Title 44, Title 44: POOR

44:4-12. Acceptance of gifts, devises and bequests The board of chosen freeholders may accept and hold in trust for the county any grant or devise of land, or any gift or bequest of money or other personal property, or any donation to be applied, principal or income or both, for …

44:4-120. Appropriations for year following adoption of chapter Within fifteen days after this chapter takes effect and becomes operative in any county the county welfare board shall: a. Meet with the board of freeholders for consideration of the estimate of the welfare board as …

44:4-121. Estimates for ensuing calendar or fiscal years On November first of each year thereafter, the county welfare board shall forward to the board of chosen freeholders an estimate of the amount necessary for carrying into effect the provisions of this chapter, and to the go…

44:4-122. Appropriation by freeholders for relief of permanent or indoor poor Such provision for expense for the relief of the permanent or indoor poor shall upon the approval of the board of chosen freeholders, be included in the budgets of the respective counties on certificati…

44:4-123. Additional county appropriation when original appropriation inadequate When the sums appropriated as provided in section 44:4-122 of this title are expended or exhausted during the year and for the purpose for which they were appropriated, and when separate appropriatio…

44:4-124. Raising or borrowing of additional sums Such additional sums may be paid from unexpended balances not required by law to be expended for a specific purpose, or from contingent funds, where such exist. Where such balances are not available or adequate, or such funds do n…

44:4-125. Appropriations by municipalities for temporary or outdoor poor The expenditures, exclusive of administrative expenses, for relief under the provisions of this chapter of the temporary or outdoor poor residing in the respective municipalities of the county shall be limit…

44:4-126. Additional municipal appropriations When any sum appropriated as provided in section 44:4-125 of this title has been expended or exhausted, during the year and for the purpose for which it was appropriated, the county welfare board shall notify the governing body of the…

44:4-127. Emergency county appropriation when municipality fails to appropriate additional sum When a municipality fails to appropriate an additional sum for this purpose, the board of chosen freeholders shall provide for the relief of the temporary or outdoor poor of the municip…

44:4-128. Unexpended balances of municipal appropriations Any unexpended balance of such municipal appropriation shall be carried over and made available for the relief of the temporary or outdoor poor within the municipality for the next ensuing year.

44:4-129. Proposal by resolution to adopt chapter The board of chosen freeholders of any county the legal voters of which have failed to adopt the provisions of this chapter as herein provided, may propose to adopt such provisions by resolution as in this chapter provided.

44:4-13. Inspection of welfare-house A welfare-house shall be subject to inspection by duly authorized representatives of the state board, the commissioner and the state board of health; and whenever a county shall provide for the relief and maintenance of its permanent poor in a…

44:4-130. Time for final action on resolution Final action by the board of chosen freeholders of the county on the resolution shall be adjourned for at least one month from the time of the proposal of such resolution, at which time such final action shall be taken except as provi…

44:4-131. Notice of time and place of final action; adjournment Within two weeks after the proposal of the resolution, notice of the time and place of final action to be taken thereon shall be published twice in two newspapers published and circulated in the county, at least one …

44:4-132. Submission of question to voters of county; notice Upon the adoption of the resolution by the board of chosen freeholders, the question of the adoption of the provisions of this chapter in the county shall thereupon be submitted to the legal voters of the county at the …

44:4-133. Ballot; form and content At any such election at which the question of the adoption of the provisions of this chapter is submitted to the legal voters of a county, there shall be printed upon each official ballot substantially the following: "To vote upon the public que…

44:4-134. Voting 44:4-134. If the voter makes an x or + mark in ink or pencil in the square at the left of the word "yes," it shall be counted as a vote in favor of the adoption of this chapter. If the voter makes an x or + mark in ink or pencil in the square at the left of the w…

44:4-135. Canvass and return of votes; when chapter becomes operative A canvass and return of the votes cast in the county upon the question of the adoption of this chapter shall be made by the board of canvassers in the same manner as for officers voted at such election and as f…

44:4-14. Abolition of almshouses After the establishment of a county welfare-house as provided in section 44:4-4 of this title, the permanent poor shall be maintained therein in lieu of almshouses, and almshouses maintained and supported in any such county or in municipalities in…

44:4-15. Sale of property formerly used for municipal almshouses The real and personal property which has been used for municipal almshouses, abolished as provided in section 44:4-14 of this title, may be sold by the governing body and the proceeds thereof shall fall into the mun…

44:4-16. Contract with another county for maintenance of permanent poor Upon the certificate of the state board that the housing conditions and accommodations are adequate for the purpose, and upon the approval of the state board of health that the sanitary conditions are such as…

44:4-17. Contract authorized by resolution The contract for the relief and maintenance of the permanent poor of a county in a welfare-house of another county shall be authorized by resolution as mentioned in section 44:4-5 of this title, and such other provisions as may be necess…

44:4-18. Terms of contract The contract authorized by the board of chosen freeholders and entered into by the directors of the several counties concerned shall provide for the permanent maintenance and relief of such poor persons, and any county so contracting may maintain the pe…

44:4-19. Expense under contract; payment by proper county The expense under a contract for the support of the permanent poor of any county in the welfare-house of another county shall be a charge upon the county whose permanent poor are thus provided for. Such expense shall be pr…

44:4-2. Chapter inoperative until adopted upon referendum The provisions of this chapter shall be and remain inoperative as to a particular county until the chapter has been adopted upon referendum as provided in article 17 of this chapter (s. 44:4-129 et seq.).

44:4-20. Membership In every county wherein the provisions of this chapter have been adopted, there shall be constituted and appointed a county welfare board composed as provided in R.S. 44:1-11. Such boards are hereby created corporate entities with power to sue and be sued, to …

44:4-21. Terms of members; vacancies Members shall hold their offices for five years, except that the first appointments shall be respectively for one, two, three, four and five years, which terms as to duration shall be in the order of appointments as made and indicated. Vacanci…

44:4-22. Compensation and expenses of members Members shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses, on the approval of the director of the board of chosen freeholders, all of which shall be audited and paid in the same…

44:4-23. Organization of board The county welfare board shall elect from among its members a chairman and vice-chairman and a secretary-treasurer who shall furnish a suitable bond to be approved by the board of chosen freeholders. Amended by L.1938, c. 194, p. 422, s. 2.

44:4-24. Supervision of relief and settlement of poor; complaints for prevention of cruelty The county welfare board, as the county bureau of relief shall have charge and supervision of the relief and settlement of the poor in its jurisdiction, subject to the provisions of this c…

44:4-25. Supervision of old age relief On the establishment of a county welfare board in any county, the functions and powers theretofore vested in and the duties required of and theretofore exercised by any welfare board for the supervision of old age relief in such county shall…

44:4-26. Board as manager of welfare-house When the board of chosen freeholders shall establish a county welfare-house for the permanent maintenance and relief of the poor in any county and shall have acquired a site therefor, awarded contracts for the necessary building and impr…

44:4-27. Equipment and maintenance of welfare-house The county welfare board shall so equip and maintain the welfare-house as to provide proper heat and all furniture, materials and supplies, medical and otherwise, as may be necessary for the adequate maintenance of the permanent…

44:4-28. Meetings of board The county welfare board shall meet regularly once each month and at such other times as may be necessary or as it may by rule provide. When a welfare-house has been established the board shall meet at such welfare-house or, in case of emergency, at the…

44:4-29. Approval of appropriations All appropriations for the expenditure of money as set forth in this chapter shall be subject to the approval of the board of chosen freeholders.

44:4-3. Construction in general The provisions contained in this chapter shall not be construed to be exclusive. A particular grant of power contained in this chapter shall be held to be in specification but not in limitation of general powers.

44:4-30. Certification of bills to board of freeholders The county welfare board shall certify all bills and accounts including salaries and wages, and transmit them to the board of chosen freeholders of the county which shall make payment out of the appropriations therefor in th…

44:4-31. Working expense fund The board of chosen freeholders shall provide and maintain, however, a working expense fund for the use of the welfare board, raised and collected as other expenses are required by this chapter to be provided. Payment therefrom shall be made out of t…

44:4-32. Appointment of director; qualifications The county welfare board shall appoint, subject to the approval of the board of chosen freeholders, a director of welfare, who shall: a. Be a citizen of this state and of the United States; b. Be able to read and write the English …

44:4-33. Director of welfare, classification for civil service; working test period The director of welfare shall be and hereby is classified in the competitive class of the classified service as defined and provided in Title 11, Civil Service, notwithstanding the county welfare …

44:4-34. Appointment and tenure of other officers and employees The county welfare board shall appoint such other officers, assistants and employees as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter. All employees of the county welfare board shall hold their office …

44:4-35. Salaries The county welfare board shall fix the salaries of the director of welfare and such other officers, assistants and employees within the limits of the appropriation made therefor by the board of chosen freeholders, and such salaries shall be compensation in full …

44:4-36. Regulations governing officers and employees The director of welfare and the other officers and employees shall be subject to such rules and regulations in the discharge of their duties as may be provided by the county welfare board.

44:4-37. Functions and duties of director The director of welfare shall: a. Have general jurisdiction throughout the county of the settlement and relief of the poor and shall direct the administration thereof under the control and supervision of the county welfare board and subje…

44:4-38. Functions and duties formerly performed by overseers of poor The functions and powers vested in overseers of the poor prior to April twenty-eighth, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-one, and the duties required of and theretofore exercised by them, shall, wherever nec…

44:4-39. Persons receivable in welfare-house The director of welfare under the general rules and regulations shall receive in the welfare-house such poor persons as by law are properly receivable therein, or as otherwise by law may be provided, and all such persons as would other…