Title 47, Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions

If, during the continuance of an allowance, the department ascertains that a person liable for the support of the recipient of assistance is able to provide the necessary care and support of the recipient, and the person liable for the care and support of the recipient fails or r…

When a needy person is not entitled to assistance under AS 47.25.120 — 47.25.300 and has no relatives in the state liable for support under AS 47.25.230 and 47.25.240, the needy person may receive temporary assistance in the form and amount which the department considers necessar…

When a needy person is not entitled to assistance under AS 47.25.120 — 47.25.300, the needy person may receive assistance in the form and amount that the department considers necessary.

If the department finds that a general relief allowance has been improperly granted, it shall investigate, and if it appears from the investigation that the assistance was improperly granted, the department may cancel the allowance and notify the recipient of the cancellation. Th…

(a) Disbursements issued to a general relief assistance recipient after the date of death of the recipient shall be canceled. (b) General relief assistance disbursements made before the death of the recipient but not collected by the recipient before death shall be canceled, unle…

The department may enter into agreements, arrangements, or contracts with any federal agency, department, or official under which funds made available to the federal agency, department, or official may be transferred to the department and spent in accordance with AS 47.25.120 — 4…

A person who violates a provision of AS 47.25.120 — 47.25.300 is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both.

In AS 47.25.120 — 47.25.300, (1) “assistance” means financial assistance to or on behalf of a needy person, including subsistence (food, shelter, fuel, clothing, and utilities) and transportation, medical needs (including, but not limited to, hospitalization, nursing, and convale…

(a) Financial assistance shall be given under AS 47.25.430 — 47.25.615, so far as practicable under appropriations made by law, to every aged, blind, or disabled needy resident who has not made a voluntary assignment or transfer of property to qualify for assistance. In this subs…

Notwithstanding the provisions of AS 47.25.430 — 47.25.615, if the applicable provisions of 42 U.S.C. 301 — 1397f (Social Security Act), as amended, permit, in determining the need of an applicant for, or a recipient of, an assistance grant under AS 47.25.430 — 47.25.615, the dep…

A person requesting assistance shall apply for it, either personally or through another, in a format and manner prescribed in regulations adopted by the department. Regulations adopted under this section must establish an electronic application for assistance and allow an applica…

Upon application, the department shall investigate promptly and record the circumstances of each applicant to determine the facts supporting the application and other information required by the department.

(a) The department shall pay at least $280 a month to a person eligible for assistance under this chapter while the eligibility of the person for benefits under 42 U.S.C. 1381 — 1385 (Title XVI, Social Security Act, Supplemental Security Income Program) is being determined. Payme…

(a) Upon completion of the investigation, the department shall promptly decide whether the applicant is eligible for and should receive adult public assistance, the amount of it, the manner of paying it, and the date on which it starts. The department may make additional investig…

If a person receiving assistance is incapable of self-care or care of the funds granted under AS 47.25.430 — 47.25.615, the department may direct the payment of the funds to the recipient's legally appointed guardian or to another person as designated by the department for the re…

If a recipient is convicted of a crime or offense, and punished by imprisonment, payment may not be made during the period of imprisonment, and the department may, in its discretion, declare the assistance forfeited.

(a) If the department has reasonable grounds for believing that assistance was improperly granted, it shall investigate and document the grounds in the case file, and, if it appears as a result of the investigation that assistance was improperly granted, it may, after providing a…

(a) Disbursements issued to a recipient of assistance under AS 47.25.430 — 47.25.615 after the date of death of the recipient shall be canceled. (b) Assistance disbursements issued before the death of the recipient but not collected before death shall be canceled, unless claimed …

(a) A person receiving assistance who leaves the state may not receive assistance during the absence. (b) This section does not apply to a recipient who temporarily leaves the state for (1) medical treatment; (2) a vacation, business trip, or other absence of less than 30 days un…

The department shall make reports in detail that are required of it by the governor or by the federal government or a federal agency.

Assistance granted under AS 47.25.430 — 47.25.615 is inalienable by an assignment or transfer and is exempt from garnishment, levy, or execution as provided in AS 09.38 (exemptions).

If a recipient's property is taken for urban renewal or other public purposes and the recipient expresses an intent to purchase a personal dwelling, the proceeds that are paid the recipient as a result of the taking shall be paid by the taking authority into an escrow account und…

If during the continuance of assistance the department finds that a person liable for the support of the recipient of assistance is able to provide the necessary care and support of the recipient and the person liable for the care and support of the recipient fails or refuses to …

(a) It is the policy of the state and the purpose of AS 47.25.430 — 47.25.615 to cooperate and coordinate with the United States government and its agencies in providing for and administering the laws of the federal and state governments having for their purpose adult public assi…

The department may enter into contracts or arrangements with any federal agency, department, or official under which funds made available to the federal agency, department, or official may be transferred to the department and spent in accordance with AS 47.25.430 — 47.25.615.

A person who violates a provision of AS 47.25.430 — 47.25.615 is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

In AS 47.25.430 — 47.25.615, (1) “aged” means 65 or more years of age; (2) “assistance” means money payments to or medical care on behalf of, or any type of remedial care recognized by the department on behalf of, needy aged, blind, or disabled persons who are 18 or more years of…

(a) The Alaska affordable heating program is established in the Department of Health to provide expanded eligibility for Alaska residents for home heating assistance, to the extent funds are available in the Alaska affordable heating fund. (b) The Alaska affordable heating progra…

The Department of Health shall (1) administer the Alaska affordable heating program provided under AS 47.25.621; (2) adopt regulations under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act) to carry out the purpose of the program; (3) coordinate payments among other heating assistance pro…

(a) An individual is eligible for home heating assistance payments under the Alaska affordable heating program if the individual (1) is a resident of the state; (2) is physically present and resides in a home in the state when the home heating costs are incurred; (3) for assistan…

Except as provided in AS 47.25.626(e), an individual who receives a determination from the department that denies, limits, or modifies home heating payments under AS 47.25.621 — 47.25.626, other than a determination based on insufficient funding of the program, may request a hear…

An individual is liable to the department for the value of assistance improperly paid under AS 47.25.623 if the improper payment was based on inaccurate or incomplete information provided by the individual. In a civil action brought by the state to recover from the individual the…

(a) The Department of Health may develop a regional Alaska heating program for the administration of AS 47.25.621 — 47.25.626 to provide home heating assistance in a uniform and cost-effective manner in a region of this state if an Alaska Native organization is authorized to impl…

(a) The department is authorized to implement the food stamp program. (b) Householders determined by the department to be eligible for assistance under the food stamp program may obtain food stamp allotments; however, under regulations adopted by the department, a householder may…

(a) The department shall (1) adopt regulations necessary to carry out the food stamp program; (2) cooperate with the federal government and do all things necessary to continue state eligibility under the food stamp program; (3) comply with the requirements of 7 U.S.C. 2011 — 2036…

(a) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor if the person (1) knowingly acquires, possesses, uses, alters, or transfers food stamp allotments in violation of AS 47.25.975 — 47.25.980 or the regulations adopted under AS 47.25.980; (2) presents food stamp allotments or causes them to b…

In AS 47.25.975 — 47.25.985, (1) “department” means Department of Health; (2) “food” means any food or food product for human consumption except alcoholic beverages and tobacco and includes seeds and plants for use in gardens to produce food for the personal consumption of the el…

The department shall (1) administer the Alaska temporary assistance program by providing cash assistance, diversion payments, and self-sufficiency services to needy children and their families under this chapter and, if appropriate, by establishing regional public assistance prog…

The following families may apply under the Alaska temporary assistance program: (1) a single parent who has the physical custody of one or more related dependent children; (2) a caretaker of one or more dependent children who is a relative to at least the fifth degree; (3) a woma…

(a) A family is not eligible for cash assistance under the Alaska temporary assistance program if the family includes an adult who (1) has received cash assistance under the Alaska temporary assistance program, or a program of another state operated under a federal assistance gra…

(a) An applicant under the Alaska temporary assistance program shall complete an application in writing, or by electronic means, and in a format specified in regulations adopted by the department. Regulations adopted under this subsection must establish an electronic application …

(a) The department shall provide cash assistance to families that establish eligibility based on a determination of need that considers the family's available income, assets, and other resources, as established by the department in regulation. Each dependent child in the family i…

(a) The department may offer a lump-sum diversion payment in place of ongoing cash assistance to an adult applicant who applies under AS 47.27.020 if the adult applicant is job ready and is determined to need only short-term financial assistance and self-sufficiency services to m…

(a) If an applicant under AS 47.27.020 is not married, is under the age of 18, and has not been previously emancipated under AS 09.55.590, the applicant must (1) live in a home maintained by the applicant's parent, legal guardian, or other adult relative, unless the applicant est…

(a) A participant in the Alaska temporary assistance program shall cooperate with the department, or its designee, to develop and sign a family self-sufficiency plan that includes (1) the steps the family will take towards the self-sufficiency of the family; (2) the self-sufficie…

(a) An Alaska temporary assistance program participant shall, after the participant's family has received a cumulative total of 24 months of cash assistance or sooner if assigned to do so by the department, participate in work activities as assigned by the department or its desig…