Opinion ID: 1844930
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: displaced homemaker program

Text: The clerk of court is required by § 14-06.1-15 to send the $50 marriage dissolution fee to the State Treasurer to fund the displaced homemaker program created by Chapter 14-06.1, N.D.C.C. The State Legislature, when it enacted Chapter 14-06.1 in 1981, declared that many persons in this state become displaced without any source of income through separation, divorce, death, or disability of their spouse. See § 14-06.1-01, N.D.C.C. [2] The Legislature thus created a program to help these persons with job counseling [§ 14-06.1-05, N.D.C.C.], job training [§ 14-06.1-06, N.D.C.C.], health counseling and money management training [§ 14-06.1-09(1) and (2), N.D.C.C.], assistance in finding permanent employment [§ 14-06.1-08, N.D.C.C.], and other services. The state contracts with and makes grants to nonprofit organizations for the services to displaced homemakers. The Superintendent of Public Instruction was authorized under § 14-06.1-10, N.D. C.C., to establish eligibility requirements, but [a]ny interpretation of eligibility for services should have as first priority the service of displaced homemakers. A displaced homemaker was defined in § 14-06.1-02(2), N.D.C.C., as an individual who: a. Has worked in the individual's home providing unpaid services for household members; b. Has been or is unemployed or underemployed; c. Has had or will have difficulty finding employment; and d. (1) Is widowed, divorced, separated, or abandoned; or (2) Because of the disability of the individual's spouse, is displaced from the individual's former economically dependent role. Section 14-06.1-14, N.D.C.C., created a displaced homemaker account for deposit of the marriage dissolution fees collected by the clerks of court. Section 14-06.1-16(1), N.D.C.C., made a continuing appropriation of $250,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary per biennium from the account for the program. The statute further made a continuing appropriation of any additional funds that may become available through grants, gifts, or other sources, but these funds may be spent only upon approval of the Emergency Commission. § 14-06.1-16(2), N.D.C.C. At least 95 percent of the funds appropriated are required to be used for the direct provision of displaced homemaker services. § 14-06.1-16(1) and (2), N.D.C.C. The administrator of the displaced homemaker program in the Department of Public Instruction since 1983 testified that: 6. For the fiscal year ending June, 1986, 474 individuals were enrolled in the displaced homemaker program. Of those 474 individuals, 267 persons (or 56.33%) were divorced, 78 (or 16.46%) were separated, 27 (or 5.70%) were widowed, 84 (or 17.72%) were abandoned, and 18 (or 3.80%) were married with a disabled spouse. 7. For the fiscal year ending June, 1987, 387 individuals were enrolled in the displaced homemaker program. Of those 387 individuals, 232 (or 59.95%) were divorced, 117 (or 30.23%) were separated, 25 (or 6.46%) were widowed, 2 (or .52%) were abandoned, and 11 (or 2.84%) were married with a disabled spouse. For the fiscal years prior to 1986, the statistical data on individuals enrolled in the program was similar. Since 1983 all of the funds for the program have come from the marriage dissolution fee imposed by § 14-06.1-15, N.D.C.C.