Delaware General Assembly


CHAPTER 538

RELATING TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 5, TITLE 31, DELAWARE CODE, RELATIVE TO APPROPRIATIONS BY THE COUNTIES FOR GENERAL ASSISTANCE.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:

Section 1. § 513 (c), Chapter 5, Title 31, Delaware Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) The cost of General Assistance 8h311 be a charge against the counties of the State and apportioned according to the number of recipients from each county.

For the purpose of providing General Assistance under this chapter the Levy Court of each county shall appropriate for each fiscal year an amount equal to the estimated needs in that county for this category of assistance as determined by the Department of Public Welfare.

The Department shall furnish the Levy Court of each county with an estimate of needs for each fiscal year not later than two months prior to the beginning of each fiscal year. The Department shall furnish the Levy Court of each county supplementary estimates of need not later than 30 days prior to the beginning of each fiscal year quarter to enable each county to meet any changing conditions not foreseen in the annual estimate.

The Receiver of Taxes and County Treasurer of each county shall pay into the State Public Welfare Fund on or before the first day of each month an amount equal to one-third of the estimated needs for the fiscal year quarter as set forth in the quarterly estimate submitted by the Department.

Each quarterly estimate prepared for each county by the Department shall set forth actual expenditures for the preceding quarter and compensating adjustments shall be made in

the estimated needs for the future quarter either increasing or decreasing estimated needs for the future quarter, thus maintaining county fund requirements on a current basis.

The Treasurer of each county shall be furnished by the Department a listing by name, address, and amount paid, of each recipient eligible for General Assistance each month, as well as a detailed statement of administrative costs chargeable to the individual county, such lists to be used for the purposes of this chapter only and information from them to be disclosed solely for purposes directly connected with the administration of assistance.

The State shall monthly reimburse each county to the extent of one-half the amount expended by the county for General Assistance grants and administration allocable to that county.

The estimated amount of the State's portion shall be included in the annual appropriations made by the General Assembly.

If, at any time, there would be a deficit in the funds required to be provided by the Levy Court of any county for General Assistance, chargeable to the county, such deficit shall be paid out of the State Treasury upon requisition of the Department and shall be deducted by the State Treasurer from the amount to be paid to the county in reimbursement of the amount expended by it, as provided in this section.

Approved December 1, 1955.