reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115 - Veterans' Benefits › Section 13 - Duties of Departments of Veterans' Services

Section 13. Said departments shall acquire and have on hand copies of current booklets and other printed matter pertaining to the statutory rights of veterans provided under state and federal laws. They may call at any time upon any department, board, division or commission of the commonwealth for such assistance as may be necessary in carrying out their functions. They shall also work in close coordination with existing federal agencies established for the aid of such veterans, and they shall enlist the support of hospitals within their respective communities or districts for carrying out the purposes of sections ten to fourteen, inclusive.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115 - Veterans' Benefits › Section 14 - Municipal Departments of Veterans' Services; Control and Direction of Commissioner; Separate and Independent Location

Section 14. Departments established and maintained under sections ten to fourteen, inclusive, shall be under the general direction of the secretary, and they shall be physically located independently of, and separate and apart from, any other public or private agency, board, bureau, social agency or society, except a department or agency disbursing aid or relief or veterans' benefits under this chapter.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115 - Veterans' Benefits › Section 15 - Municipal Departments of Veterans' Services; Audit of Accounts of Districts

Section 15. The director of accounts in the department of corporations and taxation shall cause an audit to be made annually of the accounts of all districts organized under the authority of section ten and for such purpose he, and his duly accredited agents, shall have access to all necessary papers, books and records. The expenses incurred for said audits shall be paid primarily by the commonwealth. Said director shall apportion the cost of each audit among the several municipalities comprising the district on the basis of the taxable valuation of said municipalities as last established by the general court for state and county taxes, and submit the amounts of each apportionment to the state treasurer, who shall issue his warrant requiring the assessors of the cities and towns which comprise the district to assess a tax to the amount so apportioned, and such amount shall be collected and paid to the state treasurer as provided by section twenty of chapter fifty-nine.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115 - Veterans' Benefits › Section 17 - United States Department of Veterans Affairs' Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry; Periodic Health Assessment for Members of the Massachusetts National Guard

Section 17. The adjutant general of the Massachusetts national guard shall request that the periodic health assessment for members of the Massachusetts national guard determine whether the guard member was deployed to a location that would make the guard member eligible to participate in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs' Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, and whether the guard member was exposed to open burn pits or other airborne hazards during their deployment to said location. The adjutant general shall request that any guard member who during their periodic health assessment is identified as having been potentially exposed to open burn pits or other airborne hazards during a deployment is automatically registered to participate in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs' Airborne Hazard and Open Burn Pit Registry.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 1 - Benefits of State-Operated Veterans' Home; Persons Entitled

Section 1. Any person who (a) is a veteran as defined in clause Forty-third of section seven of chapter four, or (b) meets all the requirements of said clause Forty-third, except that instead of performing wartime service as so defined, has performed not less than ninety days' active service in any of the campaigns or expeditions enumerated in section two, shall be entitled to out-patient treatment at, admission to, and hospitalization in a state-operated veterans' home, subject to the provisions of section three.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 2 - Service Defined

Section 2. Service referred to in section one shall mean service during any of the following periods, both dates inclusive: — (a) Mexican Border Service, between June nineteenth, nineteen hundred and sixteen and February third, nineteen hundred and seventeen, provided, that such service was in the Massachusetts National Guard; (b) Cuban Pacification Campaign, between October sixth, nineteen hundred and six and April first, nineteen hundred and nine; (c) Nicaraguan Campaign, between August twenty-eighth, nineteen hundred and twelve and October thirtieth, nineteen hundred and twenty-nine; (d) Vera Cruz Expedition, between April twenty-first, nineteen hundred and fourteen and November twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred and fourteen; (e) Dominican Campaigns, between May fourth, nineteen hundred and sixteen and September seventeenth, nineteen hundred and twenty-four; (f) Haitian Campaign, between July ninth, nineteen hundred and fourteen and October thirtieth, nineteen hundred and twenty-nine; (g) China Expeditionary Service, between October thirtieth, nineteen hundred and twenty-nine and June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and thirty; (h) Army of Occupation in Germany, also known as the A.E.F., between November twelfth, nineteen hundred and eighteen and July eleventh, nineteen hundred and twenty-three; provided, in any case, that proof of service in the campaign, army of occupation or expedition mentioned is made.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 3 - Persons Not Entitled to Benefits

Section 3. No person shall be entitled to the treatment, admission or hospitalization referred to in sections one and two, unless at the time of his application for such treatment, admission or hospitalization he has actually resided within the commonwealth continuously for five years next preceding the date of such application. The burden of proof of such residence shall be the responsibility of the veteran.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 4 - Persons Serving in Polish Armed Forces During World War I

Section 4. Any person who was recruited in the United States and who served in the military service of Poland while said country was allied with the United States in World War I, between October seventh, nineteen hundred and seventeen, and January thirty-first, nineteen hundred and nineteen, both dates inclusive, shall be entitled to out-patient treatment at, admission to, and hospitalization in a state-operated veterans' home; provided, that he produces information in conformity with the rules and regulations of the state-operated veterans' homes, that he has been honorably discharged from said service, and is a citizen of the commonwealth and resides in a city or town therein, or if not such a citizen is a citizen of the United States and resides therein; but no such person shall be treated as an out-patient at, admitted to, or hospitalized in, a state-operated veterans' home if the treatment, admission or hospitalization of any person qualified under the provisions of section one would thereby be postponed or denied.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 6 - Patients Funds; Disposition

Section 6. So much of any funds known as ''Patients Funds'' as represents monies belonging to, or deposited for the benefit of, patients or members who have been discharged or voluntarily departed from, or died at, a state-operated veterans' home, which shall have remained unclaimed for more than three years, shall be paid by the superintendent to the state treasurer to be held subject to be paid to the person establishing a lawful right thereto, with interest at the rate of three per cent per annum from the time when it was so paid to the state treasurer to the time when it is paid by him to such person; provided, that so much of any monies so paid to the state treasurer as may be necessary to reimburse the home for any sum due for the support of the person by whom, or for whose benefit such money was originally deposited, shall be credited to the home for that purpose. After six years from the date when any such monies were paid to the state treasurer the same or any balance thereof then remaining in his hands shall be transferred to the trustees of said state-operated veterans' home for deposit in its legacy fund or legacy account. Any person, may, however, establish his claim after the expiration of the six years above mentioned and any claim so established shall be paid from the legacy fund or legacy account of the home. Any person claiming a right to money deposited with the state treasurer or with the trustees under this section may establish the same by a petition to the probate court. A justice of said court, after examining the merits of the claim, may direct the treasurer or the trustees to pay such money to the claimant.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 7 - Unclaimed Funds of Former Patients; Disposition

Section 7. If a patient at a state-operated veterans' home is discharged therefrom or dies therein while obligated to the commonwealth for support furnished him at such home and there is in the custody of the superintendent of such home a bank book representing a deposit account in a bank, as defined in section one of chapter one hundred and sixty-seven, in his name, which is unclaimed during the two-year period following the date of the discharge or death of such patient, the chairman of the board of trustees of a state-operated veterans' home may present said bank book to such bank accompanied by an affidavit stating (1) the name of said former patient, (2) the date of admission of said patient to the home and the date of his discharge therefrom, or his death therein, (3) the amount of money for which the said patient or his estate is obligated to the commonwealth, (4) that said bank book belongs to said patient or his estate, (5) that it has been in the custody of the superintendent and has been unclaimed for more than two years, and demanding payment of all or such portion of the amount represented by said bank book as is not in excess of the amount due to the commonwealth for the support furnished such patient.
Thereupon, such bank shall pay the trustees of a state-operated veterans' home the amount so requested in said affidavit and shall endorse such payment upon such bank book, with specific reference to this section and shall return such bank book to such chairman.
Upon receipt of such payment the trustees of a state-operated veterans' home shall cause the same to be deposited in its legacy fund or legacy account.
Payment to the board of trustees of a state-operated veterans' home, under the provisions of this section, shall discharge the bank of liability to the owner of said property, or any person claiming under him, to the extent of such payments.
Any person claiming an interest in property surrendered to the chairman of the board of trustees of a state-operated veterans' home, pursuant to the provisions of this section, and who claims (1) that said property is or was not beneficially owned by said patient, or (2) that said patient is or was not obligated to the commonwealth for support, as set forth in said affidavit, may within seven years following the date upon which such property is surrendered to the trustees, establish such claim by a petition to the probate court which, after determining the merits of the claim, may direct the trustees to pay the whole or any part of the sum claimed to the claimant.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 8 - Lease of Lands for Construction of Chapels

Section 8. The state-operated veterans' homes, after a determination and approval of the trustees of the respective home, that it is in the best interest of the patients, may lease, upon such terms and conditions as may be stipulated by said trustees, sufficient land belonging to such home for the purpose of constructing thereon chapels for the use of the patients or members of said home. The lease shall remain in full force and effect so long as a chapel for said patients is maintained thereon and so long as it shall be maintained in a physical condition satisfactory to the superintendent and the trustees of said home.
Nothing contained herein shall be construed to deprive any patient, regardless of his religious belief, of an equal opportunity to worship in accordance with said belief, and adequate facilities for such worship shall be made available to all patients by the superintendent.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 9 - Female Veterans; Domiciliary Facilities

Section 9. Domiciliary facilities within the limitation of physical facilities, are hereby authorized for the admission of female veterans at the state-operated veterans' home in the city of Chelsea. Female veterans seeking admission shall be subject to all requirements, both federal and state, as may presently apply to other veteran applicants and services provided for domiciliary care shall be identical and equal to services provided male veterans.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 10 - Training of Residents in Medicine, Surgery, Urology and Other Specialties and Sub-Specialties

Section 10. The superintendent of a state-operated veterans' home may establish a program for the training of residents in medicine, surgery, urology and such other specialties and sub-specialties of medicine as may be deemed advisable. The persons undergoing such training shall be designated as follows and shall be eligible for training grants from the commonwealth; provided, such grants shall be exempt from chapter 62; provided further, recipients of said grants shall not be subject to chapter 31 and shall not be deemed to be employees of the commonwealth. Approval of the training program by the personnel administrator shall be required in accordance with the provisions of section 28 of chapter 7.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 13 - Rules and Regulations; Evaluation of Performance of Homes

Section 13. The secretary of veterans' services shall promulgate rules and regulations pertaining to the operation and administration of the state-operated veterans' homes. The secretary, in consultation with the executive director of veterans' homes and housing, shall continually evaluate the performance of the state-operated veterans' homes and take any action necessary to ensure the safety and welfare of residents of the homes.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 15 - Ombudspersons; Retaliation Prohibited

Section 15. (a) The office of veterans' homes and housing established in section 12 shall employ an ombudsperson at each state-operated veterans' home. The ombudsperson shall be a full-time, paid position to advocate on behalf of residents and staff of the home and to receive, investigate and resolve through administrative action, in a timely manner, complaints filed by residents and staff of the home, individuals acting on behalf of residents or staff or any individual organization or government agency that has reason to believe that the home, an organization or a government agency has engaged in activities, practices or omissions that constitute violations of applicable statutes or regulations or that may have an adverse effect upon the health, safety, welfare or rights of residents or staff of the home. The ombudsperson may work with the superintendent and appropriate staff at the home or the executive director of veterans' homes and housing as needed to resolve any complaint and shall inform the complainant of the resolution. The ombudsperson shall report to the executive director of veterans' homes and housing established in said section 12. The ombudsperson may also facilitate family meetings, provide outreach and participate in orientation meetings for new residents of the home and their families. The ombudsperson shall not be subject to section 9A of chapter 30 or chapter 31.
(b) No person shall discharge, discipline or otherwise retaliate against any resident or staff of a state-operated veterans' home, any individual acting on behalf of any resident or staff of a state-operated veterans' home or any individual organization for filing a complaint with the ombudsperson or for disclosing information or cooperating in an investigation resulting from any such complaint; provided, however, that the complaint was made in good faith. The ombudsperson for each state-operated veterans' home shall make best efforts to ensure the confidentiality of complainants.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 16 - Participation in Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Adherence to Guidelines for Trauma-Informed Care

Section 16. (a) Each state-operated veterans' home shall apply for and maintain certification by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, pursuant to subpart B of 42 CFR 483. The superintendent of each state-operated veterans' home in coordination with the executive director of veterans' homes and housing shall ensure that compliance with the requirements of said subpart B of 42 CFR 483 shall be maintained and that all compliance failures are addressed in a timely manner. The superintendent, in coordination with the executive director, shall submit to the governor, the secretary of veterans' services, the secretary of health and human services and the veterans' homes council, established pursuant to section 41 of chapter 6, a report of any compliance failures identified during the annual survey conducted by the division of health care facility licensure and certification not later than 30 days after the compliance failure is identified. The report shall outline each compliance failure and a plan for corrective action.
(b) The superintendent of each state-operated veterans' home, in coordination with the executive director of veterans' homes and housing, shall ensure that the home adheres to guidelines for trauma-informed care as outlined by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 17 - Annual Review of Health Record Systems

Section 17. The superintendent of each veterans' home, in coordination with the executive director of veterans' homes and housing, shall conduct annual reviews of the respective home's health record system and ensure the home is equipped with technology to best serve access to records for veterans and, where applicable, access to records for veterans' families. A copy of the review shall be sent to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate and house committees on ways and means and the joint committee on veterans and federal affairs.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115a - Soldiers' Homes › Section 18 - Acceptance of Donations

Section 18. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the superintendent of each state-operated veterans' home may accept donations from non-profit organizations that enhance the well-being and care of residents of the home. The superintendent shall submit an annual report on donation activity, including, but not limited to, an accounting of monetary donations, to the attorney general, the executive director of veterans' homes and housing, the secretary of veterans' services, the veterans' homes council and each state-operated veterans' home.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115b - Office of the Veteran Advocate › Section 1 - Definitions

Section 1. As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
[ Definition of "Executive agency'' effective until May 30, 2023. For text effective May 30, 2023, see below.]
"Executive agency'', a state agency within the office of the governor, including the executive office of education, the executive office of public safety and security, executive office of health and human services, and their constituent agencies, the Massachusetts interagency council on housing and homelessness and the executive office of housing and economic development, and their constituent agencies.
[ Definition of "Executive agency'' as amended by 2023, 7, Sec. 245 effective May 30, 2023. See 2023, 7, Sec. 298. For text effective until May 30, 2023, see above.]
"Executive agency'', a state agency within the office of the governor, including the executive office of education, the executive office of public safety and security, executive office of health and human services, and their constituent agencies, the Massachusetts interagency council on housing and homelessness and the executive office of housing and livable communities, and their constituent agencies.
"Nominating committee'', the nominating committee established in section 3.
"Office'', the office of the veteran advocate established in section 2.
"Veteran advocate'', the veteran advocate appointed under section 3.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115b - Office of the Veteran Advocate › Section 2 - Office of the Veteran Advocate

Section 2. There shall be an office of the veteran advocate, which shall be independent of any supervision or control by any executive agency. The office shall: (i) ensure that veterans in the care of the commonwealth or receiving services under the supervision of an executive agency in any public or private facility receive humane and dignified treatment at all times, with full respect for the veterans' personal dignity and right to privacy; (ii) ensure that veterans in the care of the commonwealth or receiving services under the supervision of an executive agency in any public or private facility receive timely, safe and effective services; (iii) aid and coordinate with local veterans service officers to ensure veterans receive all available state and federal benefits; (iv) examine, on a system-wide basis, the care and services that executive agencies provide veterans; (v) advise the public and those at the highest levels of state government about how the commonwealth may improve its services to and for veterans and their families; (vi) develop internal procedures appropriate for the effective performance of the office's duties; (vii) act as a liaison to all state agencies providing services to veterans to ensure each veteran receives necessary services and care; (viii) assist in developing procedures for the executive agencies to best serve the veteran community; (ix) act as a liaison to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and all other relevant federal agencies to advocate on behalf of the veterans of the commonwealth; and (x) investigate incidents where a veteran suffered a fatality, near fatality or serious bodily or emotional injury while receiving services from an executive agency, or circumstances which result in a reasonable belief that an executive agency or a constituent agency failed in its duty to care for a veteran and, as a result, the veteran was at imminent risk of, or suffered serious bodily or emotional injury or death.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115b - Office of the Veteran Advocate › Section 3 - Veteran Advocate; Nomination and Appointment; Term; Removal

Section 3. The office of the veteran advocate shall be under the direction of the veteran advocate. The veteran advocate shall be the administrative head of the office and shall devote full time to the duties of the office. The veteran advocate shall be appointed by a majority vote of the attorney general, the state auditor and the governor from a list of 3 nominees submitted by a nominating committee to recommend a veteran advocate. The nominating committee shall consist of: the secretary of health and human services, or a designee, who shall serve as chair; the secretary of veterans' services, or a designee; the secretary of public safety, or a designee; the commissioner of mental health, or a designee; the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on veterans and federal affairs; the adjutant general of the Massachusetts national guard; a representative of the veterans of foreign wars department of Massachusetts; a representative of the American legion department of Massachusetts; the chair of the board of trustees of the veterans' home in the city of Chelsea; and the chair of the board of trustees of the veterans' home in the city of Holyoke. The nominating committee shall submit salary recommendations for the candidates commensurate with the candidates' experience and other similar state positions. The work of the nominating committee shall be coordinated by the executive office of health and human services.
Any person appointed to the position of veteran advocate shall be selected without regard to political affiliation and on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability in veteran welfare, justice, auditing, law, health care, management analysis, public administration and investigation or criminal justice administration. The veteran advocate may, subject to appropriation, appoint such other personnel as the veteran advocate deems necessary for the efficient management of the office.
The veteran advocate shall serve for a term of 5 years. In the case of a vacancy in the position of the veteran advocate, a successor shall be appointed in the same manner for the remainder of the unexpired term. No person shall be appointed as veteran advocate for more than 2 full terms.
The veteran advocate may be removed from office for cause by a majority vote of the attorney general, the state auditor and the governor. Such cause may include substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct or conviction of a crime. The cause for removal of the veteran advocate shall be stated in writing and shall be sent to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and to the governor at the time of removal and shall be a public document.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 115b - Office of the Veteran Advocate › Section 4 - Annual Report

Section 4. The veteran advocate shall report annually to the governor, the senate president, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate and the house committees on ways and means, and the joint committee on veterans and federal affairs on the activities of the office, including, but not limited to, an analysis of the delivery of services to veterans and recommendations for changes in agency procedures which would enable the commonwealth to better provide services to and for veterans and their families and priorities for implementation of those changes to services. The report shall be made public on the website of the veteran advocate.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 117a - Support by the Commonwealth › Section 1 - Emergency Aid Program for Elderly and Disabled Residents

Section 1. There is hereby established within the department of public welfare a program of emergency aid for elderly and disabled residents of the commonwealth found by the department to be eligible for such aid, pursuant to regulations promulgated by said department and subject to appropriation. In promulgating, amending, or rescinding its eligibility regulations from time to time, the department may take into account the amounts available to it for expenditure under this chapter. The department shall by regulation provide that an applicant or recipient who lives with one or more family members who receives assistance pursuant to chapter one hundred and eighteen and who is legally obligated to support such family member shall receive assistance, pursuant to this chapter, which, when combined with the assistance being received by the family member of the applicant or recipient pursuant to chapter one hundred and eighteen, does not exceed the assistance available under chapter one hundred and eighteen to an assistance unit of the same household size as the applicant or recipient and such family member.
Any person (i) who is eligible for assistance under the provisions of this chapter, (ii) who is not maintaining his or her own home, and (iii) who is receiving care in a licensed nursing home, a licensed chronic hospital, a licensed rest home or an approved public medical institution, shall retain the first sixty dollars of monthly income for clothing, personal needs allowance, and leisure time activities. If there is no such income, or if such income is less than sixty dollars, the recipient shall be paid the difference between such income and sixty dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 117a - Support by the Commonwealth › Section 2 - Registration for Work; Acceptance of Suitable Positions; Individuals Not Subject to Provisions of Section

Section 2. No employable person shall be eligible for aid or assistance under this chapter who willfully fails without good cause, as determined by the department, to maintain his registration for work or to accept a referral to or offer of suitable employment. He shall be required to report to the department information with respect to any job to which he has been referred. The department shall, not less frequently than once every three months, request verification from the division of employment and training of an applicant's record with that agency.
No individual shall be considered ineligible for aid or assistance because of failure to comply with the provisions of this section, if such failure is due to illness or disability. In no event shall such failure affect the eligibility of minor children for assistance under this chapter.
No recipients of assistance under chapter one hundred and eighteen A or recipients of assistance with dependent children under age three years, shall be subject to the provisions of this section; provided, however, that in a two parent household, only one parent shall be exempt from the provisions of this section.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 117a - Support by the Commonwealth › Section 3 - Ineligibility for Benefits

Section 3. A person shall not be eligible for assistance under the provisions of this chapter if said person is eligible to receive assistance under chapter one hundred and fifteen or one hundred and eighteen or is eligible to receive unemployment compensation under chapter one hundred and fifty-one A.
A person shall not be denied assistance under this chapter based wholly or in part on the amount of the person's assets; provided, however, that any income generated by such assets may be treated as countable income.
The department shall not consider ex-offenders, persons over the age of forty-five with no recent work history, or persons in residential treatment facilities as eligible solely by virtue of such status.
Individuals living in a rest home licensed under chapter 111 shall not be eligible for assistance under this chapter if they have assets in excess of $2,000.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 117a - Support by the Commonwealth › Section 5 - Placing Persons in Unlicensed Institutions

Section 5. No person dependent on public support shall be placed by the department or by any veteran's agent, board of health, or other public authority, in any hospital, nursing home, infirmary or institution not operated by the commonwealth which is not licensed as required by chapter one hundred and eleven. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five or more than one hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 117a - Support by the Commonwealth › Section 6 - Liability; Persons Receiving Support to Which They Are Not Entitled

Section 6. A person shall be liable in contract to the commonwealth for expenses incurred by it under this chapter for his support to which he was not entitled, and action may be taken by the commonwealth to compel payment at any time within six years after the date when said person last received support or assistance under this chapter or chapter one hundred and eighteen A. The executor or administrator of such person shall likewise be liable for such expenses.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 117a - Support by the Commonwealth › Section 7 - Parental Support

Section 7. The parents of such poor persons, if of sufficient ability, shall be bound to support such poor persons in proportion to their ability; provided, however, that said parents shall not be required to support or contribute to the support of any of their children eighteen years of age or over.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 117a - Support by the Commonwealth › Section 8 - Treasurers of Financial Institutions; Duty to Furnish Information Upon Request

Section 8. A treasurer of a savings bank, national bank, trust company, co-operative bank, state-chartered or federally-chartered credit union, benefit association, insurance company or safe deposit company authorized to do business in the commonwealth who, upon written request, signed by an officer of the department, unreasonably refuses to inform him of the amount deposited in the corporation or association to the credit of a person named in such request as a charge upon the commonwealth, or as an applicant to the commonwealth for public assistance under chapter one hundred and seventeen A, one hundred and eighteen, one hundred and eighteen A or one hundred and eighteen D, or who willfully renders false information in reply to such request, shall forfeit fifty dollars to the use of the commonwealth. Upon such request, a treasurer, as aforesaid shall furnish the records on deposits and withdrawals during the past five years, concerning any applicant for or recipient of public assistance under chapter one hundred and seventeen A, one hundred and eighteen, one hundred and eighteen A or one hundred and eighteen D to any officer of the department.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 117a - Support by the Commonwealth › Section 9 - Final Disposition of Deceased Persons; Recovery of Expenses From Deceased's Kindred

Section 9. The department shall provide for the decent final disposition of all deceased persons who are at the time of death recipients of aid or assistance under this chapter, all deceased persons who, although without means of support at the time of death, did not apply for such aid or assistance and all unknown persons found dead. The commonwealth may recover this expense from any legally liable family members in the manner provided in this chapter, and if such family members do not pay this expense, the commonwealth shall pay an amount not exceeding $1,100 to the funeral establishment if the total expense of the funeral and final disposition does not exceed $3,500. The commonwealth shall have the right of reimbursement from whatever resources may exist in the estate of the deceased person.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 118 - Aid to Families With Dependent Children › Section 1 - Definitions

Section 1. The following words and phrases as used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the following meanings:—
''Dependent child'', a needy child who has been deprived of parental support or care by reason of the death, continued absence from the home, physical or mental incapacity or the unemployment of a parent, and who is living with his father, mother or other parent in a place of residence maintained by one or more of such relatives as his or their own home and who is under the age of eighteen or who is eighteen and a full-time student in a secondary school or in the equivalent level of vocational or technical training and who may reasonably be expected to complete such program before reaching age nineteen.
''Parent'', shall include, in addition to the father and mother of the dependent child, the following:— stepfather, stepmother, stepbrother, stepsister; any blood relative, including those of the half blood, except cousins who are more distantly related than first cousins; adoptive relative of equal propinquity to the foregoing; and spouses of any such persons.
''Aid to families with dependent children'', money payments with respect to families with a dependent child or children.
''Department'', the department of transitional assistance.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 118 - Aid to Families With Dependent Children › Section 2b - Application Form; Contents

Section 2B. Every application for assistance made under this chapter shall be in writing on application forms prescribed by the commissioner and shall include but not be limited to the following; the name, age and residence of the applicant; the name, date and place of birth of each dependent; the social security number of the applicant, the spouse and all dependent children over sixteen years of age; a list of any motor vehicle or trailer owned by the applicant or dependent; wages, salaries, pensions, fees, tips, bonuses and all other sources of income of all such persons; said application form shall include a statement not inconsistent with federal regulations giving consent to the department to investigate all facts related to the applicant's eligibility for assistance.
The application form prescribed in paragraph one shall contain a statement that it is signed by the applicant under the penalties of perjury.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 118 - Aid to Families With Dependent Children › Section 3a - Access to Information by Department for Purpose of Locating, Establishing and Enforcing Liability of Persons Obligated to Pay Support

Section 3A. For the purpose of locating, establishing and enforcing the liability of any person who is legally obligated by court order or otherwise to support his spouse or children and who is obligated to pay such support either to the department pursuant to section twenty-one of chapter eighteen or to individuals on whose behalf the department is giving aid in the enforcement of support obligations pursuant to Title IV–D of the Social Security Act, the department shall have access to the following information in accordance with the following conditions and requirements:
(a) The department may request from any employer whom the department has reason to believe employs a person described above, information concerning the dates and amounts of compensation paid to such person and the persons' last known address, social security number, and available health or medical insurance benefits. The department shall not inquire of an employer concerning any such person more than once every four months. Employers shall respond to such requests fully and in writing, but may limit their responses to the period beginning four months before the date of the request. No employer who complies with this section shall be liable in any civil or criminal action or proceeding brought by the employee on account of such compliance. Any employer who, without reasonable cause, fails to comply with such requests or who willfully renders false information in reply to such requests, pursuant to this paragraph, shall be liable for a penalty of one hundred dollars per violation.
(b) The department may request from the department of revenue state income tax information concerning any person described above. The commissioner of the department of revenue, upon written request, shall furnish to the commissioner of the department or his designee, the address, filing status, amounts, nature, and sources of income, including names and addresses of all employers, and the number of dependents reported on the most recent return filed by any individual with respect to whom child support obligations are sought to be established or enforced pursuant to section twenty-one of chapter eighteen or pursuant to the provisions of part D of Title IV of the Social Security Act. Such information shall be available only for the purposes of, and to the extent necessary in establishing and collecting child support obligations from, and locating, individuals owing such obligations.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 118 - Aid to Families With Dependent Children › Section 3b - Employment Counseling and Job Training Program

Section 3B. The department, in collaboration with the commonwealth corporation, shall establish an employment counseling and job training program to ensure appropriate training for recipients of cash assistance under transitional aid to families with dependent children. The department, in consultation with the commonwealth corporation, shall work with community colleges, vocational schools, one-stop career centers, adult basic education programs, adult college transition programs and other workforce training programs to identify and develop, if necessary, employment training programs and resources, including programs and resources that meet participants' language and cultural needs and refer applicants to these programs or resources; provided further, that the program shall include, but not be limited to; (1) job coaching; (2) assistance in resolving workplace disputes; (3) life skills development; (4) transportation assistance; (5) counseling; (6) tutoring; (7) support services referrals; (8) tax information forms regarding state and federal earned income tax credits; and (9) any other activities to assist recipients through the first year after transitioning into employment.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 118 - Aid to Families With Dependent Children › Section 4a - Aid to Dependent Children During Absence of Parents or Children From Commonwealth; Reciprocal Agreements

Section 4A. Any parent receiving aid under this chapter, or any child for whose bringing up such aid is furnished, may be absent from the commonwealth on visit without having such aid suspended. Such parent, before his departure or the departure of the child from the commonwealth and following return thereto, shall notify the department. The department may provide by rules or regulations for the continuation of such aid during such period as it may deem proper with respect to cases where the suspension of such aid because of absence from the commonwealth would result in undue hardship or be inconsistent with the purposes of this chapter.
The department may also provide by rules and regulations for the payment of aid under this chapter for a parent and child or children who have moved permanently from the commonwealth to another state, so as to continue said aid until such time as may be reasonably necessary for such parent to meet requirements for receiving similar aid from such other state; provided, that after the expiration of a period of three months' residence in such other state, the amount of such aid shall not exceed the amount of aid that the parent would receive from such other state if eligible therefor; and provided, further, that such aid shall be granted only when reciprocal agreements are in effect between this commonwealth and said state under section fourteen of chapter eighteen.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 118 - Aid to Families With Dependent Children › Section 4b - New Chardon Street Shelter; Continued Assistance for Eligible Families; Sliding Scale System of Fees

Section 4B. The department shall continue to provide assistance to families who are otherwise eligible for such assistance under the provisions of section two and who are temporarily making their residence at the New Chardon street shelter in the city of Boston administered by the department of children and families. Said department of children and families is further authorized and directed to establish a sliding scale system of fees for the provision of temporary housing services at the New Chardon street shelter in said city of Boston. The fee under such system for a family receiving benefits under said section two shall not exceed the food and shelter component for such benefits as established by the department of transitional assistance.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 118 - Aid to Families With Dependent Children › Section 9 - Eligibility to Receive Veterans' Benefits; Option; Waiver

Section 9. If an application for aid under this chapter is affected by the eligibility of the applicant to receive benefits under chapter one hundred and fifteen, the applicant shall be entitled to exercise such options and execute such waivers as may be necessary to receive the aid which he seeks.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 118 - Aid to Families With Dependent Children › Section 10 - Exemption From Trustee Process; Assignment; False Statement or Fraud

Section 10. Aid hereunder shall not be subject to trustee process and no assignment thereof shall be valid. No applicant for aid hereunder, who knowingly makes any false statement, or seeks to perpetrate any fraud or deception, in or relative to his application for such aid, shall be granted any aid hereunder upon such application.