Title 44, Title 44: POOR

44:1-45. Compensation and expenses of members The members of a district welfare board shall be paid ten dollars each for attendance at the regular monthly meetings and be reimbursed for their expenses incurred in the performance of duties imposed by this chapter.

44:1-46. Authority of board in general Like qualifications and authority shall vest in a district welfare board as is vested in the welfare board of a single county and as is authorized in this chapter.

44:1-47. Appointment of superintendent of welfare A district welfare board may appoint a superintendent of welfare who shall be a citizen of one of the counties constituting the district, and have the same qualifications, requirements and term of office as is provided for a super…

44:1-48. Apportionment of expense of establishment and maintenance of welfare-house The proportionate expense of the joint establishment and maintenance of a district welfare-house shall, as provided in this chapter, be apportioned among the several counties according to their po…

44:1-49. Budgeting and raising expense of operation and maintenance. A district welfare board shall provide in a budget to be made up six weeks prior to the annual meetings of the respective boards of chosen freeholders concerned, the total expense of the maintenance and operatio…

44:1-5. Erection, alteration and repair of buildings The board of chosen freeholders may erect all necessary buildings, make all necessary improvements and repairs, and alter any existing building for the use of the welfare-house, but the plans for such work shall first be approv…

44:1-50. Custody of funds raised in respective counties The sums of money raised in the respective counties in any manner authorized shall, on receipt thereof by the county treasurers, be paid to and held by the treasurer of the county in which the district welfare-house is situa…

44:1-51. Payment of bills and accounts The district welfare board shall certify all bills and accounts, including salaries and wages, and transmit them to the boards of chosen freeholders concerned which shall examine and approve them for payment, whereupon the county treasurer m…

44:1-52. Approval of estimated cost of establishment or enlargement of welfare-house The estimated cost of the establishment or enlargement of a district welfare-house, including the purchase of the real and personal property therefor shall be submitted to the several boards of c…

44:1-53. Borrowing money and issuing bonds to establish or enlarge welfare-house At any time after a vote by more than one county in favor of a district welfare-house as provided in this chapter, the boards of chosen freeholders may by joint resolution borrow money and issue bond…

44:1-54. Term of bonds; raising of principal and interest The bonds shall mature in not more than forty years from the issuance thereof. The principal and interest thereof and other necessary sums of money or expenses shall be the debt or obligation of the district wherein they w…

44:1-55. Compelling county to share expenses and obligations On failure of any county, through its governing body, to make provision in any manner as required by this chapter or other law for the payment of the expenses and obligations imposed thereby for its proportionate share …

44:1-56. Approval of plans and specifications for welfare-house The alteration or construction and completion of such building or grounds as may be necessary for the district welfare-house shall be approved as to plans and specifications by the state board before work is commence…

44:1-57. Notice of readiness to accommodate poor of district When the buildings as constructed or altered and furnished are completed, the district welfare board shall notify the boards of chosen freeholders of each county that they are prepared to accommodate the poor of the con…

44:1-58. Exemption of welfare-house from taxation The property of the district used and maintained for the purpose shall be free from taxation, and subject to the like privileges and immunities as exist and are provided and extended to other almshouses or welfare-houses in counti…

44:1-59. Time of final action on resolution; notice When a county shall propose by resolution, as in this chapter provided, to establish a county welfare-house, or to contract with another county for the relief and maintenance of the permanent poor by the other county in a welfar…

44:1-6. Levy, assessment and collection of money for buildings and maintenance The board of chosen freeholders may cause to be levied, assessed and collected from the municipalities of the county participating in the purpose such sums of money as shall be deemed necessary at firs…

44:1-60. Continuation of relief by counties not adopting plan Counties not determining to adopt such county or joint county purpose shall continue to support and relieve the permanent poor thereof as is otherwise lawful.

44:1-61. Election by municipality not to participate When a county by its board of chosen freeholders shall propose by resolution, as provided in this chapter, to establish a county welfare-house or a jointly maintained district welfare-house, or to contract with another county f…

44:1-62. Subsequent joining by municipality in county or joint county purpose A municipality may subsequently join in such county or joint county purpose by ordinance which shall be adopted by referendum in the manner provided by sections 40:49-9 to 40:49-12 of the title Municipa…

44:1-63. Excepted municipalities to provide relief of poor independently Municipalities excepted from participation in the establishment or maintenance of a welfare-house, shall continue to support and relieve the permanent poor thereof as is otherwise lawful.

44:1-64. Abolition of municipal almshouses when county relief undertaken When the care and maintenance of the permanent poor is undertaken and established by a county in lieu of municipal care of such persons, municipal almshouses, other than county almshouses or welfare-houses, …

44:1-65. Abolition of county and municipal almshouses when district relief undertaken When a district for the maintenance of the permanent poor is constituted as provided in this chapter, the respective counties and the municipalities therein, excepting those municipalities which…

44:1-66. Other methods of establishing almshouses Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to interfere with or prevent a county from establishing or maintaining a county almshouse as heretofore, unless it has adopted the provisions contained in this chapter for the e…

44:1-67. Bond issues for construction, repair or equipment In order to meet the expense: a. Of erecting additions to or new buildings or accommodations at a county almshouse or welfare-house; or b. Of making repairs to any such buildings; or c. Of providing proper furniture for a…

44:1-68. Classification and care of inmates In the management of almshouses or welfare-houses the inmates shall be classified according to age, condition of health and ability to perform manual labor. Some form of employment shall be provided for such of the inmates as are able t…

44:1-69. Separation of sexes In every almshouse, poorhouse, welfare-house or other institution for the reception and maintenance of poor persons, females shall be kept separate from males at all times in their living rooms, bedrooms, toilets, halls, stairways and outbuildings; ex…

44:1-7. Borrowing money and issuing obligations therefor The board of chosen freeholders may borrow money for the erection or purchase of the welfare-house, and for the purchase of a site therefor, on the credit of the county or portion thereof as provided in this chapter, and is…

44:1-70. Denomination of supervisors of almshouses The keepers of all almshouses, except welfare-houses under the control of a welfare board in a county, shall be denominated "supervisors" instead of "keepers" or "wardens" .

44:1-71. Keeping of book with certain entries as to each inmate The supervisors or superintendent and person in charge of every institution for the poor shall keep a book, to be provided by the authority charged with the care of the institution, in which book he shall enter from …

44:1-72. Penalty for failure properly to keep record book For the wrongful failure to keep such book according to the requirements of section 44:1-71 of this title, or for the willful alteration of an entry therein, or the willful mutilation or destruction thereof, the supervisor…

44:1-73. Appointment An overseer of the poor shall be appointed by the governing body of every municipality excepting those municipalities which shall contract for the services of the overseer of an adjoining municipality as provided in sections 44:1-79 and 44:1-80 of this title,…

44:1-73.1. Offices of overseer of poor and deputy overseers abolished Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, the offices of overseer of the poor and deputy overseer of the poor in each of the municipalities of this State are hereby abolished, and the functions, po…

44:1-73.2. Municipal director of welfare deemed referred to by mention of overseer, etc. Whenever the terms "overseer of the poor," "overseer," "deputy overseer of the poor," and "deputy overseer," occur or any reference is made to any of said terms, in any law, they, and each of…

44:1-73.3. No deprivation of certain county powers Nothing in this act shall be construed to deprive counties which have adopted Title 44:4 of the Revised Statutes of their powers and duties as provided in 9:17-1.1 of the Revised Statutes. L.1946, c. 110, p. 341, s. 3.

44:1-73.4. Term or compensation of directors of welfare unaffected Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect the term of office, or the compensation of any director of welfare appointed by any local assistance board. L.1946, c. 110, p. 342, s. 4.

44:1-73.5. Civil service, pension or retirement rights unaffected Nothing in this act shall be construed to deprive any person of any right or protection provided him by Title 11 of the Revised Statutes or by any pension law or retirement system. L.1946, c. 110, p. 342, s. 5.

44:1-73.6. Rights of overseers of poor and deputy overseers unaffected for balance of term This act shall not affect the term, tenure or compensation of any overseer of the poor or deputy overseer of the poor, of any municipality, holding such office on the effective date hereof,…

44:1-73.7. Effective date This act shall take effect on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred and forty-six. L.1946, c. 110, p. 342, s. 7.

44:1-74. Term An overseer shall hold office for five years except where a longer term is prescribed by statute.

44:1-75. Qualifications No person shall be appointed as an overseer of a municipality unless he shall: a. Be a citizen of the state and the United States; b. Be able to read and write the English language; c. Be capable of making and keeping such records and reports as are lawful…

44:1-76. Removal An overseer may, except as otherwise provided in section 44:1-77 of this title, be removed by the municipal governing body for cause upon written charges made by a citizen, after a hearing at least one week's notice of which shall be given the overseer.

44:1-77. Tenure and removal or reduction in cities of first class Overseers of the poor in cities of the first class, appointed by the governing bodies upon resolution thereof, shall hold their office during good behavior and shall not be removed, discharged or reduced in pay or …

44:1-78. Salary The overseer in a municipality shall, in lieu of all fees, receive such salary as may be fixed by the governing body.

44:1-79. Contract by municipality for services of overseer of adjoining municipality Contiguous or adjoining municipalities in a county may, through their governing bodies, agree in writing after resolution duly passed in each that the overseer of one or more of them may and shal…

44:1-8. Acceptance of gifts, devises and bequests The board of chosen freeholders may accept and hold in trust for the county, or portion thereof so participating, any grant or devise of land, or any gift or bequest of money, or other personal property, or any donation to be appl…