Butte County Municipal Code Ch. 5 Assistance

There is hereby adopted an indigent relief program for the county to be known as the general assistance program. The general assistance program shall be the means by which the board of supervisors, under the Welfare and Institutions Code of the state, discharges its responsibility to provide aid for needy residents of the county; and by which the board exercises, under the code, its authority to provide emergency relief for needy nonresidents living within the county.

(Ord. No. 587, § 1)

* For state law as to relief, see W. & I.C., §§ 2800 to 2904.

The general assistance program is adopted to assure uniform operation of indigent relief activities throughout the county to promote, protect and secure the general welfare of the people thereof and encourage self-respect, self-reliance, and the desire to be a good citizen useful to society.

(Ord. No. 587, § 2)

The county department of social welfare shall list the basic requirements of all people for decent and healthy living and shall assign money values to each of the requirements in accordance with the minimum costs of the requirements. The department shall also list the special requirements of some persons for decent and healthy living and shall assign money values to each of the special requirements in accordance with the minimum costs of the special requirements. These basic and special requirements expressed in money figures shall be known as the standards of general assistance.

(Ord. No. 587, § 3)

The standards of general assistance shall be submitted by the county department of social welfare to the board of supervisors for approval and adoption.

(Ord. No. 587, § 3)

After adoption of the standards of general assistance shall be revised upward or downward by the county department of social welfare as the costs of the basic and special requirements vary; but such revisions shall have prior approval and adoption by the board of supervisors before becoming effective.

(Ord. No. 587, § 3)

Eligibility for general assistance shall be determined by the county department of social welfare by measuring an applicant's readily available resources against the established standards of general assistance. Those persons found to have such resources in lesser amounts than their needs as determined by the standards of general assistance shall be considered to be eligible for general assistance in so far as need is concerned.

(Ord. No. 587, § 4)

Eligibility for general assistance, in so far as residence is concerned shall be determined by said department in accordance with the Welfare and Institutions Code of the state and shall change to conform to any amendments to such code

(Ord. No. 587, § 4)

* For state law as to residence, see W. & I.C., §§ 2808, 2809.

All general assistance, whenever feasible, shall be paid by county warrant.

(Ord. No. 587, § 5)

Determination of those kindred of recipients held to be responsible to support or contribute to the support of general assistance recipients shall be made in accordance with the Welfare and Institutions Code of the state and shall change to conform to any amendments to such code.

A standard for determining the extent of liability of such kindred to support recipients of general assistance shall be developed by the department of social welfare; such standard shall become effective upon approval and adoption by the board of supervisors, and shall not be changed without prior approval of the board of supervisors.

(Ord. No. 587, § 6)

The department of social welfare shall develop detailed operating policies and procedures based on this chapter and shall submit these for review and approval of the board of supervisors. Such policies and procedures shall become effective upon approval by the board of supervisors.

(Ord. No. 587, § 7)

Revisions, deletions or additions of operating policies and procedures as developed by the department of social welfare, shall be submitted for review and approval of the board of supervisors before becoming effective.

(Ord. No. 587, § 7)

Any applicant for or recipient of general assistance who believes that general assistance has been improperly denied by the county department of social welfare or that general assistance has been granted by the department in a lesser amount than required by the standards of general assistance, may appeal said matter to a referee who shall be appointed by the board of supervisors. The referee shall conduct a hearing on said appeal pursuant to the procedures set forth in the operating policies and procedures. The decision of the referee shall be final.

(Ord. No. 587, § 8; Ord. No. 2425, § 1, 8-21-84)

Where conditions exist which make compliance with any rule impracticable, the department of social welfare may recommend that the board of supervisors modify or amend any requirement set forth in this chapter.

(Ord. No. 587, § 9)