasible, to attempt to discover the paths that they take after leaving the SNAP program and the patterns of return to the SNAP program, including the factors that may influence these paths and patterns.   On or before December 1 of each year, the Department of Human Services shall provide summaries of the information obtained under the tracking pilot program during the previous fiscal year to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Chairmen of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, the House Medicaid Committee and the House Select Committee on Poverty, and shall provide more detailed information to any of those persons upon request.
MS Code § 43-1-31 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|Mandatory State Supplemental Payments to Aged, Blind and Disabled Persons|§ 43-1-31. Purpose of law; contracts with, and payment by, federal authority

 The purpose of Sections 43-1-31 through 43-1-37 is to provide that this state shall be eligible for medicaid payments pursuant to Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act with respect to expenditures for any quarter beginning after December 1973. The state department of public welfare shall negotiate an agreement with the secretary of health, education and welfare which shall provide that this state will provide to aged, blind and disabled individuals residing in this state, who for the month of December 1973 were eligible to receive and were recipients of aid or assistance under this state's plan approved under Titles I, X and XIV, mandatory state supplementary payments for each month beginning with January 1974, pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act, in an amount determined in accordance with section 3(1) in order to maintain income levels equal to that of December 1973.   From and after July 1, 1974, mandatory state supplementary payments herein provided for shall be made by the appropriate federal authority, and the state department of public welfare is hereby directed to enter into contract with such federal authority to provide therefor.
MS Code § 43-1-33 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|Mandatory State Supplemental Payments to Aged, Blind and Disabled Persons|§ 43-1-33. Definitions

 As used in Sections 43-1-31 through 43-1-37:   "Aged, blind or disabled individual" shall mean any individual who would be so defined in section 1614(a) of the federal Social Security Act.   "December 1973 income" shall mean an amount equal to the aggregate of:   the amount of the aid or assistance in the form of money payments which such individual would have received, including any part of such amount which is attributable to meeting "special needs" or "special circumstances" as defined in Public Law 93-66, under a plan approved under Title I, X or XIV of the Social Security Act, if the terms and conditions of such plan relating to eligibility for and amount of such aid or assistance payable thereunder were for the month of December 1973 the same as those in effect under such plan for the month of June 1973, and   the amount of the income of such individual other than the aid or assistance described in subparagraph (i) received by such individual in December 1973, minus any such income which did not result, but which if properly reported would have resulted in a reduction in the amount of such aid or assistance.
MS Code § 43-1-35 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|Mandatory State Supplemental Payments to Aged, Blind and Disabled Persons|§ 43-1-35. Amount of payments

  The amount of the mandatory state supplementary payment in the case of any eligible individual or couple for any month shall be equal to the amount by which such individual's or couple's December 1973 income (as defined in Section 43-1-33) exceeds the amount to which such individual or couple is entitled under Title XVI for such month and the amount of any income of such individual for such month.   If for any month after December 1973 there is a change with respect to any special need or special circumstance as defined in Section 43-1-33(b)(i) which, if such change had existed in December 1973, would have caused a reduction in the amount of such individual's aid or assistance payment; then, for such month and for each month thereafter, the amount of the mandatory minimum state supplementary payment payable to such individual may be reduced by an amount by which the payment would have been reduced by reason of such change.
MS Code § 43-1-37 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|Mandatory State Supplemental Payments to Aged, Blind and Disabled Persons|§ 43-1-37. When person becomes ineligible to receive payments

 An individual eligible for mandatory state supplementary payments from the state beginning in January 1974 shall not be eligible for such payments:   the next succeeding month after the individual dies, or   the next succeeding month after such individual ceases to be an aged, blind or disabled individual, or   during any entire month in which such individual is not a resident of this state, or   the next succeeding month after such individual's benefits under Title XVI, together with other income, equal or exceed such individual's December 1973 income as herein defined.
MS Code § 43-1-51 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|Division of Family and Children's Services|§ 43-1-51. Creation of division; areas of responsibility

 There is hereby created within the Department of Human Services a single and separate Division of Family and Children's Services. The division shall be responsible for the development, execution and provision of services in the following areas: (a) protective services for children; (b) foster care; (c) adoption services; (d) special services; (e) interstate compact; (f) licensure; and (g) such services as may be designated by the board. Employees working within the division shall be limited to work within the areas of service enumerated herein. Services enumerated under Section 43-15-13 et seq. for the foster care program shall be provided by qualified staff with appropriate case loads.
MS Code § 43-1-53 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|Division of Family and Children's Services|§ 43-1-53. Organization of division; qualifications of director

  The Division of Family and Children's Services shall be formed at each level of the Department of Human Services, including state, regional and county levels. The Executive Director of the Department of Human Services shall appoint and employ a director for the division who shall have a Master's Degree in a field related to children's services. In addition, he shall have no less than three (3) years' experience in the field of service to children. In lieu of such degree and experience, he shall have a minimum of ten (10) years' actual experience in the field of children's services.   The state office of the Division of Family and Children's Services shall develop policy, provide training and oversee the implementation of services. The director shall establish such planning and policy councils as may be necessary to carry out these functions.   The regional office of the Division of Family and Children's Services shall consist of a regional services director and a crisis intervention team to be dispatched on a case-by-case basis by the regional services director. From and after July 1, 1998, the Department of Human Services shall at a minimum employ and assign to the Division of Family and Children's Services two (2) additional regional services directors for supervision of the foster care program.   Area offices. Each region shall be divided into three (3) areas, each of which shall have two (2) supervisors and direct service workers deployed at the county level, but not limited in jurisdiction to that county.   Counties. The area supervisors shall assign service workers so that every county has an appropriate access point for all services.
MS Code § 43-1-57 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|Division of Family and Children's Services|§ 43-1-57. Recordkeeping procedures; uniform intake procedure

  The Division of Family and Children's Services shall establish a record-keeping procedure to insure that all referrals of neglect and/or abuse are accurately and adequately maintained for future or cross-reference.   In addition to the toll-free abuse reporting telephone system, the division shall establish a uniform intake procedure for the receipt and referral to the appropriate personnel for investigation. The uniform intake procedure shall be made available to all appropriate agencies and the public in order to facilitate the necessary protective services.
MS Code § 43-1-59 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 1 - Department of Human Services and County Departments of Public Welfare|Division of Family and Children's Services|§ 43-1-59. Allocation of departmental resources

 It is the intent of the Legislature that the resources devoted to family and children's services and to public assistance programs be clearly delineated and that all resources intended for child protection and other related purposes be expended in service of that goal.