Title 40, Title 40 Services

The court may further order with any kindred who may desire it, that the pauper shall live and be relieved, for such time with one and for such time with another, as they shall judge proper, having regard to the comfort of the pauper as well as to the convenience of the kindred.

The directors of public welfare shall have the care and oversight of all such poor and indigent persons settled in their respective towns.

If the petition be not entered, or be discontinued or withdrawn, or adjudged groundless, the respondent shall recover costs.

Upon application of any party interested, the court may, from time to time, vary any order by it made in the premises, or alter any assessment or apportionment by it made as provided in this chapter, to meet a change of circumstances.

The directors of public welfare shall see that poor and indigent persons in their respective towns are suitably relieved, supported, and employed, either in the workhouse or in other tenements belonging to towns, or in such other way and manner as the inhabitants of the respectiv…

The city council of the city of Providence may prescribe the mode in which, and extent to which, the director of public welfare of the city shall afford temporary relief to poor and indigent persons who are not supported and employed in the asylum, or other tenements belonging to…

(a) This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Public Assistance Act.” (b) Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth herein, unless the context in which the terms are used clearly indicates to the contrary: (1) “Departme…

(a) No individual shall be entitled to receive assistance provided under this chapter or chapter 5.1 of this title and/or medical assistance under chapter 8 of this title for any period beginning on or after July 1, 1982, with respect to which benefits are paid or payable to indi…

If at any time during the continuance of public assistance pursuant to this chapter and/or chapter 8 of this title, the recipient thereof becomes possessed of income or resources in excess of the amount previously reported by him or her, it shall be his or her duty, and a conditi…

(a) All records pertaining to the administration of public assistance pursuant to this chapter and chapter 8 of this title are hereby declared to constitute confidential matter. It shall be unlawful for any person to make use of, or cause to be used, any information contained in …

(a) The department of human services shall provide to the statewide warrant squad the current address of any individual if all of the following conditions are met: (1) There is an outstanding arrest warrant or body attachment issued by a state court in Rhode Island for the indivi…

(a) Any applicant or recipient aggrieved because of a decision by the department or delay in making a decision shall be entitled to an appeal and shall be afforded reasonable notice and opportunity for a hearing. Hearings with respect to public assistance shall be conducted by th…

Public assistance provided under this chapter shall not be transferable or assignable, at law or in equity, and none of the money paid or payable under this chapter shall be subject to execution, levy, attachment, garnishment, or other legal process, or to the operation of any ba…

Any person who by any fraudulent device obtains, or attempts to obtain, or aids or abets any person to obtain, public assistance, pursuant to this chapter, to which he or she is not entitled, or who willfully fails to report income or resources as provided in this chapter, shall …

(a) Any person who by any fraudulent device obtains, or attempts to obtain, or aids or abets any person to obtain, food stamps issued pursuant to the Food Stamp Act of 1964, as amended, 7 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq., shall be guilty of larceny, and upon conviction thereof, shall be pun…

The state shall have authority to receive and expend through the department any funds that may become available from the federal government for public assistance purposes. The department, with the approval of the governor, shall have authority to meet federal requirements with re…

The department shall have the authority to enter into reciprocal agreements with other states and territories of the United States providing for the payment of assistance to former residents of this state residing in other states.

The director of the department, or any person designated by him or her, may be the party complainant to any complaint and warrant brought to invoke the penalties provided for in this chapter, and the party complainant shall be exempt from giving surety for costs in any action.

It is the purpose of this chapter to provide public assistance to residents of the state who are in need and who meet the eligibility requirements of the various programs that constitute public assistance. It shall be the responsibility of the department to provide assistance to …

All criminal actions for any violation of this chapter, or any rule or regulation promulgated under this chapter pertaining to the department, shall be prosecuted by the attorney general or by any qualified member of the Rhode Island bar who shall be designated by the director an…

The department is authorized and directed to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the federal and state programs for offset and collection of past-due child and spousal support from income tax refunds, as authorized by Sections 6305(b) and 6402(c) of the Internal Revenue…

(a) The department of human services is authorized and directed to establish, in accordance with the requirements of Title IV-D, § 466(a)(5) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 666(a)(5), a hospital-based program for the voluntary acknowledgement of paternity during the perio…

(a) The department of human services may garnish the wages, salary, or other income of, and withhold amounts from state income tax refunds due to, any person who: (1) Is required by court or administrative order to provide coverage of the cost of health services to a child eligib…

(a) For purposes of this section, a “financial institution” means a bank, savings bank, national bank, trust company, building and loan association, loan and investment company, credit union, safe deposit company, any person or corporation registered to sell securities under the …

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, every employer or payor of earnings shall make available to the department, upon written request by the department, any wage or earnings information in its possession, regarding an employee, former employee, or person providing goo…

No person receiving assistance under this chapter shall be deemed a pauper for purposes of chapter 5 of this title by reason thereof.

The department is authorized to prescribe forms and promulgate rules and regulations that it deems necessary in order to effectuate the intent and provisions of this chapter. Furthermore, it is the legislative intent of the general assembly that the authority granted in this chap…

If any provision in any section of this chapter, or the application thereof, to any person or circumstances is held invalid, its invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and t…

(a)(1) The director of the department is hereby authorized to enter into agreements on behalf of the state with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services or other appropriate federal officials, under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program established by…

(a) There is hereby established a cash assistance program for disabled and elderly legal immigrant residents of the state who received a state supplementary assistance payment under § 40-6-27 on July 1, 1997, who are in need, and who become ineligible after July 1, 1997, for fede…

There is hereby established a $206 monthly payment for disabled and elderly individuals who, on or after July 1, 2012, receive the state supplementary assistance payment for an individual in a state-licensed assisted-living residence under § 40-6-27 and further reside in an assis…

(a) Interim cash assistance payments shall be provided to individuals determined by the director, or his or her designee, to have applied for and to have been approved for medical assistance (“Medicaid”) under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq., and to…

(a) No employer in the state who shall hire, contract with, or employ an individual (hereinafter “recipient”) who has been determined eligible to receive public assistance or medical assistance under chapters 6 and 5.1 and 8.4 of this title, or chapter 12.3 of title 42 and/or Tit…

It is the purpose of this section to provide general public assistance to any person who is a resident of the state and who is eligible, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the department, and is in need; provided, further, that benefits under this program shall be pr…

(a) The state, acting by and through the department, shall provide assistance (in the form specified in § 40-6-3.2) to residents of the state found by the department, in accordance with this chapter and rules and regulations of the department, to be eligible for general public as…

(a) The department may provide for vendor payment of reasonable funeral and burial expenses of deceased residents of this state who are found eligible in accordance with rules and regulations of the department. The department shall, from time to time, establish cost standards for…

For purposes of this chapter, the term “dependent child” shall mean a dependent child as defined by Title IV-A of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 601 et seq., as amended.

(a) As used in this section: (1) “Enteral nutrition” means a supplemental feeding that is provided via the gastrointestinal tract by mouth (orally), or through a tube, catheter, or stoma that delivers nutrients distal to the oral cavity. (2) “Nutritional risk” means actual or pot…

(a) General public assistance shall be provided in the form of: (1) Financial assistance payable by check; (2) Beginning on July 1, 1992, each hospital licensed under chapter 17 of title 23, other than state-operated hospitals, shall provide free services and charity care for rea…

There shall be in each city or town a public welfare office or offices where persons may make application for any type of public assistance, unless the director of the department of human services designates other suitable offices within the state where persons may make applicati…

In the event that any child is committed to the training school or adult correctional institutions, and the child’s parent(s) or qualifying relative are receiving or are eligible for aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) as provided pursuant to § 40-6-4 [repealed], Title…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “banking institution” shall mean: (1) Any state or federally chartered bank, savings bank, loan and investment bank, or credit union located within this state; and (2) Any currency-exchange specialist located within this state and en…

Authorization to pay all forms of assistance specified in this chapter shall be made by representatives of the department, and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for payments upon receipt by him or her of pr…

With respect to pregnant women and with respect to children under the age of five (5), the state hereby adopts the optional expanded income and resource eligibility standards set forth in amendments to Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq. Pregnan…

With respect to pregnant women, the state hereby adopts the optional presumptive-eligibility program set forth in amendments to Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq. The department of human services is hereby directed to prepare the necessary form…

(a) The department shall have the responsibility to administer the food stamp program for the state in compliance with the provisions of the federal Food Stamp Act of 1964, as amended, 7 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq. The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is and shall be th…